| Credit Repair Agency Act |
| By Credit Federal |
Published
06/22/2008
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Financial Tips
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Many people with bad credit seek a credit repair service to improve credit scores
Sadly, a great number of these companies use dishonest and illegal methods to falsely raise customer credit scores. Some credit repair services are nothing more than scams to trick consumers out of their hard earned money.
The Credit Repair Organization Act was put in place to protect consumers from unscrupulous practices by organizations who claim to repair credit. The Act seeks to ensure that consumers who decide to use credit repair services are aware of their rights and are able to make an informed decision about choosing to pay a credit repair company.
A credit repair organization is any person or business who takes money with the promise to improve credit scores.
Restrictions on Credit Repair Organizations - Things a credit repair organizations cannot legally do:
Lie or advise you to lie about your credit history to your current or future creditors
Alter your identity, e.g. get a new EIN or new identity, to try to get a new credit history
Misrepresent the services they provide to you
Ask you to pay for services before they have been provided
The law requires the organization to provide you with a disclosure called 'Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law' that lets you know your right to obtain a credit report and dispute inaccurate information on your own. You also have the right to sue an organization for violating the CROA.
Credit Repair Contract Requirements - Before the credit repair company can perform any services for you, it must be given a contract, you must sign the contract and the 3 business day cancellation period must expire. The contract should include the following:
- Payment amount required
- A description of the services that will be performed to repair your credit
- An estimate of the time it will take to complete the services (or a date by which the services will be completed)
- A visible statement letting you know you can canel the contract within 3 business days
You have the right to cancel a signed contract within 3 business days. The organization cannot charge you a fee for this cancellation as long as it's made within the specified time frame. Your contract should include a Notice of Cancellation form that you can fill out and return to cancel the contract.
The credit repair organization can't ask you to sign any kind of form waiving your rights under the CROA. Any waiver you sign is considered void and cannot be enforced by federal or state.
Organizations that violate the law can be sued for actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. You can report violations to the FTC, your state attorney general, and file suit in your state.
You have five years from the date the violation occurred (or the date you learned of the violation) to take action against the organization.
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