OC and CA balance dance

[pghfangirl04]

My GECRB/Amazon account is marked CO on my CR with a balance of $113.  I received what I think you guys call a dunning notice from ERC and they have been calling me.  I mailed ERC a DV but they continue to call.  They are not on my CR yet.  I disputed the account with Amazon and I received a letter from them on Friday that they still owed the account and that I could handle it with them.  They said nothing about ERC.   I am going to try a PFD with them or just pay and do a GW but  is there anything I should to about ERC?  I am afraid that while I am working things out with GECRB they are going to report on my CR not to mention they won't stop calling me.  ERC said on the phone they received my DV but won't send me anything in return they said on the phone that they own the debt and I need to pay them and blah blah blah.  Any advice?

[RobertEG]

Was your DV timely (i.e., was it sent within 30-days of receipt of their dunning notice)?

If so, then their calls to you are a violation of their cease collection bar imposed by your DV.  But more importantly, their cease collection bar prevents reporting to the CRA until they have provided debt verification.

If you pay the OC prior to receipt of debt verification, then that will close the collection, leaving a remaining balance under collection of $0.

That wont prevent the debt collector from ultimately reporting, but will make them go through a hoop to do so.... first having to send verification of a paid debt, and then taking the time to report a collection that is already closed, when it no longer serves any useful collection purpose on their part.

If the OC is willing to accept payment, that is their statement that they still own the debt.  I would pay them ASAP.