Denise Richardson
Denise Richardson is a freelance writer, Author and board
member of American Consumer
Credit Education Support Services, a non-profit organization
dedicated to educating consumers, and responsible businesses, on
issues such as privacy rights, credit reporting, and financial
fraud. She is a member of the National Association of Consumer
Advocates, and Author who turned her life experiences into her
first book humanizing and exposing the damaging effects of
identity theft, inaccurate credit reporting, mortgage servicing
fraud and abusive debt collectors. She strives to educate the
public on the need to be proactive when it comes to protecting
their rights, their identities, and their personal and financial
data from thieves
Visit Denise online at http://www.givemebackmycredit.com
"Denise Richardson's story has important lessons for all
Americans. It's the story of a consumer who faced hardships
created by credit bureau errors, mortgage servicing errors,
abusive debt collectors and identity thieves. She learned,
fought back and won. Now she's a consumer champion with a book
that's a first-person story and a consumer handbook in one, with
lessons for everyone who wants to win against corporate and
financial predators. Buy it and then fight back yourself!" Ed
Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director U.S. Public Interest
Research Group (U.S. PIRG)
"Give Me Back My Credit is a book that every American consumer
must read. Denise exposes the truth about how our nation's
credit system really works and how our consumer protection
rights have slowly, but intentionally been wiped away by
corporate greed and government acceptance. In a clear and simple
voice, Denise teaches everyone how they can try to protect their
rights and how we must collectively fight back to get back our
rights and our credit!" Ira Rheingold, Executive Director and
General Counsel National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)
"Denise Richardson is a living answer to the question of what
can happen to an American when the systems that keep track of
who owes what to whom completely break down. Like most of the
countless consumers harmed each year by errors that corporations
can't or won't fix, Denise suffered enormous personal and
financial harm when computer systems began to misreport her
data. Unlike most other people, however, Denise set out to
understand exactly how and why such mistakes occur, and then
took on the system. Her story of personal courage and resilience
is not only inspiring, but the hard-learned lessons she clearly
articulates in this book can help many other consumers protect
themselves from widespread mistakes that are all too often
afflicted by America's credit reporting system." F. Paul Bland,
Jr., Staff Attorney Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ)
Books-And-Authors.net: Where did you grow up and was reading
and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences
and why?
Denise Richardson: I was born and raised in New England
and most of those years were spent in Brattleboro -a beautiful small
town in Southern Vermont where I was lucky enough to grow up in a
typical Italian family where Sunday's were spent at my grandparents
home devouring vast amounts of homemade pasta and listening to
countless sermons from my grandmother (Nonie). She taught me through
her actions and strong convictions, to believe in the power of faith
and know that "everything happens for a reason -you just need to
have faith that you will figure out the reason. She often said the
best rewards in life are realized when we give of ourselves to
others - without expectations for anything in return. A concept that
greatly rules my life today and one that makes me recognize the
scale of her powerful influence.
I did write while young... I religiously wrote in my
diary to empty out thoughts in my head that would often consume me
-until I could spill them out on paper -a pattern that that still
holds true today!
My most precious memory of reading while young… My sister and I
would grab a book, blanket and plastic pails and head off through
the woods to Riley's Dam, picking blueberries by the pail full, all
along the way. Once we found a spot we liked, we would lie out a
blanket and relax under a tree by the water and read our books while
gorging on handfuls of blueberries.
Books-And-Authors.net: Why did you write "GIVE ME BACK MY
CREDIT "?
Denise Richardson: Give Me Back My Credit was born out
frustration, passion and an overwhelming sense of necessity to use
my story to encourage others to become proactive when protecting
their credit and their identities. I looked at my life experiences
and realized that if my belief of that old adage "everything happens
for a reason" was true, then the reason for the last 15 years was
staring me right in the face. I needed to share my experiences and
lessons learned throughout my saga, if I wanted to shed light on the
problems and work towards much needed change in the industry. It was
definitely an "aha moment".
Books-And-Authors.net: You were a victim of 'Identity theft'
-- Someone used your credit card to purchase a $9K airline
ticket.... How did this happen? And do you find yourself continually
on guard against this type of fraud?
Denise Richardson: Just like so many id theft victims -most
often we never definitively know how our information is stolen. Once
upon a time, we only had to worry about keeping our wallets
safeguarded and in our physical possession. Now days, our
information is easily distributed, stolen and unaccounted for in
countless databases that are often the target of thieves.
My identity is valuable to me and so is my time. I know that I have
to be proactive if I want to ensure my identity remains just
that...my identity. After writing my book I was notified once again
that someone attempted to access my available credit from a
telephone call initiated out of Canada. That's the day I determined
that I simply didn't want to go it alone anymore, I set out to find
and hire a service that would actually take on the responsibility of
guarding my life, and more importantly to me, take on the task of
cleaning up the mess -if it happened again. The truth is – it is
difficult to imagine the amount of time and both physical and mental
energy it takes to deal with the effects of having your identity
stolen…until it happens to you! I chose to pay a company called
LifeLock to do it for me–to see why read my blog How Much value to
you place on your free time?
http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/blog/2007/01/how_much_value_do_you_place_on.html
Books-And-Authors.net: With 'GIVE ME BACK MY CREDIT' -- You
have become a passionate activist and an entrepreneur. When you were
younger did you see any of this as your life path? How does it feel
helping others?
Denise Richardson: I can't say that Advocate was on my career
list when I was a child. Originally I planned on becoming a Doctor,
until that is, I pricked my finger sewing and passed out at the
sight of blood. I immediately knew that plan wasn't going to work.
I've always been drawn to people and driven to finding a way to make
a difference. I just always struggled with how to accomplish that
strong desire and exactly what it was I was suppose to be doing -I
just couldn't come up with an answer. In school, I was always the
kid that would go out of my way to be kind to the kids that were
bullied or made to feel as outcasts. I never understood why -and
neither did a lot of my friends, but it was definitely a part of me
as far back as I can remember. I know that saying I love to help
others sounds like a cliché and even viewed as corny -but that's
what was instilled in me at a very young age and though I still wish
for more direction -I've grown comfortable with it.
Books-And-Authors.net: In 'GIVE ME BACK MY CREDIT' - You
write 'Find your identity!' Explain.
Denise Richardson: I believe who we are today is
dictated by a culmination of our life experiences and sometimes we
just need to spend some time analyzing ourselves and circumstances
to figure it out. That's the Virgo in me! When you find that answer
-you find your inspiration and your future path. Your identity is
your character, your individuality and uniqueness. Once you figure
out who you are and then accept it -you will inevitably find your
path and with it -your "aha moment".
Books-And-Authors.net: Why should someone buy a copy of "GIVE ME
BACK MY CREDIT"? What makes your book stand out from others in the
genre? 'GIVE ME BACK MY CREDIT' is an audio book as well -- Is the
book and CD set the same or do they work together? Explain?
Denise Richardson: Because unlike most books written by
schooled-consumer professionals, I have actually been in the
trenches and fought my way out. I learned what I know by attending
the University of Hard Knocks where I obtained a graduate degree in
"But You Can't Do That To Me."
My book is not a thesis. It is a step-by-step recounting of my own
personal ride through Crazyland, where credit card companies, and
their lawyers, are always right and it's up to you to prove them
wrong -and I did. The ride was a not merry one, but it was
definitely a trip filled with life altering lessons that I provide
at the end of each chapter. The audio book is pretty much the same
-slightly altered and updated as it was released a few months after
my book.
Books-And-Authors.net: In "GIVE ME BACK MY CREDIT" you
write that 'consumer protection laws are eroding' and the laws we
have are filled with loopholes- Please explain.
Denise Richardson: Often time's legislation is written
with extremely ambiguous language that can be easily misinterpreted
and twisted as easily as a wire hanger by those who wish to escape
liability for their wrongs -regardless of the intent or spirit of
the law. Some proposed legislation is often just a fox dressed in
sheep's clothing and though the name of the proposed legislations
may sound favorable to us at the outset, once scrutinized, it's
often found to be simply a ruse, designed to slip by the American
public's eyes, disguised as a consumer protection measure.
Hypothetically speaking, if our legislative representatives were to
hire a contractor to do repair work on their homes, and the
contractor drafted a binding contract (especially one that required
Arbitration if they had a dispute) -a legal document that spelled
out the parties responsibilities, do you think that they would
review and analyze every word prior to signing it (rightfully so)? I
would bet that the contract would not only be concise, but loophole
free.
We deserve no less. Shouldn't our consumer protection laws looked at
using that same magnifying glass? Loopholes can be seen in advance
and can be closed and complex and ambiguous wording can be clarified
-if that's what the intent is. For more on this you can see my blog
at
http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/blog/2006/10/do_americans_have_the_best_law.html
I do believe our consumer protection laws are
eroding as well -and that belief is with good reason. Special
interest groups aggressively lobby for legislation that would
nullify stronger state laws, and ultimately diminish our ability to
find accountability. They continue to find ways to lock innocent
consumers out of the courtrooms through the use of widespread "You
can't sue me" clauses that require consumers to agree to settle any
dispute that may arise through costly arbitration.
By taking away our access to the courts, and eliminating our
stronger state consumer protection laws, corporations effectively
remove any fear of being held accountable and having their
wrongdoings exposed to the public. It harms our justice system and
eliminates the effectiveness of our consumer protection laws. Access
to the courts is our most effective means of holding corporate
entities accountable. Without that right ...what will deter less
than reputable companies from harming us with faulty and substandard
products? For more on this see my blog at
http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/blog/2007/07/you_cant_sue_mefour_little_wor.html
Books-And-Authors.net: In "GIVE ME BACK MY CREDIT" you write
that 79% of credit reports contain mistakes - That is alarming! From
dealing with the Big 3 credit reporting agencies do you think they
care about this type of (off the charts) stat? How difficult is it
for someone to get mistakes removed?
Denise Richardson: Yes …it is alarming but widely
reported as true. Do they care…No! It often takes many attempts and
many years to clean up inaccuracies -in my case more than a decade.
But as bad as my story is -it's not the worst nightmare I've heard
of -I just decided to tell my story! More often than not, it
literally takes an Act of Congress to clear up erroneous information
in your credit report, whether caused by inaccurate credit reporting
or an identity theft. I've often said I feel like I'm an unpaid
credit bureau employee, a type of Quality Control Expert who's
forced to inspect, monitor and fix their product to ensure it isn't
defective and harmful to me! Unfortunately, their product that they
profit from is me & you! It's our information and the burden to
safeguard it falls on us! Normally, if a company was negligent or
their product harmed us we would have the choice to boycott the
company -but we don't have that choice when it comes to the credit
industry. And ironically, any other industry who sold defective
products would be sanctioned and ordered to remove the products from
the market until they were fixed -by them! The credit industry is
the only industry I am aware of that can get away with such a
brilliant maneuver…sell a product that the consumer is responsible
for both building and maintaining!
Books-And-Authors.net: What did you learn from writing "GIVE
ME BACK MY CREDIT"?
Denise Richardson: I've learned that Nonie was right!
Everything has a purpose -we just need to find it. I do believe that
my life experiences were meant to be exposed -it was a story that
had to be told in order to help others and validate those who have
been down similar roads -and there are many! At times finding and
holding on to my identity has been an exhausting task, but I know of
no other way to be. It's a wrong, a big wrong, and I have to attempt
to right it -and in this case "write" it.
Books-And-Authors.net: After reading "GIVE ME BACK MY
CREDIT" -- What has been readers' feedback?
Denise Richardson: I love the feedback -Many people write
telling me their story. Letters include words of appreciation for
showing them the importance of monitoring their credit, and the need
to protect themselves -to letters offering thanks for my speaking
out and validating what they currently are (or have been) going
through. I know first hand that often just reading and hearing "you
are not alone" can be both inspiring and cathartic. Many notes relay
thanks for explaining in simple language the jargon that frustrates
many…my book reads like a diary, with carefully inserted lessons,
and people appreciate that.
Books-And-Authors.net: What's next?
Denise Richardson: Continuing with new and exciting projects,
many sparked by encouragement from consumers, advocates and readers…
various projects include internet radio, joint ventures with other
authors, seminars, workshops and more translations.
I would love to work towards arming college students with
information that can prevent them from graduating in deep debt
simply because they were unaware of the dangers predatory lending,
credit -debt and identity theft. I also have a special interest and
drive to help families of the military… they sacrifice so much, yet
are given so little leeway or help when forced to make ends meet
while struggling through emotional and financial hardships.
Books-And-Authors.net: What was the last book you read?
Denise Richardson: 527 Naked Men by Barbara Silkstone The
book reaffirmed for me what you can do when you set your mind to it.
The author set out to interview 1,000 men about love and commitment.
With no training in psychology, she accomplished listening to the
emotional download of over 500 men - before she crumbled. It's a fun
and enlightening look at human nature and the power of "I Can Do
That!"
Books-And-Authors.net: Do you have any hobbies? What
are they? How do they enhance your writing?
Denise Richardson: Downtime is crucial to writing -but not
always easy to find. I like to recharge my batteries by walking on
the beach, curled up on the couch watching a great movie, listening
to music, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Give Me Back My Credit was born out
frustration, passion and an overwhelming sense of necessity to use
my story to encourage others to become proactive when protecting
their credit and their identities. 
