Frequently Asked Questions:
Who Is Zwicker & Associates P.C.?
Zwicker and Associates, P.C. (Zwicker) is a law firm that limits its practice to collecting debts on behalf of their clients. The "Zwicker" in Zwicker and Associates refers to Attorney Paul Zwicker, the President of the firm. In addition to employing attorneys, the firm employs bill collectors that harass consumers about allegedly unpaid debt. If Zwicker and Associates contacted you about a debt, then they probably used one or all of their aggressive collection tactics which include harassing phone calls, threatening letters, and/or legal proceedings.
Importantly, the Zwicker Collection Agency may be reporting derogatory information about your credit history which can prevent a lender from giving you a mortgage, car loan, credit card, or any other type of financing. Zwicker and Associates commonly utilizes these aggressive tactics which may leave you feeling hopeless and looking for a way out.
Can I Delete A Zwicker & Associates Collection From My Credit Report?
YES! Fortunately there are ways to use the credit reporting laws against Zwicker & Associates and delete them from your credit record. There are ways to repair your credit by using self-help methods. However, the quickest way to get your credit back on track may be to contact a credit repair agency which specializes in credit report repair.
Can I Repair My Own Credit Report?
Disputing the credit report is easy. Getting results from the credit bureaus is amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating. It is not a coincidence that the Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints against credit bureaus than any other type of business. Remember, the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits. Investigating your challenge consumes these profits. Short of sparking a mass number of lawsuits, the credit bureaus seem to do everything in their power to discourage consumers from making progress in their restoration efforts.
Repairing your own credit is like repairing your own transmission or representing yourself in court; it is possible, but you must decide if you are willing to take the time and assume the risks of doing it yourself.
This All Sounds Good, But Is It Legal?
Although the credit bureaus would like to have you think otherwise, there is absolutely nothing illegal about disputing items on your credit report. In fact, it is your explicit right by law to do so. (See Fair Credit Reporting Act) Credit report repair is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law.
Contact Information For Zwicker & Associates:
Zwicker & Associates, P.C.
80 Minutemen Road
Andover, MA 01810
1.800.370.2251
www.zwickerpc.com
What Is The Fair Credit Reporting Act?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows a consumer to challenge the information on his credit report on the basis of “completeness and accuracy. If, after a reinvestigation by the credit bureau, the disputed information “is found to be inaccurate or can no longer be verified, the [credit bureau] shall promptly delete such information.
The credit bureaus are required to complete the investigation within a “reasonable period of time. This period has been set at thirty days.
The credit bureaus can ignore the consumer dispute if they have reason to believe that the dispute is "frivolous or irrelevant". The FTC commentary on the FCRA cites, as an example of a frivolous dispute, a dispute wherein the consumer challenges all negative items on his credit report without providing any allegations regarding specific items in the credit file. However, “A [credit bureau] must assume a consumer's dispute is bona fide, unless there is clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
When a consumer challenges a negative credit listing on the basis of extenuating circumstances, such as health problems, divorce, job loss, etc., the credit bureaus are entitled to ignore that dispute.
When a consumer submits a dispute which is neither frivolous nor irrelevant by credit bureau standards, the credit bureau must “at a minimum... check with the original sources or other reliable sources of the disputed information and inform them of the nature of the consumer's dispute. In some cases of consumer dispute, “Reinvestigation and verification may require more than asking the original source of the disputed information the same question and receiving the same answer.
In other words, when a consumer files or re-files a valid dispute, the credit bureaus must contact the source of the credit information (the creditor) and confirm that the information is accurate, verifiable, and not obsolete. In some circumstances, the credit bureau is required to go beyond a simple verification of the creditor's own computer record. If, within 30 days, the credit bureau has not received verification from the creditor, then the credit bureau must promptly delete the credit listing.
In theory and law, the process is deceptively simple, thus leading many people to think that they can easily handle this themselves “for the price of a few postage stamps. Most quickly discover that the credit bureaus have made it much more difficult than one would imagine.
