If you owe a debt, the original issuer of the debt may sell it to a collection agency. If the debt remains unresolved for several months or years, the account remains open and a string of collection agencies may purchase the debt from one another. If this occurs, you may find that the debt appears on your credit report more than once, but you can take steps to have the multiple listings removed.
Duplicate Debts
Several situations can cause a debt to appear on your credit report more than once. The original issuer of your debt will typically report the debt to the credit bureaus. If the issuer sells the debt to a collection agency, the collection agency may report the debt to the credit bureaus again. Debts may also appear multiple times on your credit report because of a clerical error, or because the same entity reported the debt more than once.
Different Agencies
Different collection agencies can legally report you to the credit bureau for the same debt. However, the credit bureaus will typically treat the subsequent reports as a continuation of the same debt, rather than different debts. The first report of the debt will appear as an account, while the other reports will appear under collections. Having a long history of collections for a debt will harm your credit score, but it won't be as detrimental as having separate debts.
Incorrect Duplicate Reports
If the same debt appears as two different accounts, you can typically ask the credit bureau to remove one of the listings. To file a dispute, you can contact the credit bureau via telephone, by mail or on its website. You must typically provide your personal information, such as your name, address and social security number. You must also describe the error and provide supporting documentation.
Investigations
After you submit a dispute, the credit bureau must investigate the issue. The creditor who reported the duplicate accounts will have 30 days to prove that both listings are accurate. If the creditor can't prove that the debts aren't the same, the credit bureau must remove the duplicate listing from your report. When the investigation is complete, the credit bureau will send you a written report detailing the results.
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