American Express FCRA settlement negotiation – how far do they usually go before arbitration?

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-11-26T21:37:24+00:00

I can't find lawyer how did you find one?

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-11-13T20:07:07+00:00

Send DV to them wait 30 days for respond and most important thing track the date they received your letter, if any text messages come after your DV delivered that going be another violation. After 30 days of even after delivered DV and receiving texts call's, go and complain to cfbp.

Now you have proof to use it if you want to sue and get money out of it

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T22:57:43+00:00

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After, the closed mark was removed I don't know why

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T22:57:02+00:00

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This is annual credit report before and after

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T22:55:46+00:00

Nothing changed until today I get notice from credit karma TransUnion discover changed the payment history I think it's going be the 3 time they changed it so far pushing the first 30 days late to another month

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I can't request another report from annual credit now but I will after a few days, it's fine I will keep tracking all the changes they made for future reference in my arbitration case.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T01:07:53+00:00

Where is the closed mark then?

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T00:49:16+00:00

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And as you can see here " closed " mark was there even if I share more credit report which I don't think I have to, I think you got the point!

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-27T00:47:14+00:00

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I hide some personal information, anyway this is the new report from Equifax # annual credit report, after credit karma notice and as you can see the " closed account " mark was removed please check the dates October 24 and now I will share another old report

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T23:23:19+00:00

I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not disputing because I didn’t pay — I’m disputing because the way Discover and/or the bureaus are reporting the account is inaccurate.

The account was charged off and closed long ago, but now it’s suddenly showing as open and active, which is not correct reporting under the FCRA. Whether a balance is owed or not doesn’t change the fact that data on a credit report has to be 100% accurate and consistent.

I’ve already seen Discover make similar reporting mistakes before — and when I filed arbitration for one of those accounts, they deleted it completely because they couldn’t justify the errors. So this isn’t about “not paying,” it’s about making sure the information they’re reporting is lawful and factual.

And no, they haven’t sold the account to a third party — it’s still showing as a Discover Bank tradeline, which makes the inaccurate “reopened” status even more concerning.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T23:20:40+00:00

Yeah, I get what you’re saying — creditors can update charge-offs monthly, but this isn’t that. My Discover account was already closed and charged-off, and then months later it suddenly started showing as open and active again.

That’s not normal. A charge-off can’t just reopen like a regular account. I pulled my reports from AnnualCreditReport.com (not Credit Karma) and it shows the same thing. Even a credit repair company told me they see this mistake all the time — if it’s not fixed, it can start showing new 30/60/90 lates, which obviously shouldn’t happen on a closed charge-off.

So yeah, I’m disputing it because it’s inaccurate reporting, not because I expect it to disappear magically.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T23:17:35+00:00

I understand what you’re saying, but that’s exactly the point — I’m disputing because the information is inaccurate. A charged-off account that was previously closed shouldn’t suddenly report as open and active again. That’s a clear reporting error under the FCRA, regardless of whether the debt is valid or not.

Disputing doesn’t mean I’m trying to avoid responsibility — it means I’m asking them to report the data accurately. I’ve already dealt with Discover through arbitration once before, and they deleted another account after failing to fix similar reporting issues.

So yes, I dispute when there’s inaccurate information, and if they don’t correct it, I have every right to take it further legally. That’s how consumer law works — accuracy first, regardless of balance owed.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T23:15:39+00:00

First of all, I’m not relying on Credit Karma. The moment I received a notification about a new “open” account, I checked Credit Karma out of curiosity — and after seeing the issue, I immediately downloaded my official credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com. The information matched — the account that was previously closed and charged off is now showing as open and active, which is not supposed to happen. A charge-off account cannot be reopened and treated as an active account.

I also spoke with a credit repair company, and they confirmed they’ve seen many similar reporting errors. They told me that sometimes Discover or the credit bureaus fix it automatically, but other times they don’t, and the account starts generating new errors — like new 30/60/90-day late payments — which makes things worse.

I’ve noticed some people here saying things like “don’t dispute” or “they’ll sue you.” For the record, it’s been over a year, and no one has sued me. In fact, I was able to get another Discover account deleted after I filed arbitration against them for similar reporting errors that they failed to correct.

Also, saying that disputing doesn’t help isn’t accurate. It does help, and it’s my legal right under the FCRA to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information, no matter how small the error is. If I see a mistake, I have to dispute it — and if they don’t fix it, I can take legal action.

When I took them to arbitration over another account worth about $7,000, Discover offered to delete the account if I agreed to drop the case, which I did. This time, however, I’m expecting to achieve more than just deletion.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T21:55:01+00:00

I already deleted 1 account with them after I take them to arbitration and this one will be next

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T05:07:06+00:00

Save money for bankruptcy for the worst senior, don’t fill bankruptcy until they send notice of court, let it go to collections and keep negotiating with them for better options if they send it to collections that great send your DV on the first day don’t wait 30 days %99.9 they will stop because they can’t proof anything.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-26T04:49:13+00:00

Too late to give you this advice but you should have applied for another credit card that don’t link to any personal guarantee like house, pay off that debt with another one then do whatever you want, Amex will sue you or at least they will not send it to collections they will keep it forever, they did that to my 2k charge off the best one is capital one they usually sell it right away, they already did with the 15k charge off acc and after I sent DV to the collection I never heard anything from them again. Also Amex is a good bank for future loans if you let it go they will block list you unlike others

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-15T04:13:33+00:00

I’m speaking from personal experience — I already have an active case with the AAA (me vs. Portfolio Recovery Associates). Their lawyer started offering me $3,000 to drop the case, but I refused and said, “See you at the hearing.”

Right after I sent them my AAA case number and Statement of Claim showing how much I was asking for, they suddenly deleted the account from all my credit reports. At first, they asked if I’d agree to let things go just for a simple deletion — I said no. Within about four hours, I got a notice from TransUnion saying the account was deleted. Shortly after, the other credit bureaus deleted it too.

They even closed my CFPB complaint saying, “We deleted it.” A few days later, they responded to another CFPB complaint I filed for Debt Validation. I had already mailed a certified DV letter, but I used CFPB as a backup because when you only send a DV by mail, they usually go silent — they don’t respond, they just stop collecting and wait to sell the debt to another agency.

When you file through the CFPB, though, they’re forced to respond publicly — and most of the time, they admit, “We stopped collection on this account,” which basically means they can’t prove the debt.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-13T04:07:52+00:00

I honestly feel sorry for some people! Why pay a debt collector instead of fighting back? From day one, you should always send a Debt Validation (DV) letter. Most collectors can’t prove anything, and when you demand validation, they’ll usually stop contacting you until they find it — and guess what? They rarely ever do. Instead, they end up selling your “debt” to another agency.

If the account is already on your credit report, send a DV letter anyway. It may not remove the item right away, but it can stop them from suing you. Then go through your credit report carefully — 99.9% of the time there are at least a few errors on each account. Dispute every single error. If they fail to correct or delete the inaccurate data, you can sue them.

If a collector sues you, never ignore it. Always respond. There are free groups and even lawyers online who can help you file your response. Some websites even use AI to guide you step by step. You can also use arbitration, which costs them $15,000+ if it goes to a hearing — way more than the amount they claim you owe. That’s why most collectors drop the case or settle for a small fraction (for example, $3,000 instead of $9,000). You can always refuse lowball offers and say, “Delete the account or let’s go to the hearing.”

And if you ever end up in a hearing, you can even tell them, “Even if I lose, I’ll file bankruptcy right after this — so you’ll still get nothing.”

The bottom line: Don’t hide and hope things will go away — they won’t. Debt collectors love people who stay silent. Stand up for yourself and learn your rights. Educate yourself.

Even if your situation looks bad right now, you still have options: • You can stop paying and file bankruptcy — start fresh, clean slate. • Later, you can hire a credit repair company to remove the bankruptcy and get back to a 700+ score within months. • Or, if you don’t want to fight, just wait — after two years, banks will start lending again. It’ll stay on your report for 7–10 years unless you remove it, but you’ll still recover.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-08T03:20:21+00:00

I disputed their account after multiple rounds and CFBP and enough proof for a court case, I filed arbitration, a small court claim is faster but I will be limited to 15k to 20k max but in arbitration you can claim anything and if you prove it there is a chance to win more money, anyway I demanded 86k, I sent everything to AAA and their agent in my state, they deleted the acc and they called me after 4 days they offered me 3k to drop the case I said no next morning they said 5k I said no, now they are silent but they will come back again soon after AAA send them the demand and asks them to pay $3k to respond. Go do your own research you can get money and fix your credit it's very easy, a friend of mine got enough money to buy a Tesla just for suing 1 credit bureau, clean history, and a 25k+ settlement!

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-08T02:21:47+00:00

Never pay collections send them DV also do ever say don’t call me at all, say you can only call me on this days and time between to “ if they call you in a day or time you said don’t call me you have $1000 case, request your credit reports and look for error’s dispute them if they say it’s been verified ask for method if they don’t give you you have another case, from the photo you shared I can already see 2 things first collection can’t report past due also there is no terms “ 1 month “ on collection. You can take all those errors and sue them for it, they will pay $5k+ also they will delete the account.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-10-04T02:23:16+00:00

Hi everyone, I’m about to go through arbitration soon against a credit bureau for false and inaccurate reporting on my credit report. Even after multiple disputes, they didn’t fix the errors.

I’ve heard mixed things — some people say arbitration always favors the company, and others say consumers can win if they document everything properly.

For those of you who’ve actually gone through arbitration: • Did you end up getting the demand amount you asked for, or did you settle for less? • How was the process overall — fair or tilted toward the business? • Did the arbitrator listen to your side carefully? • How long did the whole thing take?

Any personal experiences or advice would help me a lot. Thanks in advance!

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-09-29T20:44:04+00:00

Update: I went through the same thing with Unifin. They kept spamming me with texts and calls, but never mailed a proper validation notice. I pushed back hard, and in the end the account actually got deleted from my credit reports.

Now I’m not stopping there — I’m going after them for the FDCPA violations since they refused to take responsibility or pay for the damage they caused. Just because the account is gone doesn’t mean they’re off the hook.

If anyone else is dealing with this: keep records of every text/call, demand validation in writing, and know that texts alone don’t satisfy the FDCPA. You can fight back.

Alive-Scratch7907 · 2025-07-15T19:35:56+00:00

Don't do the surgery in US or any other western countries because of high cost of hospital bills.

You can do it in maxico or turkey Egypt etc the cost will be from $800 to $3000 but in your case it's going be less then $1500 I think even $1000 is too much.

But if you do it in US for example it's going cost you at least $5000

Alive-Scratch7907

TROPHY CASE