Want to see a Conns account deleted just like we did for one of our client?
Before we dive into how we did it, let’s back up and explain what Conns is, why it shows up on your credit report, and how it can impact your score.
Removing Conns and Your Credit Report is Possible
Conns HomePlus is a big retailer, and like many stores that offer financing, their accounts show up on credit reports managed by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Seeing Conns on your report isn't automatically a bad thing. If you've made all your payments on time, it could even help build your credit history. But what if things didn't go perfectly? What if you see a Conns account, maybe even listed as Conns Credit Corp or a similar name, and you suspect it's dragging down your credit score?
You're not alone. Many people find themselves in this situation. Maybe there was a late payment, a misunderstanding about the bill, or perhaps the account went to collections. Sometimes, the information listed might even be flat-out wrong!
Whatever the reason, if a Conns item is negatively impacting your credit, you understandably want to know what you can do about it.
Bad credit can feel like a heavy weight, affecting your ability to get loans, rent an apartment, or even get a good rate on insurance. But here's the good news: you have rights, and there are steps you can take.
We understand how frustrating this can be. As a company that helps people navigate the complexities of credit repair, we've seen firsthand how items like these can impact lives. That’s why we've put together this guide. We'll walk you through 5 actionable steps you can explore to address a problematic Conns account on your credit report.
Our goal? To empower you with knowledge so you can tackle this head-on and work towards a healthier credit score.
(Disclaimer: This blog post provides general information for educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. Credit reporting laws are complex, and every situation is unique. Consider consulting with a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.)
First Things First: Understanding Conns and Your Credit Report
Before we dive into the "how-to," let's quickly cover the "what" and "why."
Who is Conns HomePlus?
They are a large retail company selling furniture, mattresses, home appliances, and consumer electronics. They operate physical stores and offer their own financing options, often targeting customers who might not qualify for traditional credit cards or loans.
How Does Conns Financing Work?
When you finance a purchase directly through Conns, you're essentially getting a loan or a store-specific credit line from them (often via Conns Credit Corp or a related entity). They set the terms, interest rates, and payment schedules.
Why is Conns on Your Credit Report?
Like banks and credit card companies, Conns reports your payment history to the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). This includes whether you pay on time, how much you owe, and the status of your account. This is standard practice for most creditors.
How Can a Conns Account Hurt Your Score?
- Late Payments: Even one payment reported 30 days late can significantly drop your score. Multiple late payments hurt even more.
- Collections/Charge-Offs: If you fall significantly behind, Conns might sell your debt to a collection agency or "charge it off" (declare it unlikely to be collected). Both are serious negative marks. You might see the original Conns account and a new collection account on your report. Learn more about charge offs here.
- High Credit Utilization (for Conns credit lines): If Conns gave you a credit line (like a store card) and you've used up most of that available credit, it can negatively impact your score. Lenders see high utilization as risky.
- Inaccuracies: Mistakes happen! Maybe the balance is wrong, the payment history is incorrect, or the account doesn't even belong to you. Any inaccuracy can potentially harm your score.
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The Big Question: Can You Remove Conns From Your Credit Report?
This is where we need to be clear. You generally cannot remove accurate, negative information from your credit report before it's legally allowed to expire (typically 7 years from the date of the first delinquency for things like late payments or charge-offs).
If you legitimately opened the account, fell behind on payments, and Conns reported it accurately, simply wanting it gone isn't enough.
HOWEVER... you absolutely have the right to challenge information on your credit report that is:
- Inaccurate: Wrong dates, wrong amounts, accounts listed as open that are closed, etc.
- Outdated: Negative items older than the legal reporting limit (usually 7 years, though some bankruptcies can stay longer).
- Unverifiable: If you dispute an item, the credit bureau must investigate. If Conns (or the collection agency reporting the debt) cannot prove the information is accurate and belongs to you within the investigation period (usually 30 days), the credit bureau must remove it.
This "unverifiable" point is often where credit repair efforts focus. Sometimes, due to poor record-keeping, company mergers, or sheer volume, the creditor or collection agency might not have or provide the necessary documentation to verify the debt according to the standards required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
So, when we talk about "removing" Conns, we're primarily talking about removing items that are inaccurate, outdated, or cannot be verified according to the law.
Related Story: How to Remove Pinnacle Credit Services From Your Credit Report: A Comprehensive Guide
5 Actionable Steps to Address Conns on Your Credit Report
Ready to take action? Here are five steps you can take to remove conns negative item from your report:
Step 1: Get Your Official Credit Reports
You can't fix what you can't see! The first, most crucial step is to get copies of your full credit reports from all three major bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
- How? The official, government-authorized source is AnnualCreditReport.com. You are entitled to one free report from each bureau every 12 months. Due to recent changes, you might even be able to check them more frequently for free. Avoid other sites that promise "free" reports but might require signing up for paid services.
- Why all three? Creditors like Conns might report to all three bureaus, but sometimes they only report to one or two. Furthermore, the information might appear slightly differently on each report. You need the complete picture.
- What to look for: Once you have the reports, find the Conns entry (or any related collection agency entries). Scrutinize every detail:
- Account name (Conns, Conns Credit Corp, etc.)
- Account number (even partial)
- Account status (Open, Closed, Collection, Charge-off)
- Date opened
- Date of last activity
- Reported balance
- Credit limit (if applicable)
- Payment history (look for any late payment codes like 30, 60, 90 days late)
- Date of first delinquency (this determines how long it stays on your report)
Compare the information across all three reports and against your own records (if you have them).
Step 2: Identify Any Inaccuracies or Questionable Items
This is where your detective work begins. Review the Conns account details from Step 1 with a fine-tooth comb. Are there any discrepancies?
- Is it even your account? Could it be identity theft or a mixed file (someone else's info on your report)?
- Are the dates correct? Date opened, date of last payment, date of first delinquency? An incorrect date of first delinquency could keep the negative item on your report longer than allowed.
- Is the balance accurate? Does it reflect payments you've made? Could there be incorrect fees or interest charges?
- Is the account status correct? Is it listed as open when you paid it off and closed it? Is it showing late payments when you know you paid on time? Is it duplicated (listed both by Conns and a collection agency when it should only be one or the other under certain circumstances)?
- Is it outdated? Calculate 7 years from the "Date of First Delinquency." If the negative item (like the charge-off or collection status) is older than that, it should typically be gone.
Make a detailed list of every single potential error you find, no matter how small.
Step 3: Dispute Inaccuracies Directly with the Credit Bureaus
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute inaccurate information on your credit reports. You need to file a separate dispute with each credit bureau that is showing the incorrect information.
- How to Dispute:
- Online: All three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) have online dispute portals on their websites. This is often the fastest method.
- By Mail: This is often recommended for creating a paper trail. Send your dispute letter via certified mail with return receipt requested. This proves they received it.
- What to Include in Your Dispute:
- Your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number (for identification).
- The credit report confirmation number (if available).
- Clearly identify the account you are disputing (e.g., "Conns account # ending in 1234").
- State exactly what information is inaccurate (e.g., "The payment history for May 2024 is incorrectly marked as 30 days late," or "The balance of $XXX is incorrect," or "This account does not belong to me," or "This account is outdated and should be deleted as it is older than 7 years based on the reported date of first delinquency").
- Explain why you believe the information is inaccurate.
- Clearly state what you want the bureau to do (e.g., "Please correct this information," or "Please remove this inaccurate account from my credit report").
- Crucially: Include copies (NEVER originals) of any supporting documents you have. This could be payment records, bank statements, letters from Conns, court documents, identity theft reports, etc. Proof strengthens your case immensely.
- The Investigation: Once a bureau receives your dispute, they generally have 30 days (sometimes 45 days in certain circumstances) to investigate. They will contact the data furnisher (Conns or the collection agency) to verify the information.
- If the furnisher confirms the information is accurate, it will likely remain (though you can still escalate).
- If the furnisher cannot verify the information or agrees it's inaccurate, the bureau must correct or delete the item.
- If the furnisher doesn't respond within the timeframe, the bureau must delete the disputed information.
- The Results: The credit bureau must notify you in writing of the results of the investigation, usually within 5 days of completing it. They must also provide you with a free copy of your updated report if the dispute resulted in a change.
Step 4: Dispute Inaccuracies Directly with Conns (or the Collection Agency)
In addition to disputing with the bureaus, you can also send a dispute letter directly to the entity that provided the information – this is called the "data furnisher." If the negative item is listed under Conns, you'd write to them. If it's listed under a collection agency that bought the debt from Conns, you'd write to the collection agency.
- Why do this? Under the FCRA, if you dispute directly with the furnisher, they also have obligations to investigate and report corrected information to the bureaus. Sometimes, tackling it from both ends (bureau and furnisher) can be effective.
- If it's a Collection Agency - Debt Validation: If you're dealing with a collection agency for a Conns debt, you have the right under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to request debt validation. You should typically do this within 30 days of their initial contact with you (though you can often still request it later). Send a letter (certified mail again!) stating you dispute the debt and request validation. They must then cease collection efforts until they provide you with proof, such as:
- The amount of the debt.
- The name of the original creditor (Conns).
- Proof that they are legally authorized to collect the debt.
- Verification that the debt belongs to you.
- If they cannot provide this validation, they cannot legally continue collection efforts, and they should not be reporting it to the credit bureaus. If they are reporting it without validation, that becomes another point for your dispute with the bureaus.
- What to Include: Similar to the bureau dispute letter, clearly identify the account, explain the inaccuracy, provide proof, and state what you want them to do (correct the information reported to the bureaus or validate the debt).
Step 5: Explore Negotiation (Use With Caution, Especially for Valid Debts)
This step applies mainly if the Conns debt is valid (you owe it) but is causing significant credit damage, perhaps as a collection account. Sometimes, negotiation is possible, but tread carefully.
- Settlement: You might offer to pay a lump sum that is less than the full amount owed in exchange for the debt being considered settled or paid-in-full.
- Pros: Gets the collector off your back, updates the account status (e.g., from "Collection" to "Paid Collection" or "Settled for less than full amount").
- Cons: "Settled for less" is still not as good as "Paid in full" on your report. Paying a collection can sometimes temporarily lower your score because it updates the "date of last activity," making the negative item look more recent to scoring models. There might also be tax implications (forgiven debt can sometimes be considered income).
- Pay-for-Delete: This is where you offer to pay the collection agency (either in full or a settled amount) only if they agree in writing to completely remove the negative account from your credit reports.
- Pros: If successful, the entire negative history of that collection account disappears.
- Cons: Pay-for-delete is not officially sanctioned by credit bureaus and many creditors/collectors refuse to do it. It violates their agreements with the bureaus. There's no guarantee they'll honor the agreement even if they make it (which is why getting it in writing first is absolutely non-negotiable). Never pay based on a verbal promise. Conns as the original creditor is highly unlikely to agree to this for an account they still own; it's more common (though still difficult) with third-party collection agencies.
- Payment Plan: You might negotiate a payment plan you can afford. This won't remove past negative marks but will stop future ones once payments are current.
Critical Advice for a Conns Negotiation:
- GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING: Before sending any payment for a settlement or pay-for-delete, get a written agreement from the creditor or collector detailing the terms.
- Understand the Impact: Be aware that paying an old collection might not significantly boost your score immediately and could even lower it temporarily.
- Consider Professional Help: Negotiation can be tricky. A reputable credit repair company or a consumer law attorney might be able to negotiate more effectively on your behalf.
Conns Collection: What If Your Disputes Don't Work?
If you've disputed inaccurate information with the bureaus and the furnisher, provided proof, and they still refuse to correct or remove the item, you have further options:
- File a Complaint: You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). They will forward your complaint to the company (Conns, the collection agency, or the credit bureau) and work to get a response. Companies take CFPB complaints seriously.
- Add a Statement of Dispute: You have the right to add a brief (100-word) statement to your credit report explaining your side of the story for a particular account. Anyone who pulls your report will see your statement.
- Consult an Attorney: If you believe your FCRA rights have been violated (e.g., inaccurate information wasn't removed after a proper dispute and investigation, or a collector violated the FDCPA), you might consider consulting with an attorney specializing in consumer law. They can advise you on potential legal action.
Real Story: How We Remove a Conns Account For One of Our Clients
We don’t just talk the talk — we’ve done this in real life.
One of our clients came to us with a Conns account that was reporting as a charge-off. The balance was inaccurate, the payment history didn’t match their records, and worst of all, it was dragging their score down by over 60 points.
After a thorough review of their credit report, we noticed several issues:
- The date of first delinquency was listed incorrectly
- The balance was inflated due to duplicate interest fees
- And there was no documentation proving the debt was verified
Our next move? A carefully crafted dispute letter sent to all three credit bureaus and directly to Conns. We backed it up with:
- A formal request under the FCRA to verify the account
- Supporting documentation from the client (including bank records and past communication with Conns)
- A follow-up strategy to escalate if the first dispute didn’t resolve the issue
📸 Here's the updated credit report showing Conns account REMOVED
Within 30 days, the Conns account was completely deleted from their Experian and Equifax reports. TransUnion took a few extra days but eventually followed suit.
The result?
✅ 62-point increase in their credit score
✅ Clean slate to apply for a new car loan
✅ Peace of mind restored
Moving Forward: Prevention and Good Credit Habits
Dealing with credit report issues can be stressful. Once you've addressed the Conns item (or while you're working on it), focus on building positive credit habits:
- Pay All Bills On Time: Payment history is the single biggest factor in your credit score.
- Keep Credit Utilization Low: Aim to use less than 30% (ideally less than 10%) of your available credit on revolving accounts (like credit cards, including store cards).
- Monitor Your Credit Regularly: Check your reports frequently (using AnnualCreditReport.com or credit monitoring services) to catch errors or potential identity theft early.
- Be Cautious with Store Credit: While financing like Conns offers can be tempting, understand the interest rates and terms. Ensure you can comfortably afford the payments before signing up. Having too many store-specific accounts can sometimes be viewed negatively by lenders.
- Build an Emergency Fund: Having savings can prevent you from needing to rely on credit or falling behind on payments if unexpected expenses arise.
Take Control of Your Credit Story
Seeing a negative Conns item on your credit report can be discouraging, but it's not necessarily permanent, especially if it's inaccurate or unverifiable. By understanding your rights under the FCRA, meticulously reviewing your credit reports, and taking methodical steps to dispute errors or negotiate valid debts carefully, you can take control.
Remember the 5 key actions:
- Get Your Reports: Obtain copies from all three bureaus.
- Review Carefully: Identify any potential inaccuracies.
- Dispute with Bureaus: Formally challenge errors via their processes.
- Dispute with Furnisher: Contact Conns or the collector directly.
- Negotiate Cautiously: Explore settlement or pay-for-delete only for valid debts and always get agreements in writing.
This process takes patience and persistence. Document everything, keep copies, and use certified mail for important correspondence.
If you find the process overwhelming or aren't getting results, remember that professional help is available. Reputable credit repair organizations like ASAP Credit Repair understand the nuances of the FCRA and FDCPA and can manage the dispute process for you.
Your credit score matters. Taking steps to address negative items, like a problematic Conns account, is an investment in your financial future. Good luck!