I JUST WANT TO CRY!!!!!!

[danikasmom]

I am so frustrated!  I have been so good about paying everything for so long and all of a sudden I am bombarded!!  I have stated before that DH has a collection on his account from a chiropractor that has been paid since, I believe, before the whole 30 das was up for the CA being that we never even got a letter from a CA.  Also, I got a letter for a CA for the freakin newspaper on or around Dec 28-30 of 2007.  I paid it on Jan 19th.  Well, I just received a letter dated Jan 18 from the same CA saying that they contacted me approx 30 days ago regarding this account.  I am hoping that they didn't report it to the Credit Bureaus being that I didn't even get the letter til the very end of December.

I REALLY need some help.  How do I go about these two.  I haven't gotten any input from the first one and I am getting frustrated.  It is harder to figure out what to do for yourself than it is to figure out what someone else should do.  PLEASE HELP!!!

[Anonymous]

#1 If you have paid the bills, ask the original creditor (Chrio, newspapers) to contact the collection people to remove the collection completely from your CR.

#2 You can also try to get a letter from the original creditor stating that this collection does not belong on your CR and to remove it completely and then you can fax and dispute. Try #1 first, then at the same time get a letter so if #1 doesn't work you can fax and do #2 after 30 days.

#3 You can also try contacting the CA and ask for removal since it was quickly paid. #1 has more leverage, #3 is the place that can remove it the fastest.

#4 Dispute as not yours,

There are just a few options.... I am sure there are more options.

[danikasmom]

THANK YOU!!  This most recent one that I got yesterday, the original date on the letter was Dec 18th but it wasn't received until the 27th or so of December.  This was all before I found this website.  I know that the OC (newspaper) doesn't own the account anymore because I called them right away and that is what they told me.   

I will contact the billing company for the chiropractor tomorrow and see if they have proof that I paid THEM and I will also request a copy of my check from the bank.  I KNOW that I didn't pay the CA. 

I really appreciate your help on this, I was starting to get frustrated because I posted something the other day and hadn't heard from anyone and I just feel desperate!! 

Thank you again

[haulingthescoreup]

You should be aware that the CRA's sell your demographics to collection agencies, especially if your reports are improving and your scores are rising. The CA's can then poke around and see if there is anything that they can try to shake loose from the money tree.

Always a good idea to remember that we are not the customers of the CRA's. Their customers are the lenders and collection agencies. You have to be hyper-vigilant, because there are a lot of scumbags out there ready to tear out a bit of your flesh.

[danikasmom]

what do you mean?  Are you saying that when they see someone with high scores they check to see if they owe something?  I am so naive to all of this, at least that is what I am learning this past week.  I feel like I want someone to hold my hand or at least stand beside me making sure that I do the right thing.  I am so upset because my score went from 682 to 574 in just a couple of months. 

[haulingthescoreup]

My understanding is that they provide the demographics on those whose scores are moving upwards, reflecting that this person is tuned into his/her credit reports and is actively working to improve his/her profile. The CA's can then compare your personal info against lists of old debts to see if they can find a match. The assumption would be that this person would be more likely to pay collections in an attempt to keep the improved credit profile. (Even though this doesn't work, unless there is a PFD.)

There is a thriving newish industry in junk debt buyers, who buy old and otherwise dubious debt and then go after the supposed debtor. They buy the debt so cheaply that they don't really care how much of the announced debt that is paid, because it's almost all profit.

I apologize; I didn't mean to freak you out even more. I post this about once a month so that new members can understand how dirty this game can be played, and realize that when these people come out of the walls like cockroaches, it's often not by coincidence.

[danikasmom]

Well, thank you for that info.  That explains why every time my scores go up and we get a new car or cc, I get a new letter from a ca.  It is ridiculous!!  These two recent ones are obviously not old though.   But, I am just praying that they will take them off of my CR and hubby's CR. 

Thank you again.

[Anonymous]

Make sure you negotiate PTD before you pay, and have everything on paper.

Otherwise, you will hurt your score even more.

[danikasmom]

Thank you Cinoeye, everything IS paid though.  And the one for the Chiropractor was paid to the billing service directly and we never got anything from a CA.  That is what is so frustrating about that one.  Also, the one that I just got from the newspaper, I already paid as well.  This is just very frustrating for me because I am so good at paying my stuff now that it makes me FREAK OUT!!!