Checking your credit report doesn’t have to be a chore, Weatherford!
Did you realize you could collect damages due to a fraudulent listing on your report? It might not be as easy or fun, but its more important.
Once you’ve given your full report a look, using www.annualcreditreport.com, I encourage you to take a second look at the section towards the bottom of the report, titled CREDIT PULLS.
TYPES OF CREDIT PULLS
You’ll see there are two sections in your credit pull category: hard and soft.
The soft credit pull list could go on for ages, because that’s how everyone from credit card companies to car dealerships gets your information. Luckily for you, these pulls do NOT affect you. I repeat: everyone from Honda of Weatherford to Southwest Nissan can pull your credit, but none of these actions will alter your credit score.
However, what will harm your credit score are hard credit pulls. These are checks of credit performed when you give permission to someone to perform a check. They indicate that you are preparing to borrow, rent, or begin a new job.
So, these hard pulls are necessary, but they might be fraudulent.
CHECK THOSE HARD PULLS
As you browse your hard pull list, you may see the following due to your activity:
**I applied for a new travel card in May 2018 = CAPITAL ONE FIN. CORP. (JUN 2018)
**I moved into a new apartment in December 2019 = AAA PROPERTIES LLC (OCT 2019)
**I began a new car lease in December 2018 = HONDA FIN. SERVICES (DEC 2018)
But let’s say you see a fourth pull that you may not have expected, which may look like this:
AT&T SERVICES, DALLAS, TX (DEC 2019)
You might find that strange. Why would a telecom company be performing a hard pull on my credit? I don’t remember giving them written permission to do so. Most companies performing a hard credit pull must have your written permission to do so.
It’s possible that you may be the victim of an unauthorized hard pull, like many others across North Texas, especially in Weatherford, Mineral Wells, and Decatur.
You have rights, and I will fight for them.
WHAT NEXT?
Credit Reporting Agencies like Equifax have failed time and time again to properly monitor accounts like yours, and don’t expect you to take action when they leave you in the dust. The Fair Credit Reporting Act is just a document to many of these agencies, rather than the law they are committed to observe. So don’t let them get away with it.
You’ll begin by disputing the portion of the credit report, which you may do, or I am happy to do so for the price of postage. Your credit report will provide a schedule of process for disputing a credit pull.
You must make sure to mail the letter via certified mail, and request a return receipt for the envelope.
If you are the victim of an unauthorized credit pull you may be entitled to sue under the fair credit reporting act. If successful you could collect statutory damages of up to $1,000.00, actual and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees and costs.
Call me from your side of town, or visit my Fort Worth offices for a free consultation, to determine the potential of your case. I serve clients in Weatherford, Aledo, Decatur, Arlington, Burleson, Alliance, and Parker County.
If every member of our country took the time to hold these companies accountable, their business practices would change for the better, and ethical practices would prevail. Until that day, we’ll have to do the best with what we have.