The last few days I've contacted both a gas & electric service and time warner about two overdue bills. .....and I mean wayyyy overdue! I have received CA letters from two diff companies for each one of the bills. I have never seen them on my CR. So, I'm hoping to get it taken care of asap before it does show up there. Here's the scenario: they're not really that much...the only reason I had the oversight was because we moved and when we moved my hubby took the day off and made all the calls to turn our services on in the new place. Well, around here they don't combine, when you move you open a new account and close the other one. The other ones were in my name and he put the new ones in his name. Now, after we moved, I found out my mother was seriously ill (she had stage IV cancer) and I was the one who took care of her for the last 6 months of her life. Now, I just overlooked anything else as all my focus was trying to get her better. Now, it's almost been a year. I've recently received letters not from the OC, but from collection agencies.
In the last few days, I decided to try and contact the OCs and see if I could pay them personally. Each one has since responded to my emails. The electric company is "happy to take my payment." It is only $135. Time Warner is happy to take my money and the equipment back that I've had put away since we've moved here. They never said for certain that they still wouldn't charge me for the equipment....I'm thinking they won't....in which case it will only be $270.
My question is, how do I make sure that I don't end up with these CAs on my report? Do I try to get a receipt or can I use my bank statements as proof of payment, and then send a copy of my proof to the CAs, excluding banking account info, of course? What would all of you very knowledgeable folks do if it were you?
Thanks! 
I'd call the OCs and ask them if there's anything they can do for you.
Starting Score: EQ 583 TU04 619 EX 592 (lender pull) 2010Hey mauve!
That is who I've spoken to, the OCs! They said they'll be happy to take my payment. I just wonder if I will still see this on my credit report from the two CAs who contacted me regarding these bills. If I pay the OC, the CAs have no valid reason to report or collect, correct? I should try and get receipts when I pay shouldn't I?
The CAs are only obligated to update to "paid".
I'd ask the OC specifically if they can do anything about the CAs. While the CAs are not obligated to delete / not report because the OC asks them to, they do have a continuing business relationship and the OC has a choice of what CAs to use, so they should have *some* pull.