Letter of Deletion

A letter of deletion is sent to debt collection agencies or credit bureaus to request that incorrect or misleading information be removed from your credit report. This could include false information, such as a debt that never existed, or outdated information such as a debt that has now been paid.

 

While accurate information cannot legally be removed, you can in some instances come to terms with a debt collector before they report the information. For example if you are in the middle of a dispute about a debt, because you do not agree with the alleged amount that you owe, you may offer to settle the debt (or some of it) under duress, so long as it isn’t reported. If the agency feels this will be the most successful way of recovering money, they will likely accept.

 

Likewise if you come to an arrangement to settle a debt after it has already been recorded on your report, you can also request for it to be updated and removed.

Steps

Starting to Write

1

Be straightforward and clear with your request, noting account numbers and figures where necessary.

2

If coming to terms with a debt you dispute, never admit wrongdoing, but offer to make a payment out of goodwill.

3

If you are disputing inaccurate or outdated information, enclose any evidence to support your case, such as receipts or statements.

4

There is no need to share personal stories of hardship, or to get angry and emotional.

Sample Letters

Letter of Deletion Sample


Rodriguez Lenders Inc.

2436 Vernon Street
San Diego, CA 92121

 

Dear Collection Officer,

I am writing to delete item number #4534656 ($2200 debt) off my credit report.

 

As it turns out, I was not correctly notified of this debt at the time, and therefore it was not paid.

 

I am willing to pay the full amount (or a percentage, whichever is feasible) to have this record deleted of my credit report.

 

If you accept my offer, please respond with an approval letter stating the specific course of action I have to complete to have this debt deleted off my record. If I do not hear from you in 15 days, I will assume you do not accept my offer.

 

Respectfully,

Javier Dominguez

Letter of Deletion Collection Agency Sample


Account Reference: 4455733623645

 

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to inform you that I am willing to settle the alleged outstanding debt of: $3,000 on this account, under the condition that it does not appear in any way on my credit report going forward. If you can agree to these terms, payment will be made within 7 working days.

 

Please note that under Debt Collection legislation I am well within my rights to contest the alleged debt. At this time I feel you have not provided adequate evidence of the original debt, with whom it was with, how the amount was calculated, and how you acquired the right to collect it.

 

If you fail to respond to this notice within 10 working days I will be forced to withdraw the offer and pursue a full verification of the alleged debt.

 

I hope we can proceed amicably and that these terms will be of benefit to both parties.

 

Signed

Mr. D. Washington

Letter of Deletion to Credit Bureaus Sample


Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing this letter to request deletion of inaccurate information I have discovered on my credit report.

 

The reference listed under “Bell Collections – Retail Debt” is inaccurate as the full outstanding amount was paid long before it was ever passed along to the collection agency. I believe this was an error on behalf of the original creditor “Hampstead Furniture”  who either failed to recognize the payment, or added an unverified amount on top and then deemed it unpaid.

 

Enclosed you will find a series of letters about the original debt, including the amount we agreed to settle and statements proving that I successfully made payment. I have also enclosed letters sent to both Hampstead and Bell detailing their error, which was met with a rude and dismissive tone.

 

Regardless of whether they added any interest without prior notice (can this even be valid?) you can see from my statements that the outstanding amount could not possibly be the amount listed on file.

 

Please evaluate this information and update my credit file as you see fit.

 

Sincerely,

Signed

Mr. York Connell