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Is collection effective without correct name and ssn?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Is collection effective without correct name and ssn?

Hi,

 

I recently recieved a letter from an unkown video company (they called themselves National Geographic Video) saying I have $2x outstanding balance because I received their DVD last year. I do remeber I recieved a call from them last year and someone with poor English mention sending me something but I never agree to pay for anything. On that letter, they have my name wrong but correct address.

 

Now they are saying if I don't pay via mail, they will send collection agency. I'm really worried even the amount is small, since I'm in process of mortgage. I don't care about $20ish but I'm afriad the result would be worse after I give them my correct name and credit card info. So what shoud I do now? Can they send collection agent even without SSN and correct name? Does it go to my CR? Do you think mortgage would be affected if they report to CR?

 

Thanks.

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2 REPLIES 2
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Is collection effective without correct name and ssn?

Did the letter meet the requirements of a dunning notice, meaning did it identity the debt collector, the creditor, the amount of the asserted debt, and advise you of your right to request debt verification within 30 days?

 

If you have enough info to send them a DV, that will invoke an automatic cease collection bar upon them until such time as they have provided verification of the debt.

That includes a bar on their reporting of a collection to the CRAs.  If their letter was satisfactory dunning notice, you only have 30 days to send a DV that will invoke a cease collection bar.  Otherwise, any DV would be timely, and thus invoke the bar.

 

You also have the separate right to request, in your DV, the name of the original creditor.  Since the origin of the debt is suspect, I would be sure to include that separate sentence in your DV request.  That would also require any debt verification to also include the name of the OC in order to overcome your cease collection bar.

 

As for requiring your name and SSN, the issue is whether it is adequate to identify you, not the specific identifiers provided.

Message 2 of 3
SwiftTone
Valued Contributor

Re: Is collection effective without correct name and ssn?

Rob, you are so full of knowledge.

 

Reminds me of last year when there was an agency trying to collect $19 from me claiming I had medical testing done by their client. I didn't recongnize the hospital name and thought it was a scam. So I called them up after like 9 months of them constantly sending notices to me. Turns out that they've been sending out notices to everybody with the wrong name of the hospital. In the end, nothing was reported to the CRBs. I've read that sometimes the amount is so small, they don't even send it to a collections agency.

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