Trying to Find a Legitimate Credit Repair Company

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces consumer protection law and has the responsibility of protecting consumers from unscrupulous companies that unfairly garner our business through false claims and, quite simply, by breaking the law. With regards to shady credit repair clinics, practices like these became so pervasive that a federal law was passed to clearly outline how Credit Repair Organizations can operate. The Credit Repair Organization Act (CROA) was passed to protect consumers and provide them with recourse if they are victimized by a dishonest credit repair provider.

When researching credit repair companies, there are some key indicators alerting you to steer clear. According to the Federal Trade Commission, avoid credit repair services that:

Accept Payment Before Credit Repair Services are Performed – Credit repair companies should not request payment prior to services being rendered. Under the CROA, these credit repair companies cannot require payment until after they have completed the services promised. This is to protect people from companies that take large upfront payments and then do not perform the agreed upon work.

Do Not Disclose Your Rights – Legitimate credit repair organizations will inform you that you have a right to order one free copy of your Credit Reports every 12 months from each of the credit bureaus, and that you can dispute inaccurate or questionable items on your own , free of charge. If you are not alerted to this information, specifically in the form of a CROA required disclosure titled “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law”, take your business elsewhere.

Advocate Using a New Credit Identity – Some sketchy credit repair companies will actually go so far as to advise you to create a new credit identity by using an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in place of your Social Security number. This is a serious crime and if anyone suggests this as an option, run the other way.

Lie About Services They Can Provide – Watch out for credit repair companies that guarantee to remove negative and accurate items, such as liens and foreclosures, from your credit file. No one can guarantee that items will be removed, particularly if the items are true.

About the Author

Serving clients for over 18 years, Lexington Law prides itself on operating in strict compliance with the laws governing credit repair companies. Lexington Law’s credit repair services have assisted clients with the removal of millions of negative items including late payments, collections, charge offs, and bankruptcies.

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