First Time Poster with CA question??

[Anonymous]

Back in 2006, my son did not pay his cell phone bill when he cancelled service...of course, he told me he did, so I was surprised when I received notice from a credit agency. (I was the original signer of the account) I did not pay it, and it is reflected on my credit report. Five years later, I received notice on my credit report that there is another credit agency involved, however, the amount reflected is off by $1, the agency does not reflect who the original lender is,  and I am guessing it might be the same one, as I am not aware of any other charges never paid. Therefore, when this was reported last month, my credit score dropped from 744 to 681. Can anyone decipher the info below and advise?

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Original info from credit report:

Collection agency [?]	559YC06230
Original balance [?]	$101
Current balance [?]	$101
Date assigned [?]	Jul, 2007
Original lender [?]	Sprint
Account number [?]	XXXXXX3163
Account holder [?]	Individual

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Most recent info reflected on my June credit report:

In4/1/2011, the collection agency ENHANCED RECOVERY COMPANY was hired by creditor Not Reported to collect $102 in debts on account number XXXX5316.

Original balance:	$102	Agency name:	ENHANCED RECOVERY COMPANY
Current balance:	$102	Agency number:	636YC24792
Status (as of6/1/2011) :	UNPAID	Agency industry:	Not Reported
First delinquency:	6/1/2006	Original creditor:	636YC24792
Last payment:	Not on Record
Description:

[llecs]

Welcome to the forums!

I'd suggest reading the following:

Common Abbreviations

Credit Scoring 101 - great for knowing what is in your credit score and to see how your score is impacted.

What Steps Do I Take - great for learning the repair process.

and Example letters - PFDs, GWs, DVs, etc.

They are likely the same item, but to be sure, I suggest pulling your free reports from annualcreditreport.com. Unfortunately, third-party reports like myFICO and others will often mask some of the information, like the CA's name, for privacy purposes. However, your full reports from annualcreditreport will show everyone's name vs. a code or unintelligible number. When you get the reports, compare the balance, the DOFD of the debt (shows 6/2006 in one segment above), and obviously the CA and OC names. If they are one in the same, then the $1 difference could be explained off by an interest charge or change between reporting dates.

To address this, you'd want to start by sending a DV letter to the CA. If they verify and you agree with it, then mail a PFD letter. I also had these guys on my report too but, IIRC, they disappeared after mailing a DV letter.

[Anonymous]

Do the collections match up to anything else on the credit report?

It's hard to tell but it looks like 2 separate things to me. But I am a novice so don't take my word for it. :-)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply to my question and the excellent information you provided. My son actually did pay the original CA and had saved his proof. I sent a DV letter to this new CA using the template in the link you provided. And, by the way, in checking original dates, found the statute of limitations to have expired. (something else I learned about here!)  Lo and behold, I have received no response, but was notified by myfico.com this week that my credit had changed from 690 to 766! I would guess that it would be due to the CA not being able to fulfill the DV letter?! There are no other changes in my credit, as I have no other debts that have changed or been paid off. This has been invaluable information...again, thank you!