Receipt only after paying with cash / cashiers check

[JPaul]

I am trying to settle my collections account.  They have agreed to giving me a receipt / letter saying that the balance was paid in full and that the credit beaureas will be contacted - only after I pay the debt in either of the two forms mentioned.

The collections company is local and I am very weary of giving them the money first(in person) - it sounds like a big scam to me.  What kind of protection do I have?  Do I just take their word for it?  Can I write something on the cashiers check?

They are telling me that cannot pre generate a letter agreeing to those terms, because the computer system does only after payment has been made.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[ktl72455]

They can write you up something prior to payment as to what the terms and agreement outlined is, even if it is in handwritting. With out something in writting, after you pay it, its a he said she said thing and you loose if they dont follow through.

 Or you write up a short agreement and have them sign it payment.

Have cash or cashiers check with you in hand so they can see it. Have them read it, sign it, and you pay it, and get the reciept.  

[JPaul]

They refuse to do something like that.  They said it's not "how they do business"

Something about all of this does not sound right and I really need to get rid of this debt.

[JPaul]

bump

[GoBigRed]

Just like ktl72455 said, I would not give them the money and trust what they said. You'll have nothing to hold them responsible to. I've heard/read about way too many people being burned like this. Just my $0.02.

[JPaul]

Can you tell me a little more about what Youve read or heard? My next thought was to consentually record them over the phone agreeing to the terms. What do you think? They told me to believe their word because it is being recorded on their end, so I should be able to keep my own recording

[starry1]

Never trust a bill collector any further than you can throw them. Get it in writing. The consensual recording doesn't sound like a half bad idea if it would be admissible in the courts in your area, just in case you have to sue to enforce the agreement.

[JPaul]

I just have a bad feeling about this one and I might just have to keep fighting. The reason I want this one settled fast us because they've scared me. I'm afraid they might contact my workplace, which is very embarrassing. Do they have access to such records?

[GoBigRed]

I had a collection company contact one of my employers after I was no longer with the company. I know only because my ex-boss told me. So I don't know what are the odds of that. as far as recording would go, check first, you might need to go the "witness" route instead if courts don't accept recordings. 

EDIT: I was authorized on the company's credit card, maybe that's how they got the info?

[JPaul]

What court are you referring to? Im not sure what I can do with an audio recording, maybe its not permissible in small claims. If I sue, I would want them to simply report this to the credit beaureas: if I can even sue for something like that