LVNV Funding LLC: What to do if you find them on your credit report

Michele,

LVNV Funding is a collection agency. You can check their report with BBB website.

Anyway, as you have mentioned that you never had any account with Providian, this account might enter your report through two ways-

1. Credit bureau has done some mistake while updating your report,
2. Someone else had opened a Providian account with your name and this is dangerous.

Contact Providian and explains the whole story. If you smell an ID theft to be occurred, file report with police and do whatever actions one should take when ID is stolen.

However, if this is just a mistake on the part of credit bureau, write them a letter requesting to remove this account as it is incorrect. Send your letter through CMRRR. Feel free to ask your questions in forums.

I have them on my credit report also but I also have no idea where this has come from it's for $7254 and it just got on my credit report on 02/23/06.

Jocelyn,

LVNV Funding is a collection agency. Have you checked which of your accounts has been transferred to them? Have they contacted you for debt collection purpose?

IMO, you should call the creditor to see if you can settle the debt with them or not. Otherwise, ask LVNV to validate the debt first. debt validation is the first step of collection procedure.

However, if you feel that this item is completely wrong and has no connection with your past debts, you can dispute it with credit bureau. Feel free to ask your questions in forums if you have any.

When did the fcra say a company should post a debt in your credit report? because i have not used this company for more than 5 years and the report just sufaced on my credit.

Could you tell us how they have reported your account? Is it a negative report? any negative item should go off of your report after 7 years from the date of reporting.

Now say your account was placed in collection in 2000 and it was entered in your report in 2005. According to my understanding, it should be removed from your file in 2007. If it doesn't, you can place dispute with credit bureaus. Keep us posted.

Last year I obtained a copy of my credit report and saw Sherman Aquisitions for $5,882 and disputed it because I did not know what it was for. I think I awoke a sleeping giant because shortly after, I started getting calls and letters from them and an attorney's office. I sent via certified mail a leter of debt validation to the attorney's office and Shermnan Aquisitions. I received a response shortly thereafter that they would look into it at respond in a timely manner. I never got a response to this. I still do not know what it is for. In the meantime, I received court docs about hearings in court. But they were never stamped or signed by any court clerk, but looked like they were signed by the attorney's secretary. Today, I received a letter from my employer that said my wages were going to be garnished. I still do not know what this is for. I was never served any papers, or advised of any court date. Finally, what I received from my employer is an actual court document, signed and stamped from a court near San Diego??? I lve in L.A County. Any suggestions? Do i need to get a lawyer? I can't believe this is happening. I make approx $2,000 a month take home salary. I really can't afford this and would like to know what it is all about. thanks for any advice.

I've been at it with these dimwits for a couple of years over a boggus Providian account. After several demands by me for validation (over a year ago I recieved the boggus "affidavit" they sometimes send out", a few months ago I recieved a signature card, with an attempt at forging my name on it. Mind you, there were no companies mentioned on the card. Just my name, an old address, and my forged (badly) signature. This only goes to show what lengths these criminals will go to. They've so far kept it off of my credit report. It has gone out of the statute of limitations this month, so they'll prbably try some funny business. I happen to know that it is illegal to re-age an alleged debt and illegal to report it as an open account.

For those with the patients, Sherman/LVNV will leave a large paper trail communicating with you, with a host of fdcpa violations. This is another reaso to only communicate in writing.

I called them up only on my convenience, becase they don't know my number. You'll be talking to high school kids, or those who are easily impressionable. One young woman even said that the FDCPA doesn't apply to them, it only applies to third party collectors (I think she'd been told this and really believed it).

BTW, for Texas residents, the Texas Debt Collections Act (similar to FDCPA) does apply even to original creditors.

TMD,

The reason for the name change is probably because of a sort of partnership with some guy (who's name escapes me) who mainly collects old medical debt (a whole new low). Also probably because Sherman's investigation by the FTC.

I'm only surprised that they registered their LLP corporation in Nevada, where I believe, the board members' names, addresses, phone numbers, and SSNs must be on file.

The only thing that will change matters is a change of law, or Congressional investigations. State attorney generals (and sometimes the FTC) have fined various junk debt purchasing companies. Most recently Arrow Financial and NCO. They pay and always "promise" to confirm with the orderd 60 day period to comply with the law, but its always business as usual (breaking the law).

I might also add, to the validation letter posted, that you demand competent proof from a junk debt buyer that you are contractually obligated to pay them (if you "debt" is still within the statute of limitations).

As to the Greenville, SC BBB, it is a waste of time. They are in bed with Sherman/LVNV. They provide quite a lot of jobs!

To get LVNV/Sherman off of your credit report, unfortunately, you'll also probably have to deal with them. When you dispute to a credit reporting agency, such as Experian, they only send an email to the collector. The collector simply says, "yes we have this account, and he/she owes it". The credit reporting agency then reports "validated".

I'd like to remind people, that in many states small claims court is a very inexpensive way to sue for violations of the fdcpa as well as the Fair Debt Reporting Act.

i got the same letter, i dont have any idea what it is , because i have only 2 credit cards and im paying on them every month, what else can it be, i bought my car, and paid that off already,