Pinnacle Credit Service

[Anonymous]

Total noob to myFICO, but an incident has came up today which got me thinking.  I currently done have a copy of my credit report, other than what creditkarma lists.  I had pulled my credit report back in March 2013 and Verizon was on there from a closed account, which was closed 5 years ago.  I recall, it showed on my report under a collection service.  It's not listed on credit karma from the same time frame in march, under the 5 open accounts in collections.  Today, i received a call from Pinnacle, stating this accounts been closed for under 3.5 years (i believe it to be at least 4) and hassled me to set up a payment or pay in full.  I told them i wasnt able to talk as I'm at work to call back some other time, then got harassed a bit about having integrity and 'doing the right thing.'  Then i hung up.  Anyhow, I just pulled up credit karma, and it showed that this verizon account went into collections today (30 minutes after the phone call).  After doing some reading, is this an attempt on them to harass and bully me into paying?  I will be getting a full report from one of the major sites later this evening, but just curious as to if this is something to be concerned about or if its standard thing a 3rd collection agency does.  Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

Also was curious, if it went  from an original CA to Pinnacle, does that mean they can add it to my CR themselves, if in fact it was previously on it from a previous CA?  Sorry i'm trying to read up as much as i can but am at work at the moment, so its easier to ask the experts and have one place to come for answers/help

[Anonymous]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

First of all, they cannot contact you at work if you tell them your employeer does not allow phone calls.  If you tell them and they continue to call they are violating the FDCPA.

Any time a CA reports something to your CR it is an attempt to get you to pay.  That is how they work. 

They do not have to notify you prior to reporting.  Now since they have, they have to send you a dunning notice within 5 days.

Is this debt still within your states suing SOL?   If it is not, I would send them a debt validation letter.  If they validate, ask for a pay for delete.   A DV letter will put in place a cease collection bar until they validate.  That means no phone calls, no letters, about the debt etc.

Yes, another CA could have had the account at one time.  If they sold the debt to another CA or sent it back to the OC, they are supposed to delete it from your CR.  If it is still on there I would send that CA a DV also.

Do you know if Pinnacle or Verizon owns the debt and are they both reporting.