Debt Validation Response

[Anonymous]

I have a collection item from directv (which I do not think is valid). I sent a debt validation letter to the collection agency, and disputed with all three credit agencies. It was deleted from all my credit reports, but I received a response from the collection agency. I am wondering how I should reply to this:

Dear MYNAME,

We have received notification of your communication regarding your DIRECTV account and appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
In your correspondence, you state that you would like a copy of your agreement with DIRECTV. DIRECTV does not require a signature to complete this agreement. Any time updates were made to this agreement, a new copy was included with your monthly statement.

You may view the DIRECTV Customer Agreement, located at directv.com on the DIRECTV Legal link, for more information regarding the terms and conditions of your account. This agreement was also included with your first bill, and it states:

"This document describes the terms and conditions regarding your receipt and payment of DIRECTV service.... If you do not accept these terms, please notify us immediately and we will cancel your service. If you instead decide to receive our service, it will mean that you accept these terms and, accordingly, they will be legally binding on you." "If you are delinquent in any payment to us, you also authorize us to report any late payment or nonpayment to credit reporting agencies."

We have reviewed all charges, payments, and credits appearing on your account and consider them to be accurate. Billing ledgers listing all charges and credits during the period in question have been included. Please remit the final balance due, in the amount of $xxx.xx, to the following address to avoid further collectoin action.

DIRECTV
PO Box 78626
Phoenix, AZ 85062-8626

Sincerely,

DIRECTV Collection Department.

[Anonymous]

Who was reporting the debt?

[Anonymous]

Plaza Associates - a credit agency. They got that letter from DIRECTV and forwarded it to me.

[RobertEG]

Interesting!  Since it has been deleted from your CR, then that is a good sign.

But I would not just let it drop.  Part of their DV response to you requries them to substantiate that they are currently the assigned designee of directTV to collect this account, and that they are bonded in your state for such collection activities.  If it has been dropped from y our CR, then somewhere, somehow, they or the OC requested it.  So I would suspect that their legal authority as a CA on behalf of directTV may have been terminated.

I would, if they did not show you proof in their prior DV response, send them a renewed letter asking for the required proof of their authority to pursue their continued collection activities.  Make them work, just as they are makinig you nervous.