Pay For Delete Medical Debt

[Anonymous]

Okay here's the deal,

I'm scrambling like all hell to get a mortgage loan. I've got some baddies that i'm working on taking care of yada yada yada.

Last week I refreshed my credit report to find a new collection account for a medical debt, reporting to Equifax (my worst enemy) only

Yes it's mine.

Yes I know I'm a terrible person, I'm working on it.

So I call the collection agency "Evergreen Financial"

I record the conversation from start to finish. I ask if they can do a pay for delete, they look at my file and state "yes, because it's a medical debt, once it's paid in full, we submit it to be deleted." I say "great! Can I get that in writing?"

They of course say "no we don't provide anything like that but we can send you a letter stating it is paid in full."

Fantastic. I figure I've got a verbal contract, RECORDED at this point. That should be good enough?

I paid off the debt in full, something like $470.

Now what?

Do I wait around like a dummy and hope this magically deletes from my credit report. Because I've got zero faith in equifax I feel like this won't happen. Should I open a dispute with equifax? Should I just give up owning a home and continue to let homeless people sleep in my yard?

Please help me.

Thank you.

[FireMedic1]

Couldnt find any PFD success stories anywhere. But I guess you have to trust them. Yeah I know. It could take up to 30 days to update or whenever they do their updates to EQ. It isnt EQ. Its up to them to tell EQ to delete the collections. Best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Remedios]

Removal can take up to 45 days. Collection agencies usually do not provide any written agreements for PFD because they are not "supposed" to delete, only reflect that collection is paid. 

Basically, they do not want to get themselves in trouble with CRAs. 

I believe they will delete if they told you so, but some patience on your end is needed. Do not dispute quite yet. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Good to know

[Anonymous]

I’ll hold off on the dispute! Thanks for the response!

[Remedios]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I’ll hold off on the dispute! Thanks for the response!

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You're welcome.  I hate waiting, too 

Good luck again! 

[gdale6]

Verbal communications are just as valid as ones in writing and the fact you recorded it even makes it stronger. If they say they will delete it then yes they most likely will keep to their agreement and it can take up to 2 cycles for it to be removed. If it goes past 90 days from date of settlement then that would be the time to make some noise.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Okay here's the deal,

...i'm working on taking care of

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With this attitude, you'll have keys in hand before you know it. Its work repairing your credit file, and worth it. Good job!

Google "tough nickel medical collections" and read her article carefully. Once my wife's medical collections were paid in full, we followed the process outlined in that write-up to the letter. Took about a month, start to finish -- the result? -- her EX Fico8 went from 620 in Feb to 674 currently, and EQ Fico 9 is **747** according to NFCU!

[Anonymous]

The last two adverse accounts I am paying off on my credit are medical accounts that had gone to collection.
I never even mentioned a PFD but they were still kind enough, on their own initiative, to remove them completely from my credit after I had paid half of the balance off.
I will make the final payments on both next month but they were removed from my credit in February.

CAs will not put PFD agreements in writing but, from my experience, they are pretty good at honoring them.
I have a chronic illness so I've run into this quite a bit.

Hope this helps.

Wyspers