removing collection accounts..success on a few..not so much on others

[Anonymous]

I have 6 collection accounts on my report all from an er visit at the hospital.  At the time I had little income and no insurance.  I paid them all off 2 years ago (wish I would have known at the time that just paying them off does not help your credit score at all, I would have presented a PFD or something instead, or just paid the hospital directly).

So today I called all of them, first one was great, the person I spoke to was very nice and said sure, I can remove it and did so. 

The next one I called said they will remove it if I get an ok from the doctor group thinger at the hospital that sent them the account.  So I called them and spoke to someone in this group, EPI Physicians.  She said no, she will not have it removed.  I was talking to her some more and she said well you can speak to my supervisor if you like, I said yes please.

So I spoke to Jessica and she was very nice, I explained everything to her, she said let me call you back tomorrow after I speak to my supervisor and see what she says.  I get a call back 5 minutes later saying she went ahead and called the collection agency and had it removed!   I called the collection agency back and confirmed it was removed.  Very nice, two for two.

So the next one, they have 3 collection accounts for me on my report, all from the same hospital visit (amazing how many collection accounts you get from one hospital visit).  She said flat out no, they will not do it.  I asked if I get The hospital to ok the removal, would that be an option.  She said she was not authorized to answer that and to speak to the hospital.  So I called the hospital, I explained my situation, how everything has been paid off for about 2 years now and if they could help me out.   They pull up my account and according to them nothing has been paid!  I explained it has been paid and the collection agency's records show it paid and my credit report shows them paid.  She said she will have to have someone give them a call to figure out the status and they would call me back in a few days.

So I called the collection agency back and explained this to them, she said here, call the attorney's office, they have the accounts, and speak to them and explain the situation.  So I called them and some women answers the phone, a real B****, she was just mean and just not nice/rude.  Saying they will never remove a record from the credit report.  So I ask her about the hospital saying they have not received payment she said well we will have to look into that. and that was it.  So I think I am going to have a tough time with this collection agency.  Not sure what, if anything I can do about this one to get it removed.

The other collection agency said no (19.00 bill) they will never remove it either, even with the hospitals ok.  She said they would lose their ability to report to credit bureaus, doubt that is true but what do I know.  So not sure how to go about this one either.

[BungalowMo]

Dang!  Even tho you had great luck with a couple....we highly suggest NEVER calling a CA.  Mainly if you still owe them cuz they will lie like dogs to get your money.

That being said....the one CA that had you call the hospital....I gotta ask, is that CA and the hospital both reporting to the CRA's?  That just seemed like an odd situation.  With the 2 being so chummy-chummy!!

[Anonymous]

The only ones reporting to my credit reports are the collection agency, nothing from the hospital directly.  Everything has been paid already, I paid to all the collection agencies about two years ago, just at the time I did not know it would not help my credit by paying them, I thought it would to remove that past debt and be a good thing on my report... had I known then what I know now I would have done it differently.

[RobertEG]

There is at least weight, if not total truth, behind what the incalcitrant CAs are telling you.

When a CA, or any creditor, reports to a CRA, they agree to compliance with reporting guidelines set forth in a manual established by a joint team of all the CRAs. This is called the "Credit Reporting Resources Guide," and is published by their joint contractor, the Consumer Data Industry Assoc (CDIA).

Anyway, so much for history.  One specfic section of those guidelines clearly states, in explict terms, that payment of a collection is never grounds for the CA requesting deletion of proper, prior reporting.  So deletion based on payment would be a violation of their reporting guidelines.  It is not illegal for them to do so, but if they invoke that line, it is totally proper on their part.

[Anonymous]

I had the same thing happened with me on a paid collection.  Both OC and CA said no way, so I sent in a GW letter.  Just a short 5 line letter and got it removed.

Try your luck!

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

what was your CA and OC?