Collections and Rebuilding Score

[Anonymous]

Hello

Advice please and I'll be happy to provide more info to those that are willing to help and or request it.

I had eight collections/chargeoffs on my credit reports. I have paid paid seven of them off. Two were medical~four were utilities~one was a credit card. The last unpaid one is an installment loan for $6,200ish. I have read on the forums that until every collection account or chargeoff has been paid off that my credit score will not increase one point. The thing about the last unpaid chargeoff is that the account has been closed and sold. The collection agency that has it now has not reported to the credit bureaus they have just begun to contact me about collecting the amount. I guess I'm wondering if this last collection company does not report to the bureaus will my score start to increase? Also I have open on going accounts that are in good standing but with late pays on them. Do goodwill requests really work with companies or is there another method to help assist with late payments? The two medical collections I read that there is a HIPPA rule to remove those or withdraw them from the collection agency and from my credit. 

I'm new to rebuilding my credit I thought I knew more than I did and now have basically been humbled and pummled by seeing my score not increase and all the info out there. Any help much appreciated. Thank you!!!

I owe this money I'm not interested in disputing and this or that. I wouldn't mind settling for less of course but, I do owe them the money and I know I'm responsible for it.

[FireMedic1]

Welcome @Anonymous 

Paying off collections there are no point gains. They arent factored as a util % account. Where charge offs for credit cards are. Credit card charge offs are considered a maxed out 100% uitlized account. Once they are taken care of it no longer affects your aggregate util %. So theres a small score bump. But the CO ding sticks. So a little gain. They will fall off reports 7 yrs from the CO date.

GW attempts are successful maybe 1% of the time. Many try and many fail. But once in a blue moon. One will be successful. The biggest gain will start once they all fall off. Once the last one is gone. Theres the biggest gain. Congrats on tackling the debts and gettting them done and over with. Get that last loan done with. And time will heal all things. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You are a good person and you are doing the right thing.

Most will tell you to never pay off a collection and most of the time, they'd be correct, with the exception of an upcoming home purchse.

But, you knew you actually owe these debts and are doing the honorable thing, and I can't do nothing but get behind that!

In the lonf run, you will be where you need to be, becaue you have and are doing it the right way.

With that said, I can have $500K in the bank if a collection is not mine, inaccurately listed and unjust in any maner, even if it only a couple of hundred of dollars, i will be indignant to the end.

I have a $235 collection from Comcast that i know i paid off, but and even showed them a collection from back in 2014 for $56, but in 2018 it somehow stretched to $235?

Even if I owed the $56, which i didn't because i canceled my service one day before my contract ended, so at the most there should have been one day of charges, and that doesn't equal $56, nor $235.

I have thousands of dollars in the bank, Comcast/Xfinity won't get one red cent, now they are even considered a pay for delete for $65? It falls off my report in March, so Comcast can kick rocks.

Just wanted to explain why I won't pay a collection.

But, again, you are an honorable person, and good things are destined for you.

[FireMedic1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You are a good person and you are doing the right thing.

Most will tell you to never pay off a collection and most of the time, they'd be correct, with the exception of an upcoming home purchse.

But, you knew you actually owe these debts and are doing the honorable thing, and I can't do nothing but get behind that!

In the lonf run, you will be where you need to be, becaue you have and are doing it the right way.

With that said, I can have $500K in the bank if a collection is not mine, inaccurately listed and unjust in any maner, even if it only a couple of hundred of dollars, i will be indignant to the end.

I have a $235 collection from Comcast that i know i paid off, but and even showed them a collection from back in 2014 for $56, but in 2018 it somehow stretched to $235?

Even if I owed the $56, which i didn't because i canceled my service one day before my contract ended, so at the most there should have been one day of charges, and that doesn't equal $56, nor $235.

I have thousands of dollars in the bank, Comcast/Xfinity won't get one red cent, now they are even considered a pay for delete for $65? It falls off my report in March, so Comcast can kick rocks.

Just wanted to explain why I won't pay a collection.

But, again, you are an honorable person, and good things are destined for you.

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This doesnt make sense. You'll leave a collection on your report to prove a point over $65? Seriously? People on here would die to get a collection removed. Especially since you have thousands in the bank as you say. No winners in this case. No matter whos in the the right. This is foolish. Just pay it. Its gone and life goes on. And take the point gain. And its very few who say dont pay a collection.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the response. I appreciate the info. I've been tracking my score for about 4 months so this is starting to really confuse me.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your response. I appreciate the positive feedback. I had a Comcast collection however I paid mine, but I owed them... Good luck with Comcast.

[Anonymous]

That's your opinion, I believe in "Rigtheous Indignation," always have, always will. 

Your logic doesn't make sense!

So, if I was slighted for $6500 instead of $65 would that justify me ignoring them? 

Can a woman be a little bit pregnant?

Get my point?

Since, you've challeneged my intellect, i hope you are honest enough to read all beow.

To keep this short and sweet, Comcast offred me a six month promo offer, for $45 a month, but from the very first month of service my bills were as much as $87.So, i spent hours waiting at the "ONLY" location here in Tallahassee and getting it corrected, only to have the same thing happen month after mont, with the eception of March 2014, don't know why March was so special.

To make a long story short, they canceled that promo and supposedly gave me a far better promo, "due to my inconveniences" (wink wink), which included upgraded service to their A1 cable box, free streaming, AND a house phone.

At that time, my entire family had been using only cell phones, and i literally hadn't had a house phone since 2003.

Yet, the same thing happened, my bill was correct, month after month. So, in early April 2014, I was fed up, not only wasn't I getting my promotional rate, but Comcast couldn't explain why my bundled phone line hadn't worked for the two months since they so-called upgraded me to a better cable box, service and amore for $5 more per month. So, I decided to cancel and it was suggested by a rep I trust that if i cancel to do so one day before my plan renews and I'd only be charged one day prorated.  I did, the service was canceled, DirecTV swooped in and took care of my family, then in December of 2014, they was a collection letter sent to my home for approx $56, I called, explained I canceled one day prior to my service ending and what's up?  They couldn't explain it, so I let it be, as during that time, i was paying cash for everything, cars, and more, I wasn't using credit, nor did I care about it, "UNTIL" July 2018, when all of a sudden, a fradulant $56 prorated bill for one day, turned into $235. I disputed it, it was removed, then a couple of months later, i disputed it again, it was still there, but the collection agency rep told me, "Sir, we've been advised by Comcast to remove this collection, days later, they did.

Then, it showed up again, under a different collection agency and since i was working on my student loans, and knowing it would fall off in March 2021, and I was building my credit, while getting my student loans corrected, I felt it would be better to let time heal all wounds.

Plus, after speaking to Comcast corporate office i was told they will dod everything they could to remove this as they value my business, especially since I never missed a payment, but when i was called back, it was a different rep, who lied and said the balance was not only accurate, it was actually $300 plus owed. I told him, that's a flat out lie and verbally requested a copy of a bill I know he can't provide. 

When i faxed him a copy of the December 2014 collection letter that stated I owed $56, "AFTER" I canceled service with them in June 2014, he played stupid. By the way, it's a year later and I've yet to receive a copy of that $300 bill, nor any bill for that matter.

Plus,  nearly a year and a half ago, I told the Comcast coroporate office rep, who lied, that if the collection in writin from December 2016 was $56, how could it jump to $235 a year and a half later, after canceling service with you in June 2014? Then, i stated, "Look, I'd bite the bullet and pay the $56 from December 2014, if you send me a PFD in writting, he refused.  So, i let it go, then in March of 2020, I get an offer to settle this for $65? 

Again, I will never be bullied and I will stand for what's right. Plus, I have so many legal alternatives, but why waste my time for $235, especially when Comcast forces arbitration?

One doesn't do what I do for a living, after serving this country for ten years, and not be astute at what he's doing. I'm extremely analytical, but more than that I'm extremely JUST!

With all due respect, i hope it makes some sense to you now.

[Anonymous]

Hey C2020 it's your score, your money, and your logic. Nothing wrong at all w/what you said or that I read. I'd tell you to give Comcast a couple bad Facebook and Yelp reviews and hit them where it hurts w/PR & advertising. I'd bet it might just fall off your credit if you put enough contact info in those reviews for them to get a hold of you. It's just a thought. Thank you again for your response earlier.

[Anonymous]

Trust me, I bludgeoned them on social media, starting with Fcebook and then Twitter, all they do is delete the posts/tweets, then block you.

[Anonymous]

By the way, I gotta stop posting in the wee hours of the morning on myFICO community boards when I'm half asleep!

My God, the typos!

I'll edit it one day, when I'm wide-awake.