I had a department store credit card through Comenity Bank for $100. That card was charged off and now it's in collection. I paid it off in Sept. 2025, but there was a residual balance of less than $20, possibly even $5-$8. I was not aware of that, because I assumed I paid it in full. After reviewing the trade line pages, I closed it in 10/2025 (listed as consumer closed), yet it didn't charge off until several months later. So here is the million dollar question, if the trade line page states that the limit was $100, how and why would the creditor let allow it to snowball to $362? That seems predatory & excessive!!! Also, I've had cancer residual issues over the past 2 years needing multiple surgeries and being out on FMLA, twice, so I wasn't cognizant of checking routinely. I am officially in clean up mode so I can get a newer car soon. Any tips? I haven't disputed anything yet, I'm cleaning up personal information at the moment, but this $362 issue is annoying me! Lastly, I can see myself doing this in the future, in helping others. Any newbie side hustlers in this realm? Tips? I think this is me liking the challenge and then add my active paralegal skill set, I strangely like the paper work documentation/organization. 😆 Thanks for reading!

When a credit bureau says an account was “verified,” most people stop. But under the FCRA, “verified” does NOT mean they proved anything. It usually means the furnisher responded electronically with “yes, this is correct.” Here’s exactly what to do next if you want to push for a deletion: 1. Immediately request the Method of Verification (MOV) Under FCRA §611(a)(6) and §611(a)(7), you have the right to know: - How they verified the account - What procedure was used - Who they contacted - Whether actual documentation was reviewed Send a letter requesting a full description of their verification method. This forces accountability and exposes weak investigations. 2. Pull all 3 updated reports and compare every detail After receiving your investigation results, check your new reports for: - Date of first delinquency - Date opened - Date last active - Balance reporting - Payment history accuracy - Status (open, closed, charged off, etc.) - Differences between Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion Any mismatch or inaccurate detail becomes a new dispute angle. 3. Send a new dispute focusing on ONE specific inaccuracy Under FCRA §607(b), the bureaus must ensure maximum possible accuracy.If even ONE detail cannot be verified, the entire account may need to be deleted. Examples of detailed angles to dispute: - Wrong payment history for a specific month - Incorrect date of first delinquency - Balance not matching original creditor’s records - Creditor name or account number reported inconsistently - Status not updating correctly Targeting one flaw makes it harder for them to verify. 4. If it’s a collection, demand validation directly from the collector. Under the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. §1692g), you can request: - Proof they own the debt - Proof of the amount - A copy of the original agreement - Evidence that you are the correct consumer If they cannot validate, they should not be reporting it. This strengthens your case for deletion with the bureaus.