Who is American Express?
American Express, also known as Amex, is a financial services corporation headquartered in New York, New York. They are one of the biggest credit card issuers in the United States.
You may see one of their credit cards listed on your credit report as a collections account. This can happen if you’ve missed your monthly payments and they’ve hired a debt collection company to collect that money.
How can I remove Amex Collections from my credit report?
Collections can hurt your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to seven years regardless of whether you pay it or not. Unfortunately, paying the collection could even lower your credit score.
However, it is possible to remove a collection account from your credit history before seven years.
(While debt collectors may not want this information to be widely known, it’s your right to be informed.)
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Lexington Law is a professional credit repair law firm that works with people who want to fix their credit.
In addition to collections, they can work with you to challenge other inaccurate, unfair, or unsubstantiated information on your credit report. These items include inquiries, late payments, charge-offs, foreclosures, repossessions, bankruptcies, and more.
Get started on the path to better credit today: Fill out the form for a free credit consultation.
Should I contact or pay American Express?
It’s best to avoid speaking to a collection agency on the phone. And making payments on the debt will reset the clock. As a result, it could harm your credit rather than improve it. However, sometimes it’s better just to pay the collection account, especially if it’s new, and you’re certain that it’s legit.
The most effective way to deal with American Express collections is to work with a credit repair professional. They help remove millions of negative items every year from companies like American Express on behalf of their clients.
Will American Express sue me or garnish my wages?
It’s possible, but if you work with a law firm like Lexington Law, you have nothing to worry about. They aid you in disputing the collection account with the credit bureaus, with the possibility of having it removed from your credit history. It’s also quite possible that you will never hear from or have to deal with American Express collections again.
Wage Garnishment
Some states allow wage garnishment, while others do not. If you are in a state that does not allow wage garnishment, it is illegal for a debt collector to threaten to garnish your wages.
It is also illegal for American Express to make any claims they cannot or will not follow through on. This includes threatening to sue you or foreclose on your home.
Is American Express Collections hurting my credit score?
Missed payments over several months on your Amex card will cause a hit to your credit score. With a collection account on your credit report, it will reduce your ability to qualify for new credit even more.
Debt collectors often buy and sell debt from one another. This can lead to multiple collections on your credit report for the same account.
To get an account removed, you must file a separate dispute with each credit bureau; Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, or it can negatively impact your credit score.
American Express Collections Complaints
Most collection agencies have numerous complaints filed against them with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Most consumer complaints are about inaccurate reporting, harassment, or failure to verify a debt. If a debt collector is harassing you, you may want to consider filing a complaint.
You have many consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). These rights include the ability to dispute credit reporting errors and to be treated fairly and respectfully by debt collectors.
Your Rights When Dealing with American Express Collections
Debt collectors must abide by state and federal laws in the United States. For example, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits a debt collector from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices. In addition, the FDCPA provides you with many rights to ensure that collection agencies don’t take advantage of you. In particular:
- It is a violation of federal law for American Express to report inaccurate or incomplete information about you.
- You have a legal right to request debt validation on an alleged debt. Send the collection agency a debt validation letter. By law, they have 30 days to prove to you that the debt is really yours and the total amount is accurate.
- American Express may not threaten or harass you, call you repeatedly, swear at you, or publicly publish a list of debtors.
- American Express must be honest about who they are and what they are attempting to do. They must notify you that they are a debt collection agency both orally and in writing.
- American Express cannot threaten to have you arrested or imprisoned over unpaid debts.
Remove American Express Collections From Your Credit Report Today!
Lexington Law can assist you in disputing American Express credit card accounts. With more than 18 years of experience, they achieved over 6 million removals for their clients in 2021 alone.
If you’re tired of dealing with debt collectors and want to improve your credit, consider working with a trusted credit repair company.
They have helped many people in your situation. Fill out the form on their website for a free credit consultation to see what they can do for you.
Ready to Repair Your Credit?
Some clients have raised their credit scores
by 100 points* or more.
