Collection deleted and no I'm being contacted by the Collection Agency?!?!?!?!?!?!??

[Anonymous]

Hello All!

I'm new to the forum and I have a question that I'm sure the experts can answer for me!

I recently got a collection from a book club deleted from my Transunion credit report (that is the only report it was reporting to)

It was for $82.00 and was just recently placed on my credit report in November of 09'. I simply disputed the debt as not mine and Transunion removed.

Well... lo and behold, the collection agency (RJM) just sent me a letter today offering me three payment options and once paid the debt would be marked as "Satisfied in full". They stated that their credit reporting with TransUnion and Experian will be updated to reflect all payments that I make.

Now, this debt was mine from like 2000, and since I'm a Pennsylvania resident with a SOL of 4 years they obviously bought this "junk" debt from the book club and recently reported it to Transunion in 2009. What should I do? Can this be put back on my credit report with Transunion and newly reported to Experian?

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

To clarify a couple of things:  There are 2 different SOLs, one commonly referred to as the CRTP, which is 7 - 7.5 years and is a federal law. This is based on the DOFD and nothing can change this date.

The second SOL is set by the states and says how long someone has to sue you over a debt.  Each state has different laws and things that can restart the SOL.

The only time I would dispute with the CRAs is if the account is beyond the reporting period, then dispute it as such.  Never dispute what you know is yours as not mine.

It will be very helpful for you to list it as it is showing on your credit report, leaving out personal information.

If it is truly outside the 7 - 7.5 years, then no it can not be put back on your report. 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, I found this forum after I found Yahoo Answers whose advice was just dispute as not yours and see what happens!

The bad part is I can't show how its listed on my MyFico report because it has already been removed, but what's so hard about the account is, it was soooo long ago I can't even remember all of the details about it. I was just coming out of high school and really don't even remember what went on with the account. I just saw it last year when I started paying attention to my credit reports and all of a suddeen in November it was there! What the he**!

So I'm trying to decide whether I shouldjust ignore or should I send them a DV letter. I'm assuming that since I disputed it, Transunion must have sent them something and now they're sending me a letter.

I feel like this one is going to bite me in the kisser! And I just got all of the baddies off of that report!

Dammit! 

[Anonymous]

No, it can not be added to any of your CR.  It is too old.

If it is gone from TU due to age it can not be re-reported. 

Message Edited by guiness56 on 02-18-2010 03:21 PM

[Anonymous]

Thanks Guiness56!

[Jazzzy]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

No, it can not be added to any of your CR.  It is too old.

If it is gone from TU due to age it can not be re-reported. 

---

Hi guiness...I think OP said that she disputed this off of TU as not hers. I believe that's why it's gone. In that case, she is in danger of it coming back, isn't she....if it's younger than 7 1/2 years?

To the OP...please give us an estimate on how old you think this is.

[Anonymous]

Hi Lynette!

Upon further inspection of the letter, they so graciously included a statement showing the items ordered which was two books with a ship date of 6/11/2004. I am currently in the process of writing a DV letter so I'll hold off until I recieve your response.

The SOL in my state is 4 years so I was assuming that a debt of this kind wouldbe too old but if they just bough the account in 2009 are they within their rights to try to collect on this?

[Jazzzy]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hi Lynette!

Upon further inspection of the letter, they so graciously included a statement showing the items ordered which was two books with a ship date of 6/11/2004. I am currently in the process of writing a DV letter so I'll hold off until I recieve your response.

The SOL in my state is 4 years so I was assuming that a debt of this kind wouldbe too old but if they just bough the account in 2009 are they within their rights to try to collect on this?

---

Collections fall off your reports at 7 1/2 years after the date of first delinquency (DOFD). With a ship date of June 2004, it's tough to know exactly what they count as the DOFD. One way to find out for sure is to pull the report directly from the credit bureau. On a report that comes directly from them, it will give you the exact drop-off date. Have you pulled your free report from annualcreditreport.com in the past 12 months? The reports from third party vendors, such as here at myFICO, don't have this information. For sure, you know it will be there until at least the end of 2011 if it goes back on.

I don't think a DV letter would hurt. If you get that back from them and know that the debt is yours, you may want to offer them a pay for delete (PFD). You can do some reading here in the forums about PFD letters. That is where you offer to pay them if this is taken off your credit reports (or never goes back on). That all has to be agreed upon in writing with them BEFORE you give them any money. Not all collection agencies will do this, but some will. Don't let them tell you that they will mark it as "paid." A paid collection will hurt your scoring as much as an unpaid collection. Your goal is to get it off your reports and have it stay off for good. Also, don't talk to them. Everything must be in writing.

Hopefully this is well beyond the SOL. Remember, however, that that doesn't mean they can't try to collect. All SOL is is a defense for you should they decide to sue you. Hopefully they won't do that for this amount. But SOL doesn't keep them from trying to collect. So...they can collect...they just can't win in a lawsuit if you show up and explain that they are beyond SOL.

Message Edited by LynetteM on 02-18-2010 05:03 PM

[Anonymous]

---

@LynetteM wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

No, it can not be added to any of your CR.  It is too old.

If it is gone from TU due to age it can not be re-reported. 

---

Hi guiness...I think OP said that she disputed this off of TU as not hers. I believe that's why it's gone. In that case, she is in danger of it coming back, isn't she....if it's younger than 7 1/2 years?

To the OP...please give us an estimate on how old you think this is.

---

If you read the very first post the OP stated that the debt was from 2000.  If that was the case, no it would not be put back on the reports.

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hi Lynette!

Upon further inspection of the letter, they so graciously included a statement showing the items ordered which was two books with a ship date of 6/11/2004. I am currently in the process of writing a DV letter so I'll hold off until I recieve your response.

The SOL in my state is 4 years so I was assuming that a debt of this kind wouldbe too old but if they just bough the account in 2009 are they within their rights to try to collect on this?

---

If this is correct then it will not come off your report until 2011 sometime.

A creditor or collection agency can attempt to collect a debt forever.  When the SOL expired, they just lost their right to sue.