No credit to bad credit?

[Cream Soda]

Basically, I've never had anything in my name in my life.

Just got a collections notice in the mail today that was turned over from AT&T to Afni to collect a $133.76 balance.

So I asked when this took place, and apparently it was in 2003-2004 when "I" had AT&T service.

This makes me 15 years old when the service started and 16 when the service terminated, which isn't old enough to even sign a contract to begin with.

The first thing the lady asked when I called was if I'd be paying with credit or debit, and I basically lol'd at her.

[Dimmauk]

Basically, I've never had anything in my name in my life.

Just got a collections notice in the mail today that was turned over from AT&T to Afni to collect a $133.76 balance.

So I asked when this took place, and apparently it was in 2003-2004 when "I" had AT&T service.

This makes me 15 years old when the service started and 16 when the service terminated, which isn't old enough to even sign a contract to begin with.

The first thing the lady asked when I called was if I'd be paying with credit or debit, and I basically lol'd at her.

Did you get all the info? Ask what last 4 of the SS was used, address, etc... Sounds like maybe a family member used your info.

[hey]

Sounds like maybe a family member used your info.

Lol, yeah, he knows who did it. He's talked about this before.

You won't have to pay for it (since you're weren't 18 at the time), but i'm not sure what you need to do.

[Cream Soda]

They confirmed the last 2 of my SS, but the address I was given was one I've never heard of in my life.

Lol, yeah, he knows who did it. He's talked about this before.

Not following you on this one. I don't remember ever talking about this. This letter is the first I've ever heard of this.

[Dotsudoku]

It wasn't "you" who told us about it before.

[Melena]

Yea you need to call up all 3 credit companies to dispute it and get it off your record. It can wind up fucking you hard in the long term.

[Tajin]

If its all wtf to you, just call them back sort your stuff out and if they still want to charge you, find a shady lawyer and get paid son.

[Cream Soda]

Yea you need to call up all 3 credit companies to dispute it and get it off your record. It can wind up fucking you hard in the long term.

well apparently, it's been on my record for 10 years now.

Have never done anything involving credit before. Where would I go to get started?

[Shakki]

Check your credit reports with all 3 bureaus to see which ones the charge appears on. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

Submit disputes for any report the charge appears on.
TransUnion - http://www.transunion.com/personal-c...-disputes.page
Equifax - https://www.ai.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation/
Experian - http://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html

Ideally, the bureaus will classify the charge as fraudulent and remove it from your credit history. If they determine the charge is legitimate, the process becomes more annoying as you'll have to dispute it with Afni or AT&T.

[noblemountain]

Also, do not talk too much to the collections agency. They do not care that you didn't do this, they just want their money. They will actively try and fuck you with wording so they can pursue you more harshly. You are better off calling AT&T and handling it there after you dispute it with the credit agencies.

[Cream Soda]

oh I give 0 fucks about their wording. I'm not giving them a dime.

[Edgie]

Check your credit report, see what it says. If its been 10 years since reported it shouldn’t be there anymore. Usually delinquent stuff comes off in 7-10 years. Personal experience, I was 17 when I started college and signed up for a bunch of credit cards that they were offering to college freshmen, from '97 till 2001, I racked up like 30k in debt. How was I suppose to know, giving a 17 year old credit like they did is nuts. By 2003 I couldn’t even make the monthly installments, so I just stopped. I never filed bankruptcy I just stopped paying. My accounts were reported delinquent, some went to collections, others to court, they tried to garnish my check, 10% max, but if I changed jobs it would stop. Fast forward to 2012, my credit is clean, no negatives.

[archibaldcrane]

I racked up like 30k in debt. How was I suppose to know

I'm glad you got out from under this, but fucking lol

[hey]

Not following you on this one. I don't remember ever talking about this. This letter is the first I've ever heard of this.

Oh i thought you knew about this and mentioned it before. I must be crazy then.

[Edgie]

Hell yeah, but the experience gave me a great understanding of the whole credit system. Now my scores are above average, my credit is clean. Own a house, New car, the american dream right... lol

[Melena]

Check your credit report, see what it says. If its been 10 years since reported it shouldn’t be there anymore. Usually delinquent stuff comes off in 7-10 years. Personal experience, I was 17 when I started college and signed up for a bunch of credit cards that they were offering to college freshmen, from '97 till 2001, I racked up like 30k in debt. How was I suppose to know, giving a 17 year old credit like they did is nuts. By 2003 I couldn’t even make the monthly installments, so I just stopped. I never filed bankruptcy I just stopped paying. My accounts were reported delinquent, some went to collections, others to court, they tried to garnish my check, 10% max, but if I changed jobs it would stop. Fast forward to 2012, my credit is clean, no negatives.

Not all debt is like that. I'm helping my wife out and she's got stuff over 10 years old still on there and active.

[Acevalefor]

Not all debt is like that. I'm helping my wife out and she's got stuff over 10 years old still on there and active.

It's a shitty gambit to be caught in. Collection agencies are evil.

Here are a few links to The Consumerist about debt collection practices and the crooked shit they do to get your money...even if you don't owe it.
http://consumerist.com/2013/01/30/8-...n-debt-buyers/
http://consumerist.com/2013/01/21/23...allowed-to-do/
http://consumerist.com/2012/12/13/cf...port-disputes/

[Melena]

Oh I'm not surprised. Most of the big stuff like student loans is done. I've got her pulling a new report which has been hell since we got married and even though her name is changed on her social she still has to call it in and have it mailed to us.

[Cream Soda]

Check your credit reports with all 3 bureaus to see which ones the charge appears on. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

Submit disputes for any report the charge appears on.
TransUnion - http://www.transunion.com/personal-c...-disputes.page
Equifax - https://www.ai.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation/
Experian - http://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html

Ideally, the bureaus will classify the charge as fraudulent and remove it from your credit history. If they determine the charge is legitimate, the process becomes more annoying as you'll have to dispute it with Afni or AT&T.

Nothing showed up on one, and the other 2 I got an error message

" We were unable to honor your request. If you entered your credit card information, we did not charge you."

[chiyio]

Nothing showed up on one, and the other 2 I got an error message

" We were unable to honor your request. If you entered your credit card information, we did not charge you."

You did something wrong. You should not be entering any credit card information anywhere. You get a free report from each agency once a year. They make their websites kind of tricky so you might accidentally click on some option to buy something.

I did this a few months ago to check my credit, and you should be able to get all 3 and make a dispute without entering any credit card information just fine. Just pay attention to what you click on.

Or, if you really have no credit maybe you just aren't on their radar.