Credit Repair FAQs
Most common questions about credit repair
What is Credit Repair?
Credit repair is a service provided under the CROA that allows credit repair service providers to assist consumers in the correction of items on their consumer credit reports that prove to be inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable. Any credit repair agency that claims to be able to remove ANY item other than those identified above is in violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act.
What items can be removed?
We can’t tell you upfront that ANY item can or will be removed from our clients’ credit reports. Again, like all legally compliant credit repair agencies, we can only remove items that show to be inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable. However, MANY items on most people’s reports could fall into one of those categories. For a list of items we have helped remove in the past, check out our results page.
What is our Success Rate?
- We help delete over 80% on average inaccurate, outdated or unverifiable items from your credit report.
- We have 98% success rate increasing your credit score 40 to 100 points on average on 90 days or less!
Do you have to mail your own letters?
- NO!!! That’s insane. We are the experts and will do all the heavy lifting or you. Let us deal with all the credit dispute tactics while you sit back and build new credit with our education plan.
- We are a full service credit restoration company to guide and help you succeed every step of the way.
How much will my score go up?
As much as we would like to, there is simply no way to know the answer to this question. There are far too many factors involved in the credit scoring model; the biggest variable being the “human factor”.
We don’t know what you are going to do during this process. You might get new lates, max out credit cards, get new credit, get new collections, get a judgment placed against you, or one of hundreds of other things that would change the outcome of your service.
REMEMBER! Credit Absolute is hired only to help remove items from your report that you wish for us to work on, the score change is simply a byproduct of our service.
How long do the bureaus have to respond?
Now for a little more detail… From the time the credit bureaus receive your dispute, they have 30 days to respond. This leads some people to believe that if it has been more than 30 calendar days, then they MUST remove those items.
This is simply not the way it works. There are sections of the law that allow them additional time under certain conditions. This is a process and we are experts in identifying all the smoke screens the creditor and credit bureaus send to help maximize your deletion results.
Why do I have to have a monitoring account?
Credit repair is kind of like getting your car fixed… The mechanic is going to need to see under the hood. You keeping a monitoring service is our way of looking under your proverbial credit “hood”.
It allows us to see exactly what needs to be done and check up on the bureaus and creditors. When they say something has been changed, we want to make sure it is REALLY changed.
Keeping a monitoring service is a requirement of our service. As per our Terms of Service, failure to keep an active monitoring account could result in a $100 cancellation fee.
How does our service work?
We will assist you in obtaining credit records for you from all three credit bureaus; Within minutes of our receipt of your Lifetime membership, we will set up your own Private Client Portal which will allow you to check the progress made in your credit restoration process during the term of this Agreement; We have credit tools, credit videos, and credit resources inside your Private Client Portal for your review. Within your Private Client Portal we will provide you with budget planning tools such as a budget workbook, family finance planner, budget tools, budget calculators, and loan repayment calculators; We will prepare and submit an initial round of dispute letters for items appearing on your credit reports, which you indicate are either inaccurate, incomplete, obsolete, or unverifiable as per the Fair Credit Reporting Act; We may prepare and submit follow-up additional rounds of dispute letters with the credit bureaus, if it is allowed by law, as per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair, and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, and the Fair Credit Billing Act, and subject to an additional fee as described below; We will post all resolved items to your Private Portal; We will provide telephone and e-mail assistance in answering questions regarding your credit restoration process from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, MST, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). We are only able to challenge items under the rules of the above Acts as allowed by law; Although we will provide the services which are described in this Agreement, unfortunately, we are not able to guarantee any particular result.
How long does this service take?
- We provide all our clients with an estimated time frame for service. In general, clients are usually with us from 6 to 12 months. This is just the usual time frame people choose to stay in our program. Since we do not charge deletion fees until we achieve results, we work to achieve those results as fast as possible.
- We have a 98% success rate though increasing your credit scores by 40 to 100 points in 90 days or less IF you follow our education and coaching plan!
What are all the costs or fees involved?
- For our credit repair or other services costs, please refer to our pricing page. This section will serve to inform you of all other associated costs. These costs may include:
- A credit monitoring account. This will cost roughly $15-$30 per month
- The first round of letters are included in the full credit consultation, the cost of each additional round of dispute letters is $65.00
- FEES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE
- Cancellation Fee – Without File Review – $100
- Our clients are always welcome to cancel at any time with no fee. All we ask is that we are allowed to do your final file review. However, if you cancel without allowing the final file review, then a $100 cancellation fee will be charged. Additionally, if we cancel your file due to an inactive monitoring account, the same $100 cancellation fee would apply.
Why do I have to prove my identity?
The simple answer is because the credit bureaus say so. Unfortunately, there is wording in the law to require you to give them information. If you don’t supply the proof of your identity and address, the bureaus will simply ignore your dispute and you will get nowhere. Below is a list of what can be used as proofs.
You must send at least two of the following:
- Driver’s License
- Social Security number
- Cancelled Check
- Utility Bill
- Pay Stub
- W2 Form
- Lease Agreement
- Bank Statement
Is there any way to speed up the process?
Short and sweet… NO. As a company who only gets paid for performance we want this service done as fast as possible. We would love for there to be a legal way to make things “disappear” in seven days. However, it just doesn’t exist.
What about “online” disputes?
- Some companies try to speed up their service by using online disputes. There are a whole host of reasons NOT to do this. Additionally, you should never dispute online either. Here’s why:
- When a dispute is entered online, it goes into EDRP or expedited dispute resolution process. This sounds great until you read a little further unto the FCRA. It clearly states that if a dispute goes into EDRP then the bureaus do not have to comply with certain sections of the FCRA.
- Did you hear that? They get to ignore the law!
- The sections they don’t have to comply with are also quite handy in the credit repair process. One section is the “Method of Verification” section. If an item comes back as verified, they don’t have to tell you “HOW” it was verified. Another section is the “Re-Insertion Letter” section. Usually, if an item is deleted, there are steps the bureau must follow in order to be able to re-insert that item. One of these steps is to send you a re-insertion letter before placing the item back on your report. The simple cost of creating and sending this letter drastically limits the amount of re-inserted items. If an item is processed under EDRP, THIS LETTER IS NO LONGER REQUIRED! They can just put the item back whenever they get good and ready.
- Just take our advice… Don’t dispute online.
