If you’ve defaulted on a medical debt in the past or you didn’t know you owed the medical provider, the bill may have gone to General Service Bureau.
You may find them on your credit report and wonder who they are or you may receive phone calls from them. Either way, if they are on your credit report, it can hurt your credit score and your chances of securing credit in the future.
It’s important to know how to remove General Service Bureau from your credit report to protect your credit.
Here’s how.
Validate the Debt
If you just started hearing from General Service Bureau, you may be within the 30-day window to validate the debt. You have 30 days from the date they first contact you to ask them to verify your account. The more questions you ask them about your account, the less likely it is that they’ll be able to verify the debt.
You can ask them questions about the account balance, name on the account, date of default, original creditor, or any other questions you have about the account. If they can’t answer it, they must remove it from your credit report – it’s the law.
You can send your letter to:
10303 Crown Point Avenue #210
Omaha, NE 68134
We recommend having all conversations with them in writing so you have proof of what they agree to do. If you agree to anything verbally, there’s no proof to make them follow through.
If you miss the 30-day window, you can dispute the debt, here’s how.
Dispute the Debt
When you dispute the debt, you write directly to the credit bureaus. Check all three credit reports (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to see who is reporting it. We suggest that you dispute the debt with them in writing, this way you have proof of what you sent.
When you dispute the debt, you must have reason to do so. Did they report the information in error? Is the information incorrect or does the debt not belong to you? Provide as much proof as you can with your letter.
The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate and determine if your claim is valid or if General Service Bureau has the right to report your collection.
Pay the Debt
Even if you are able to get the debt removed from your credit report, you’ll still owe the debt. It doesn’t erase your liability.
If you weren’t lucky enough to have it removed, you can work out a pay-for-delete agreement. All this means is within your negotiations to pay the debt, you ask them to agree to delete the collection from your credit report after you pay it.
The good news is you can settle the account for less than the full amount in most cases. General service Bureau likely bought the debt for much less than you owe. Negotiate a low amount knowing that they will likely counteroffer and you’ll end up paying more.
When you agree on a number and to delete the collection from your credit report, get it in writing. Don’t pay them until you have proof in writing that they’ll delete the collection from your credit report.
If they don’t follow up on their end of the bargain, you can dispute the debt with the credit bureau to get it removed, using your letter as proof.
When you pay the debt, do so with a cashier’s check or money order. Don’t give them your checking account information just in case.
Have a Professional Remove the Collection
Lastly, if you’re the type of person who would rather have a professional handle it and just be done with the whole thing, I suggest you check out Lexington Law Credit Repair. They’ll take care of you, and honestly they usually get negative items removed quicker than if you try to do it yourself. Give them a call at 1-844-331-6062 or Check out our review of their service.
Don’t Leave General Service Bureau on your Credit Report
Even though it’s a lot of work, don’t leave General Service Bureau on your credit report. It will drag your credit score down, hurt your chances of getting new credit and follow you around for 7 years!
Take the steps above to remove General Service Bureau from your credit report. Even though a medical collection is easier to get around when you’re trying to get new credit, it still hurts your credit report and shows future creditors that you aren’t responsible.