The debt collector could be either an assigned agent of the OC, with the OC still owning the debt, or they could have sold it.
Two things should have happened that would inform you as to whether the OC still owns the debt, and thus whether they can accept payment.
First, since the OC has reported, they have a requirement to promptly update their reporting so as to maintain its current accuracy.
If they sold the debt, they were required to have promptly updated their reporting to show a current balance of $0.
Unfortunately, absence of that required update does not establish that they still own it, as they could simply be late in making that reporting.
Second,and more definatively, when the debt collector made any initial communication with you, they were requried to send formal dunning notice within 5 days thereafter.
Part of dunning notice requirement is to identify the current owner of the debt. Did they send dunning notice, and if so, who was identified as the owner of the debt?
I would check those two items.... has the OC reported $0 balance, and who was idenfied in the dunning notice as the current owner of the debt.
OR........ you might reconsider the benefit of paying the debt collector rather than the OC.
If you pay the debt collector, you could do so via a modified form of PFD, getting their agreement not to report their collection in exchange for payment of the debt.
That might avoid their reporting of their collection.
Paying the OC would, in my opinion, only be advantageous if made in the form of a PFD to them, attempting to get deletion of their reported charge-off.
That may take some time, and they may decline a PFD, and the debt collector may have then reported their collection.
Paying the OC may not be the best route.
Why do you want to pay thru them?
