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Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

I am new to this forum.  and I seriously apologize if this is a heavily repeated question, but I couldn't seem to find anything very similar in my searching of the web.  I  have a bad luck story like many of you.  I'm unsure why, but after requesting verification and disputing the debt twice with plenty of evidence, I was basically told "too bad, so sad, the original creditor is telling us to still collect".  I feel like there should be more legislation on the verification and dispution process, but it won't help me today. 

 

So, after a few phone calls, I got them to agree to send me a letter that would say that they would remove it from my credit report if I paid in full (PFD).  I got them to tell me this over the phone and they were going to email me the signed letter that day.  I never got it.  I was afraid to call back in case they'd decided it had been a mistake and just chucked my file, but of course that was wishful thinking and admittedly may have been something harmful I did to myself.  When I did call back today, the normally nice and friendly person I'd been talking to told me she could only re-send me the last letter that they SWORE they sent (and also said she'd called me numerous times since then, which my phone says is a lie) but that it would have the old pay by dates on it. That sounded sketchy to me, so I got her to switch me to yet another supervisor to get the letter re-done and re-sent and finally got the uber scary yelling screaming terrifying guy I always heard about as the stereotypical debt collector.  I was seriously shaking for three hours after this phone call.  He tried to insist I pay by phone now but I held my ground and he said he'd re-do the letter and give me 3 days to get the payment to the office.  When I got the letter, I was pleased to see he'd given me 12 days and not three, but I'm unsure if the letter holds them to actually deleting my bad report.  It says:

 

"Payment of X must be received in our office no later than X.  Further (agency) will request that the credit reporting agencies remove and delete from your credit files any adverse information which (agency) had caused to be placed there."

 

It's the requesting the credit companies remove it thing.  Is this still a legitimate pay for delete letter?  I'm terrified to call them back again and not at all certain they will write me another letter, especially if this deadline passes.  Further, the way it's written makes me worried that they don't actually own the debt or something, if they didn't put it on my credit files then nothing would be deleted, right?

 

Please help a n00b out!

Message 1 of 9
8 REPLIES 8
Jutz
Valued Contributor

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

As long as the CA you're communicating with is the same one listed on your credit report, you should be fine.  Many CAs won't put a PFD in writing because they don't want the written proof they are negotiating that way.  I would pay it, it looks like you got yourself a successful PFD there

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Message 2 of 9
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

It looks legit to me.  It says they will report deletion of all adverse information.

 

The CRAs only need a reported deletion, they dont need a request or a statement of reasons.  They wont question the deletion unless the debt collector is stupid enough to offer as a reason for deletion that it is being done in exchange for payment of the debt.  If they do that, the CRA might question the deletion, as deletion based on payment is contrary to their published credit reporting manual.

 

It is not necessary for them to own the debt in order to delete their reporting of the collection.

 

While the letter could be firmed-up, I too would be reluctant to push them.  You have a legitimate offer that they could choose to withdraw if you place additional conditions.

Message 3 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

I believe it is the CA listed on my credit report.  I tried to pull my annual free report tonight on annualcreditreport.com to make sure.  It sent me to Transunion first and I got to see my report, but when I told it to go to the printable version and print it, it decided tot ell my printer the document was 6500 pages long, so it only printed 4 out of 23 pages and froze the browser, so I can't even save the page. I tried to re-log in on another browser, but now it's telling me I've already USED my free credit report.  I haven't even gotten the ones from Experian and Equifax yet and I don't know how to re-get ahold of my Transunion.  But I knew I was going to have to find a decent service to monitor it for the next few months after this anyway.

 

In any case, it lists the name of the collection agency and the beginning of my file number and then their address.  It says it's an individual account, an open account, loan type: collection agency/attorney, has the balance and when they put it on there, lists the original creditor and what's past due, says the pay status is >in collection<, but in the remarks it says "Acct info disputed by consumr; >placed for collection<.

 

Does that mean it's still in dispute and not currently hurting my credit scores?

Message 4 of 9
Jutz
Valued Contributor

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?


@Anonymous wrote:

I believe it is the CA listed on my credit report.  I tried to pull my annual free report tonight on annualcreditreport.com to make sure.  It sent me to Transunion first and I got to see my report, but when I told it to go to the printable version and print it, it decided tot ell my printer the document was 6500 pages long, so it only printed 4 out of 23 pages and froze the browser, so I can't even save the page. I tried to re-log in on another browser, but now it's telling me I've already USED my free credit report.  I haven't even gotten the ones from Experian and Equifax yet and I don't know how to re-get ahold of my Transunion.  But I knew I was going to have to find a decent service to monitor it for the next few months after this anyway.

 

In any case, it lists the name of the collection agency and the beginning of my file number and then their address.  It says it's an individual account, an open account, loan type: collection agency/attorney, has the balance and when they put it on there, lists the original creditor and what's past due, says the pay status is >in collection<, but in the remarks it says "Acct info disputed by consumr; >placed for collection<.

 

Does that mean it's still in dispute and not currently hurting my credit scores?


No, it just means they are bad at updating things.  I really think you're fine paying it, but get your experian and equifax reports while you're there.  It's like a 10 minute process at most.

  • Current: EQ FICO 706, TU FICO 701, EX FICO 706 | Starting Score: 525 (05/2012)
  • Starting total revolving credit: $1100 | Current total revolving credit: $36,700
  • Inquiries (12 Months): EQ 2 TU 1 EX 1 | Most Recent: 1/21/2014
Chase Freedom $9500
DCU Visa $10000
Capital One QS $2000
AMEX BCE $3000
Lowe's CC $8500
WalMart CC $3100
BOA Platinum $600
AMEX Gold NPSL
Message 5 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?


@Jutz wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

I believe it is the CA listed on my credit report.  I tried to pull my annual free report tonight on annualcreditreport.com to make sure.  It sent me to Transunion first and I got to see my report, but when I told it to go to the printable version and print it, it decided tot ell my printer the document was 6500 pages long, so it only printed 4 out of 23 pages and froze the browser, so I can't even save the page. I tried to re-log in on another browser, but now it's telling me I've already USED my free credit report.  I haven't even gotten the ones from Experian and Equifax yet and I don't know how to re-get ahold of my Transunion.  But I knew I was going to have to find a decent service to monitor it for the next few months after this anyway.

 

In any case, it lists the name of the collection agency and the beginning of my file number and then their address.  It says it's an individual account, an open account, loan type: collection agency/attorney, has the balance and when they put it on there, lists the original creditor and what's past due, says the pay status is >in collection<, but in the remarks it says "Acct info disputed by consumr; >placed for collection<.

 

Does that mean it's still in dispute and not currently hurting my credit scores?


No, it just means they are bad at updating things.  I really think you're fine paying it, but get your experian and equifax reports while you're there.  It's like a 10 minute process at most.


Easier said than done, it appears.  I am apparently extremely unlucky or bad at requesting free credit reports.  The Transunion was the first site annualcreditreport.com sent me to and when I went to print my report, it decided it was sending 6500 pages to my printer which crashed my browser and printer.  I only got the first four pages, but the fourth page had the collection information on it.  After a half hour of trying numbers, I finally got someone on the phone and they said they will mail me the rest of the report.  After reading your post I figured why not and went on to Experian.  I got a screen that said for technical reasons they would have to email me somehting in the next 24 hours to get my report.  I must have pushed a wrong button cause the next screen it took me to was their home page.  I didn't provide them with an email address that I know of, so I don't know how they'll email it to me, so I tried again and got a screen telling me there was a technical problem and I needed to call this number, which I couldn't get ahold of a person, just place a new request for my credit report which it will say I've already taken advantage of.  I'm scared to try Equifax by this point.  I know at some point I need to figure out which company to use to monitor my credit reports monthly so I can do soft pulls at my leisure to ensure this gets taken care of, but I'm not sure who that would be right now and my luck has been HORRIBLE today.

 

What is standard to put in your response letter with your cashiers check?  Something to the effect of "Enclosure of this cashier's check does not constitute acknowledgement of the debt.  Cashing of this check constitutes (agency') acceptance of the terms given both verbally and in writing in letter dated X that this account will be marked paid in full, zero sum, and removed from my credit reports." ?

 

ETA: 3d time it let me go back through Experian.  Apparently I can't see my credit report immediately under any circumstance.  They will mail (not email) me a letter in 24 hours  with a report number and a link and only THEN can I see my report online.  Sigh.

Message 6 of 9
Jutz
Valued Contributor

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

Weird.  You don't need anything special, I would actually make a copy of the letter they sent you, and just say, here is payment for account #111111, in agreement with the attached letter.

  • Current: EQ FICO 706, TU FICO 701, EX FICO 706 | Starting Score: 525 (05/2012)
  • Starting total revolving credit: $1100 | Current total revolving credit: $36,700
  • Inquiries (12 Months): EQ 2 TU 1 EX 1 | Most Recent: 1/21/2014
Chase Freedom $9500
DCU Visa $10000
Capital One QS $2000
AMEX BCE $3000
Lowe's CC $8500
WalMart CC $3100
BOA Platinum $600
AMEX Gold NPSL
Message 7 of 9
Shogun
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

+1  It looks legit to me. 

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EQ FICO 819, TU08 778, EX "806 lender pull 07/26/2013
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Message 8 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Is this a legit PFD letter from the collection agency?

Is it weird that I'm a little nervous to send this in?  The money is the only bargaining chip I have and this whole experience has sort of jaded me on the whole "having faith people will do and mean what they say" thing as not being able to get things specifically enough in writing was what got me into this situation in the first place (though I think it was mostly revenge for the truly scathing review I wrote this apartment complex after they verbally told me all accounts were paid in full and settled).  But I will be so happy to get this totally out of the way and out of my life.  I'm doubtful it will be fully deleted before I have to start applying for a new apartment in two months, but hopefully it's not enough to lose me an apartment, especially with a copy of this and my cashier's check to provide to any landlord.

 

Now I guess I just need to figure out which monitoring agency is the best to use for the next few months so I can be sure this comes off or see if I have to file a dispute.  I'm sure I'm in a large pool of people here who truly never thought this would happen to them and was totally unprepared to deal with it.

Message 9 of 9
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