Skip tracing, on a charged-off portfolio, is the work of refreshing a phone or address that no longer reaches the consumer on the tape. DebtMarket does not skip-trace consumers and does not operate a collection agency. Buyers price skip tracing because stale contact data changes what the file is worth before anyone places the paper.

This note is educational. It is not legal advice. Confirm FCRA permissible purpose and vendor contracts with counsel.

Why the tape matters before a skip

Underwrite the file first: charge-off date, last pay, original creditor, state mix, and whether the media sample matches the data. Skip-tracing a thin or mismatched tape does not repair chain of title. If phones and addresses are already exhausted, say so when you submit the snapshot. Hidden skips show up in a sample and widen the bid.

Data vendors operating companies use

Qualified buyers contract their own data vendors. DebtMarket does not resell these products. Names buyers mention most often:

Accurint for Collections (LexisNexis)
TLOxp (TransUnion)
IDI
MicroBilt skip tracing

What skip status means on charged-off paper

An account is in skip status when the phone or address supplied by the creditor no longer connects. That is a data condition. It is not a request for the seller to start calling. Original creditors who cannot locate a consumer still sell the paper. The buyer prices contactability along with media, vintage, and state mix.

Flags that belong in the purchase agreement

A later vendor hit can surface bankruptcy, deceased, or active-military indicators. Those belong in the debt purchase agreement’s warranty, not in a consumer call script. Sellers can note a known skip rate in the snapshot. Buyers state whether they need skip-ready data in the purchase criteria.

Questions on a file: portfolios@debtmarket.net or 561-254-6608.