topic Re: Collection questions! in Rebuilding Your Credit

Collection questions!

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:53:34 GMT

Hello,

I have just gotten my Fico score and report and have been looking through it, when I see I have a collection reported on my account. It says:

The collection agency "025yc00000" was hired to collect a debt of $83 originally owed to "Not Reported" on account number "XXXXX".

Original Balance: $83

Current Balance: $83

Status: Unpaid

Date Assigned: August 1, 2006

Date Reported: May 1, 2008

Date Last Active: November 1, 2005

There are a few problems with this. First, I do not recall ever acquiring said debt. At the "last active" date (2005), I was 19 and a sophomore in college. I had credit then, but my records and my credit report both show me that I have never missed a payment, nor have I ever been late on a payment. My records also do not show this alleged debt. Second, I never received any notice regarding this debt. No bill telling me I owed it, no notice that it was past due, nothing saying it was being sent to a collection agency. The question is, how am I supposed to dispute this alleged debt that is marring my credit score if I do not even know the name of the agency it was sent to or even who it was "originally owed to"?

Thanks in advance for your time and your help. I greatly appreciate it!

Re: Collection questions!

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:59:19 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hello,

I have just gotten my Fico score and report and have been looking through it, when I see I have a collection reported on my account. It says:

The collection agency "025yc00000" was hired to collect a debt of $83 originally owed to "Not Reported" on account number "XXXXX".
Original Balance: $83
Current Balance: $83
Status: Unpaid
Date Assigned: August 1, 2006
Date Reported: May 1, 2008
Date Last Active: November 1, 2005

There are a few problems with this. First, I do not recall ever acquiring said debt. At the "last active" date (2005), I was 19 and a sophomore in college. I had credit then, but my records and my credit report both show me that I have never missed a payment, nor have I ever been late on a payment. My records also do not show this alleged debt. Second, I never received any notice regarding this debt. No bill telling me I owed it, no notice that it was past due, nothing saying it was being sent to a collection agency. The question is, how am I supposed to dispute this alleged debt that is marring my credit score if I do not even know the name of the agency it was sent to or even who it was "originally owed to"?

Thanks in advance for your time and your help. I greatly appreciate it!

Sounds like a medical collection. Were there any unpaid medical / dental bills from that time period?

Re: Collection questions!

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:35:35 GMT

None, according to my records.

Up until May, 2008, I was on my father's medical/dental insurance. According to my records, the only time I saw a doctor during the '04-'08 period was during an E.R. visit. I assume everything was covered by insurance as I paid nothing at the hospital and I never received any correspondence. Is it possible that if there were a bill it would have been sent to my dad? To be frank, I doubt he would have told me about the bill or have given it to me. And if it were addressed to him, it's possible that it wound up straight in the garbage can without a second thought. I was not a minor at the time so I understand my obligation to pay if there was a debt incurred. However, would I be able to dispute it because I never received notice of it (or it was possibly sent in my dad's name)?

Thanks

Re: Collection questions!

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:54:52 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
None, according to my records.

Up until May, 2008, I was on my father's medical/dental insurance. According to my records, the only time I saw a doctor during the '04-'08 period was during an E.R. visit. I assume everything was covered by insurance as I paid nothing at the hospital and I never received any correspondence. Is it possible that if there were a bill it would have been sent to my dad? To be frank, I doubt he would have told me about the bill or have given it to me. And if it were addressed to him, it's possible that it wound up straight in the garbage can without a second thought. I was not a minor at the time so I understand my obligation to pay if there was a debt incurred. However, would I be able to dispute it because I never received notice of it (or it was possibly sent in my dad's name)?

Thanks

Credit report tradelines where the original creditor and / or collections agency is not clearly identified usually signify medical collections.

Never having received notice does not by itself create dispute eligibility, unfortunately. If you believe the debt is not yours, you can dispute it. If the CRAs come back and refuse to delete it, then you might want to work at finding out who exactly the OC and / or CA is and contacting them for additional information. I'm not 100% positive, but I think if you call the CRAs or write to them they will tell you the contact details for the OC / CA.

Re: Collection questions!

MarineVietVet — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:51:12 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hello,

I have just gotten my Fico score and report and have been looking through it, when I see I have a collection reported on my account. It says:

Reports from third party sites, including myFICO, often don't have the most complete information. If you pull your free reports from annualcreditreport.com you should be able to see who the creditor and CA are.

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802
EQ - 7/06-663, 3/10-800
TU - 8/10-772
You can do the same thing with hard work