topic Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue in Rebuilding Your Credit

Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:12:40 GMT

I just checked my TU report and its showing a collections from a tollway that was sent to NCO Financial. I called NCO, intending to attempt a pfd, the person said that I can't resolve it with them because it was sent back to the orginial creditor (Tollway) and to contact them. I called a second time just to see if they would delete it from being reported because the debt is not with them and was told by the cs rep that he could not find anything under my name with them. Question, before I pay/contact the Tollway should I dispute it with TU?

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

llecs — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:32:55 GMT

Exactly who is reporting? Tollway or NCO? If Tollway is an OC and they are reporting (and NCO is not) then mail a PFD to Tollway and ignore the CA. Never call in a PFD because people forget what they promised. If NCO is reporting and Tollway is not (or they are reporting $0), then ignore them for now and mail a DV to the CA. If they verify and you agree, then send a PFD.

Don't dispute. If what they say is true, then it will fall off very soon. If untrue, then they'll respond to the DV.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:28:10 GMT

Tollway is the OC, " The collection agency "Ncofin/980" was hired to collect a debt of $141 originally owed to "04 Illinois State Toll Hwy Author" on account number "XXXXXXXX" is what reads on my myfico TU credit report and has a date assigned of feb 7th 2011. So I will do a PFD to the Tollway Authority then? Thanks for your help.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

llecs — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:44:51 GMT

Looks like the CA is reporting. I'd mail the CA a DV. If they verify and you agree with it, then mail them a PFD. Once they accept your offer in writing, then mail a money order or certified check and they'll delete as promised. If NCO (the CA) writes back that they cannot verify and they'll delete (very likely could happen), then right away call the OC and pay them over the phone.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:10:44 GMT

I mailed the CA a basic DV letter here is the response I recieved today.

"Thank you for your recent communication. I can assure you that we are committed to assisting you, however, we have been unable to locate the matter you have referenced from the information we hav been provided. Please provide us with further identifying information such as you social security number, a copy of your recent credit bureau reoirt reflecting NCO's listing and the billing address of the account. A copy of any correspondence you may have received from us would also be of assistance..."

Do you have a suggestion for a next step? Thanks.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Booner72 — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:13:35 GMT

Dispute it. That's my advice at least.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

llecs — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:28:56 GMT

I'd resend the DV. That's a canned, overused response by NCO. You'll find other examples of it on here too. I'd resnd, mention that the first was sent, and I would include identifying info like your name, address. and prior address at the time of this debt, and NCO's account number if you have it. I would not send your SSN, or mention the OC, or the balance, etc.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:20:42 GMT

I see a collection record in July Experian report, from NCO FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, IL for creditor: ILLINOIS STATE TOLL HWY AUTHOR for account number:xyz and address identification number:xyz - but these guys have never called me or asked me to send anything to them and I remember paying the tolls again online. What did you do?

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:06:44 GMT

Paid the collections and complained to Experian that there was no correspondence. Shame, a dollar toll that I have paid later has gone to collections after an year with 60 points lost on an excellent credit history.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:41:31 GMT

@llecs wrote:
I'd resend the DV. That's a canned, overused response by NCO. You'll find other examples of it on here too. I'd resnd, mention that the first was sent, and I would include identifying info like your name, address. and prior address at the time of this debt, and NCO's account number if you have it. I would not send your SSN, or mention the OC, or the balance, etc.

Ok, but why not include SSN or OC? I gave them both to NCO when I called NCO a month ago attempting to do a PFD over the phone. For the record the first agent was able to find the debt but said I cannot clear it up with NCO because it has been sent back to the OC. Called NCO 5 minutes later hoping to talk to someone else that person was unable to find any record of me in their system.

One more strange thing. This collection shows on a TU credit report bought from MyFico on July 8th yet doesnt show up on previous reports bought in March and May though those were bought with the Suze Orman Fico Kit. The collection has a date assigned of Feb 7th 2011.

Re: Best way to resolve this Collections issue

llecs — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:10:54 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@llecs wrote:
I'd resend the DV. That's a canned, overused response by NCO. You'll find other examples of it on here too. I'd resnd, mention that the first was sent, and I would include identifying info like your name, address. and prior address at the time of this debt, and NCO's account number if you have it. I would not send your SSN, or mention the OC, or the balance, etc.
Ok, but why not include SSN or OC? I gave them both to NCO when I called NCO a month ago attempting to do a PFD over the phone. For the record the first agent was able to find the debt but said I cannot clear it up with NCO because it has been sent back to the OC. Called NCO 5 minutes later hoping to talk to someone else that person was unable to find any record of me in their system.

One more strange thing. This collection shows on a TU credit report bought from MyFico on July 8th yet doesnt show up on previous reports bought in March and May though those were bought with the Suze Orman Fico Kit. The collection has a date assigned of Feb 7th 2011.

I'm very cautious as to who gets my SSN. A CA would never be one of them.

While the legal umpphhh (for a lack of a better word) is gone from a DV if it wasn't mailed within 30 days of their first collection notice, many still will respond and therefore provide you info to verify the debt. The DV is based on what the FDPCA allows you to ask for. One of those requirements placed on the CA is to identify the OC. If you give it to them, then you are doing their job.

One thing I learned on here is never ever trust a CA. If they said they sent it back to the OC, then they have to delete, since they no longer own or are assigned to it. I would proceed on the assumption that they still are collecting on it and I would send the DV again, and would keep doing so until they respond with either a deletion, a verification, or you learn directly from the OC that they have control of the debt (and NCO is out of the picture).

The date assigned really doesn't mean that much. Sometimes a CA buys or is assigned the account, but they drag their feet before collecting on it or reporting.