Please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I just got a call from a collecition agency (Stern attorney at law), funny that they try to make their name sound liks a law firm. anyways, I talked to them and I am willing to pay the medical bill that I missed back in April. she told me that if I pay now it does NOT affect my credit score. 

is that true? since the hospital already turned it to the collection agency, shouldn't it show on my credit report already? I just want to make sure that she is telling the truth.

Please let me know based on your experience.

Thanks in advance.

[fishbjc]

  Have you pulled your reports to see if a collection is listed? 

[Anonymous]

Make them put this in writing that if you pay it in full they will not report it.........If they won't do this then my second suggestion is to go back to the original creditor and try to pay them.

Since it is a Medical collection they will be more willing to take your money and rescind the CA order.

[Anonymous]

I agree with 1111mel, never take these people at their word. First they will try any dirty trick to get paid, second they will tell you anything you want to hear to get there, and finally they will NEVER keep their word unless you have something on them.

Tell them that you are not admitting or commiting to anything but if they put everything that was said in writing and mail it to you, you will consider getting back to them. They generally record conversations, even if not admissable in most states, so be careful what you say when talking to them because they can have someone "listen" and be a "witness" and that IS admissable.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I can't speak on all collection companies, but I can say that the one used by the bank I work for doesn't report to the credit bureau until after they've worked an account for 3 months.  If a debtor satifies their debt during this period the item doesn't show up as a collection on their bureau.  As the others have mentioned, I would still reccomend getting something in writing from the CA stating that if you pay x dollars by y date that the account will not be reported to the credit bureau.

[score_building]

Tell me, perhaps it is different with medical collections, i'm not sure but... Rule No. 1 Thou Shall not EVER speak to a collections agent, NOT EVER.  they have been known to lie, manipulate, distort, intimidate if they want to.  not saying all of them are the same but it's almost always like talking to a brick wall.  even when they pretend to want to help, they typically just want money and their commisssion/ fees ASAP at any cost to you- communicate ONLY in writing and request no contact by phone period.

[Anonymous]

Calm down; there's some good news. Since this is a medical bill, you always have the choice of paying the original creditor (doctor or hospital). Once you do that, they are required to remove the derogatory entry from your credit report. You should never talk to the collections agency during this process. Call up the original creditor and start a payment plan with the implicit understanding (in writing) that they will remove all derogatory information from your credit report. 

[laz98]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Calm down; there's some good news. Since this is a medical bill, you always have the choice of paying the original creditor (doctor or hospital).

---

i keep reading this statement on different posts, but it really is YMMV.  i had a small medical bill, $300, & the OC basically told me to go to h***.  so it really is a case-by-case sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few(in my experience) CA who will give you X days to pay before they report on your credit report.

This could what the CA is talking about.

Check to see if they have already reported. If you haven't gotten your annual reports, you can pull those, if you don't have a credit monitoring service.

If you got a letter from them, read it closely. Sometimes in their initial dunning letter it will state that if paid within X days, it will not be reported.

Otherwise, I would fax a request for them to send you a statement stating that if paid by XX/XX/2008, this account will not be reported on your personal credit report to any credit reporting agency.

If already reporting on your report, check out the link in my signature regarding medical collections.

Some CA aren't there just to ruin your credit AND get your money. Some will actually give you a chance to pay before they report.