Fixing Credit

I did my free credit report thing last night and found that I have a mistake on my credit. A bill from SBC and I have never had any service from them. I noticed that the credit company has two addreses for me. One is my parents house, which I still call my address. The other a random apartment in Fort Worth were I have never lived. I am guessing this has caused the error. I am going to call them, but what info should I go in with. Or more specifically has anyone out there dealt with theses companies and do you have any tips. I can just see the bureaucracy now. Anything they can do to get you to pay it instead of fixing it. Thanks for the help.

It's all a matter of documentation and patience. The process might turn your hair gray... it all depends on how easily the phone company wants to make it.

Have proof that you never lived at that other address - like other utility, credit card, or misc. bills showing the correct address. Contact the other address and see if they have a correct address for the Marc(k) Johnson they have listed and provide that to SBC.

You'll have to have the patience of Job and the tenacity of a shark to get this fixed. Be ready to write several letters and be sure to demand letters stating the corrections from both SBC and the credit reporters.

Write them a letter... They have a certain number of days to respond and if they don't you can get it removed from the report.

RJ

Wow that was easy. I actually just filed a dispute online. I checked tonight and it said it was deleted. I am still going to send them a letter asking for proof, and to remove the address that isnt mine from my report. They wont do that online.

Cool! Who did you file the dispute with?

I did it on experian's webiste.

They may have just temporarily removed it while they are researching it. If they send a letter to SBC and SBC sticks to their guns, they will likely put it back.

As far as I have been told you can dispute anything and have it taken off your credit report then the burden of proof goes back to the company.
If they find you owe them it goes back on your report the following month.
But I could be wrong.

Billy's right, it will be back there next month if SBC reports it back to the credit agency.

Just be sure to keep your end of the paper trail...