WFNNB/Lerner - Help...

[onthelevel]

My account with Lerner's was charged off in 1999. I settled for less than the full balance in Oct. 2002. The account was updated with the bureaus as paid, closed, "settled for less than the full balance"

This is how the original listing appears with the credit bureaus:

WFNNB/LERNER (Individual)

Account Type Revolving

Credit Limit

(High Credit)

$555

Date Opened July, 1991

Date of Status October, 2002

Last Payment Date Not on Record

Loan Type Revolving Charge Account

Description Account paid in full for less than the full balance

Last Report on October, 2002

Current status Account legally paid in full for less than the full balance

90+ days late: 39

10/2002

9/2002

8/2002

7/2002

6/2002

5/2002

4/2002

3/2002

2/2002

1/2002

12/2001

11/2001

10/2001

9/2001

8/2001

7/2001

6/2001

5/2001

4/2001

3/2001

2/2001

1/2001

12/2000

11/2000

10/2000

14 additional 90+ days delinquent

Then a duplicate tradeline reporting to the credit bureaus as:

WFNNB/LERNER MAIL ORDE (Individual)

Account Type Revolving

Credit Limit

(High Credit)

$654

Date Opened July, 1991

Date of Status April, 2005

Last Payment Date October, 2002

Loan Type Revolving Charge Account

Description Account paid in full for less than the full balance

Last Report on April, 2005

Current status Account legally paid in full for less than the full balance

90+ days late: 40

4/2005

3/2005

2/2005

1/2005

12/2004

11/2004

10/2004

9/2004

8/2004

7/2004

6/2004

5/2004

4/2004

3/2004

2/2004

1/2004

12/2003

11/2003

10/2003

9/2003

8/2003

7/2003

6/2003

5/2003

4/2003

15 additional 90+ days delinquent

They both have the same account numbers so I disputed the duplicate tradeline with the bureaus who all came back and said it was verified. Then I sent letters to Lerner's telling them that I never had 2 accounts and to please delete the duplicate account. They sent me back a letter saying that I don't have 2 accounts but it still was never deleted with the bureaus. Not only that but the duplicate tradeline keeps updating as a collection 120 days late when I settled it in 2002. So I called Lerner's the other day and they told me that because I only settled the account and did not pay the full balance, the account will continue to be updated as 120 days late until it falls off my credit report because it still has a balance. And that they did this to let creditors know that I was 120 days late at some point in my history with them. They did say they would delete the duplicate tradeline. But they'll probably delete the listing that isn't being updated not the one that's hurting me. But now I got an alert that they pulled a hard pull on my Experian credit report the day I called. Can they do any of this?

[willingtocope]

Well...they can do some of it. You now see one of the pitfalls for settling an account. The OC can continue to report. However, they cannot (under the FCRA) continue to report incorrect information. A duplicate TL is incorrect. You probably should stop calling them and write the an "intent to sue" (ITS) letter pointing out that they are indeed violating your rights under the FCRA and unless they remove one (or both) of the TLs, you'll be forced to investigate your legal options.