How do I go about disputing an account that is listed twice?

Maybe, the original creditor is reporting along with the collection agency for the same item. If you think the reporting is done incorrectly, mark the item and put it on dispute with the credit bureau. The bureau will get the correct information from the companies being reported and update your file.

Use simple language in writing your dispute. Send a letter to the original creditor. The FCRA laws state that every individual credit report must display accurate information. Your creditor and collection agency has to do proper reporting in your file.

They can't both report the same account, right?

Certainly, the debt collector can hit the credit file along with the reporting done by the original creditor. This marks that the account has reached collections after the creditor failed to collect the money from the customer.

What I'm confused about is that it's reported by both, making it look like I owe $3300, instead of $1500. One reports $1500, and the other reports $1800. I recently refinanced my home, and the account being reported twice made it look like I owe a lot more than I do, which didn't help the refinancing process at all.

J

You shouldn't owe the same amount to two different companies. CA will just add fees on the total debt, nothing more than that. I believe that the reporting done in your credit report might be wrong because the total debt has gone too high and the amount is being reported under each company. So, you must dispute it and get the actual facts. If this reporting is incorrect, it's hurting your scores. You need to act fast and do the repair work.