How to Find Out if a Creditor Wrote Off Your Debt

Creditors sustain financial losses when consumers do not pay off their debts. In an effort to limit these losses, companies "write off" or "charge off" unpaid balances. After a write-off, the creditor can claim your debt as a tax deduction. You still owe any debts that creditors write off. This process merely transfers your outstanding debt from one accounting ledger to another. The company can provide you with information about your account's current status. Lenders often list write-offs on credit reports.

Instructions

Call the Creditor

1

Examine previous billing statements your creditor sent you. Locate your account number and the company's customer service telephone number. Write down both numbers.

2

Call the creditor's customer service number. Wait for the prompt asking for your account number. Enter your account number via the telephone keypad. The computer will automatically retrieve your account information and provide an update on your account status. If the creditor wrote off your account, the automated system may provide you with this information when disclosing your account's status.

3

Listen to the available options if the computer system does not immediately request your account number. Select the option for "Account Information" or "Account Status" if such an option is available. The automated system then provides you with up-to-date information about the status of your account.

4

Explain your situation to the customer service representative if the creditor does not have an automated system or the automated system does not answer your question. Provide the representative with your account number and ask that she inform you of whether or not the company has written off your debt.

Check Credit Report

5

Visit the only federally-approved website for free credit reports, AnnualCreditReport.com.

6

Request a free credit report by filling out the requested information and selecting the credit bureau whose report you want to review. You may choose a credit report from Equifax, TransUnion or Experian.

7

Print the credit report for your records.

8

Read the credit report information section by section until you find your creditor's trade line. Creditors who report consumer accounts to the credit bureaus must regularly update their reports. Thus, if the creditor's trade line shows up on your credit report, it must report a write-off if one occurred.