Utility Company sending to collection Please help FAST.

[redhouse69]

I am a newb  Great site! 

I spoke with the utility company last Friday,  I owe them $265.  The said they sent it to collection.  The woman told me I could pay it in full until Tuesday, then it will be charged off.  I ran a CR tonight and found the collection company is already showing up for the amount of $265.

If I pay the utility company in full what do I need to do to get the collection company to stop reporting to the credit bureaus?

Thanks for any help you have to offer.

[DI]

---

@redhouse69 wrote:

I am a newb  Great site! 

I spoke with the utility company last Friday,  I owe them $265.  The said they sent it to collection.  The woman told me I could pay it in full until Tuesday, then it will be charged off.  I ran a CR tonight and found the collection company is already showing up for the amount of $265.

If I pay the utility company in full what do I need to do to get the collection company to stop reporting to the credit bureaus?

Thanks for any help you have to offer.

---

Redhouse69- Welcome to the forum.  Who is the utility company? 

[redhouse69]

Mid-American energy

[DI]

You can try negotiating a pay for delete.  That is only way the CO will get deleted.

[redhouse69]

Well I am hopeful since it has not been charged off yet.  I am thinking if I pay it in full and get a receipt the CA will have to remove since I paid the OC? 

Right?

[DI]

---

@redhouse69 wrote:

Well I am hopeful since it has not been charged off yet.  I am thinking if I pay it in full and get a receipt the CA will have to remove since I paid the OC? 

Right?

---

If the collection agency is reporting a tradeline...it is a CO account.  Utility companies only report accounts to the CRA's when it becomes default.   It doesn't work the way you are expecting it to. You would have to negotiate a PFD.  Good luck!!

Message Edited by DI on 11-22-2009 09:44 PM

[redhouse69]

A PFD from the OC or the CA?

[DI]

Both.  You can instruct the OC to have the CA  delete the CO. 

[iBkickinit]

I have been down this road with several creditors.  It took me hours of phone calls and transferring around, but eventually I always found someone in the OC's billing department able and willing to accept payment (usually i used the pretext that I wanted service with them again, and wanted to do everything i can to be able to - they love the thought of getting more of your money, and rarely blacklist you. they just want their money).  Once you arrange payment to the OC, ask for verification in writing of your payment, and also ask for info of who needs to be notified to remove this from your CR. Often, they wil send the request for you, though you may have to ride them to make it happen.

I went through this with Sprint and AT&T for amounts of 100-500. If you can PIF, try to arrange a PFD, and if the person is uncooperative, hang up and try again.