@Tdatb64 wrote:
The school shouldn't be able to do anything for you. The debt was sold by the financial institution that extended the loan in the first place. They, also, can't do anything for you as they no longer "own" the debt. You may be able to call the last collection agency and ask who they sold the debt to but I doubt they'd tell you. You'll likely just have to wait 'til the new "owner" contacts you and hope you can come to terms that will allow you to close it out so you don't end up with another charge-off.
Some missing info you're going on, which is my fault, due to a misleading title.. I wasn't quite sure how else to phrase it. So the info gap here is.. there is no outside financial institution, as a loan was never taken out, federally or privately. I've heard it called a "tuition loan." Basically timing was poor, for my final semester bill, and I simply wasn't able to pay when they sent it. I worked while in school and paid each semester as it was due. Not one of the typical ways student debt is held though, I know.
So, the school was the orignal holder of the debt, and if they are to be believed, still do. There were some increases in the amount, because in the fine print, when enrolling, you agree to pay a certain fee/sum to collection agencies for attempts to collect, in the event that you don't pay what's owed. I don't recall reading that but I definitely wasn't looking for that, or planning to be in this situation.
So, the name that is blurred out is the school, not a collection agency. Other details to note, which I am now questioning, given this "disappearance."
On my last long call with the school, nearly a year ago, the department rep (perhaps head of, though I'm sure she has a boss) said..
-the debt stays at the university forever, they never sell it to a creditor
-they do not negotiate the debt at all (neither of the collection agencies offered that option either)
-must be a single payment (they said multiple payments put them at risk of a chargeback/dispute, but a single charge did not). That makes no sense to me, and is one reason I questioned her knowledge of the topic.. multiple charges may look more unusual, but a single charge is certainly disputable
-they don't offer pay for delete, but would've, if I had worked with the collectors (which the collectors firmly non-answered & referred me back to the school for an answer, which didn't help).
Given premise 1 and 4, I am simply.. confused. Their reporting has not been uniform in which bureau receives the info (2/3) and how often the c/o updates on each, so maybe it's not a stretch to think that it was removed entirely, and could reappear? Although it would legally have to retain the same DOFD, I learned on here.
So, should I assume it will reappear, try to pay it, and then there won't be anything to be re-reported? Of course I don't want to call and tell them it's gone and ask why, to have that change.. I only want to call with plans to pay right then, before anything changes. I'm assuming also that if it reappeared after that, there would be grounds to dispute it? That's my next question on this, but I'll let this info be processed first..
