[EGley]

Hello all,

I've been searching the web for a few hours to find a similar event to my own but haven't had any luck.

Here's the background: Last week I took advantage of my free viewing of my credit report.

Two of the three CAs had multiple "potentially harmful" entries (8 entries for the same late payment dates to the same creditor) for late payments to EFS Student Loans back in 2004. Specifically, I was 120 days late before I had the repayments deferred.

While in deferment, the loan was sold/transferred to Nelnet. After my deferment period was over I began paying Nelnet on time/as agreed.

Back to my credit report. Since I had only ONE student loan I felt it was incorrect to have eight dings listed instead of one, so I disputed via the respective CAs web forms - just by checking some pre-filled out boxes with pre-written reasons for my dispute.

Reason I'm writing is this: My wife got a call at home today from a lady in Columbus saying she was from a company called "WWR" and to have me call back. When my wife inquired as to the nature of the call, the lady said, "He knows what it's about".

I did not call them back, but discovered via Googling WWR and the phone number that the caller was from Weltman, Weinberg & Reis. I know what they do. I'm afraid that they have begun collections on the old EFS student loan I disputed due to some mistake.

No mail from them yet, but I will keep this thread updated as things unfold.

Note: edited to use established forum abbreviations.

[EGley]

Since I can't edit my post twice, I am adding this here. Where I wrote CA, I should have written CRA. Sorry for the mistake.

[hannah]

I'm not sure how to respond as I don't know what your question is.

[EGley]

Hannah,

You're right. I should have said this in the beginning: I thought there may be an outside chance that my story may present a pattern that would be familiar to someone more savvy in this situation than me. Such as, "OH! You disputed, so now the CRA is sicking the CA on you with the old "Dispute Intimidation Trick"."

Although I didn't really expect anyone to step up and help yet as there isn't much info to go on. This was more of a journal entry to mark chapter one if this becomes an issue.

And you *did* respond with a request for clarification, so thank you!

[jlynn]

When you start disputing things on your credit report, they all come out of the woodwork, and it may not necessarily be this student loan. If you don't have any outstanding bad debts, why not call them and ask? If its something of yours, tell them not to call again but to put a letter in the mail to you.

[EGley]

Thanks jlynn, I may do that. So far they have not called back...

[hannah]

WW&R is an extremely litigious and large law firm in Ohio so I am guessing that is where you are. They have been cutting a wide swath through the courts there lately with all kinds of debt collection.

Has it been 5 days since they called? Have your wife memorialize that call, date, and sign it for your records.

[EGley]

Hannah,

Thanks for the advice. It is now on my calendar.

It hasn't been five days yet. Is there some standard action WW&R will take after five days have passed?

I returned WW&R's call this morning and asked for Barb Levin, the lady who left the initial message. The receptionist said she wasn't available and asked what number they used to contact me. I told her (it was my home phone) and after searching twice she said that number was not in her system.

Weird.

[EGley]

Decided to try one more time to get info. Figured if I have to start defending myself I may as well get as much info as possible to start the process. Called WW&R again and this time I got someone who had my home number in the system. Spoke with Bene.

Right off the bat she asked for the last four digs. of my soc. When I told her I'd rather she just mail me the info before I gave out any of my personal info she got aggressive and said they had already sent me many letters. I explained to her that we had not yet received any, and she insisted we had. I decided to give her my soc to get more info and it turns out that the soc doesn't match my name. They had the wrong guy.

She said she would erase my phone number from the system.

Hannah and Jlynn, thank you for your responses. I really appreciate your feedback - I was pretty shaken up by the whole thing thinking that I was going to be spending a lot of free time defending myself against a nasty foe.

Nice to know there is a supportive community like this that supports one another in these complex matters.

Have a great weekend.

[jlynn]

No prob - that's why we here are not afraid of the phone. Sometimes CAs dial wrong numbers too.