topic Re: Collections Issue in Rebuilding Your Credit

Collections Issue

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:09:34 GMT

Hello,

I have a bit of an interesting situation and I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about getting it solved. A few months ago I had a doctors apointment at a new doctor. I am young and covered under my parents insurance. I don't ever remember seeing a bill from my doctor come addressed to me (as these typically go to my parents since they foot the bils and the insurance is through them) I recently recieved a collections notice from a third party regarding this visit. I'm 99% positive that this bill has been paid by my parents, I have had subsequent visits to my doc since then and the office gal never mentioned an outstanding bill or anything along those lines nor have I (me) recieved a bill for any visits after this date (there have been 3 other visits since then, all bills go to my parents address, not mine). With that being said i'm looking for the best way to get to the bottom of this. Would it be a good idea to call my doc and ask about the payment for this service? I RARELY miss payments and my father has never missed a payment for anything for as long as I can remember so I'm really scratching my head as to how this could have happened. Any help would be great.

Re: Collections Issue

pizzadude — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:13:30 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hello,

I have a bit of an interesting situation and I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about getting it solved. A few months ago I had a doctors apointment at a new doctor. I am young and covered under my parents insurance. I don't ever remember seeing a bill from my doctor come addressed to me (as these typically go to my parents since they foot the bils and the insurance is through them) I recently recieved a collections notice from a third party regarding this visit. I'm 99% positive that this bill has been paid by my parents, I have had subsequent visits to my doc since then and the office gal never mentioned an outstanding bill or anything along those lines nor have I (me) recieved a bill for any visits after this date (there have been 3 other visits since then, all bills go to my parents address, not mine). With that being said i'm looking for the best way to get to the bottom of this. Would it be a good idea to call my doc and ask about the payment for this service? I RARELY miss payments and my father has never missed a payment for anything for as long as I can remember so I'm really scratching my head as to how this could have happened. Any help would be great.

Welcome to the forums !

I would recommend just calling the doctor's office, and confirming whether it has been paid. Also I would recommend looking at your credit reports to see if it has been reported as a collection against you.

Re: Collections Issue

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:16:20 GMT

Pizzadude, it has been reported on my report, that is why I was asking. Recently started looking for a new job and some of the recruiters I went to wanted me to sign a statement saying that they may do a financial background check on me, so obviously I want to get this removed ASAP

Re: Collections Issue

pizzadude — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:43:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Pizzadude, it has been reported on my report, that is why I was asking. Recently started looking for a new job and some of the recruiters I went to wanted me to sign a statement saying that they may do a financial background check on me, so obviously I want to get this removed ASAP

If that's the case when you call the Doctor's office and confirm that it's paid, tell them to call the CA and have them delete it from your reports.

Re: Collections Issue

RobertEG — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:52:09 GMT

More importantly, I would ask the OC if they ever referred an unpaid debt for collection. Now being paid does not necessarily mean that it was never referred for collection.

In their dunning notice, who did they identify as the creditor on whose behalf they are authorized collection? If you can get a statement from that asserted credtior that they never referred collection of the debt to that debt collector, then the debt collector could not obtain any verification from that credtior. So DV them, and force them to assert they have obtained verification.

However, they may just ignore a DV, thus permitting the reported collection to linger in your file. So I would additionally suggest filing a direct dispute under the FCRA, also requiring them, within a 30-day period, to address the accuracy of their reporting or delete as unverified.

Basis for inaccuracy in their reporting would be evidence of no debt, thus no collection on a non-existent debt.

Since documentation supporting your dispute would be key, I would not dispute through a CRA, as they dont forward all supporting documentation to the furnisher.