Advice on Clearing up a few items!

[raptor]

I decided to send a pay for delete letter to the 2 collection co. one i received no reply and the other i received a letter stating they don't accept pay for delete terms, and basically say i still owe. The amount is a little over $80 so if i was to just send them the amount they ask for would they remove it from my report?

In the letter Central Financial Control says upon receipt of payment the CRA's will be advised to update acct accordingly.

I hold a secret security clearance and these types of issues are always a problem. I just need it removed!

[Hal Jordan]

All it will do is change the status to paid. Having a paid collection on your report has the same effect as an unpaid collection on your report. Paying it off will not remove it from your reports nor will it increase your score.

Can I ask what the debt was for? If it's a collection agency acting on behalf of an oc (like a contracted collector for medical bills) you may have better luck calling the OC and telling them you'd like to settle up on the debt but only if they recall the debt from the CA or instruct the CA to remove it. Be very nice with this request. If they give you resistance just politely tell them you need it removed due to whatever reason and that the only way you'll pay it is if they'll remove it as paying it has zero effect on your credit score and leaves the item on your reports.

All you need is something written from them saying that in exchange for payment they will instruct the CA to remove the item from your credit reports.

I've had a ton more success going through the oc for medical bills PFD than with the CA. Especially if it's small like that.

But don't think that paying it will get them to remove it on there own because they won't. The momment you pay it is the moment you lose any bargaining power.

Try the OC route

[csharp01]

I am having a problem with a medical bill that has been sent to a CA. I called the CA yesterday to find out how much it was and it's a relatively small amount, $660. I asked the guy if i were to pay in full if the entries would be removed from my report and he started to get a little more forward with me and told me that since it was in collections for 2 1/2 years that not only could he not, but he "WOULDN'T" remove it. I'm going to try and go the the OC and try that route... Hopefully that will work...

[Hal Jordan]

Definitely try the OC and just explain that there was some kind of address issue whatever the reason you never got the bill etc. Ask them after receipt of payment to recall it or have the CA remove it and get it in writing and or record the phone conversation (as long as you're not in a two party state, if you are you must give them notice the phone conversation is being recorded).

Be polite but be insistant that the only way you will EVER pay this bill is if they will remove it from your reports.

AND YES, the CA most certainly CAN remove it. He as a telephone rep/bottom rung collector may not have the in house authority to remove it but a supervisor with the CA could. Also, it they are contracted through the OC to collect debts chances are they would need to get permission from the OC to just delete for payment too. But make no mistake, Reporting to the CRA's is not mandatory it's completely voluntary on their part. They can remove what they posted with no question at all from the CRA's.

Stick to your guns. You're agreeing to pay but only for deletion. It's hard to say no to someone who is saying I will pay you what you're asking if you'll just perform this one action that takes nearly no time and costs you nothing financially.

BTW, if the OC doesn't want to play ball. Ask for a supervisor. But I'm betting you they'll agree once you make it clear you will pay them TODAY if they'll agree to remove it in a small statement faxed to you referencing the PFD agreement and make it clear that if they don't agree to remove you will NEVER pay them and will just wait for it to fall off of your credit report on it's own.

[raptor]

thanks, this is for a medical bill and it is actually in my wifes name and also on my report.
I will try to call the OC and deal with them like you mentioned, but i don't think its right that it is on my report too.

[Lian]

Renewed disputes on the same issue without the presentation of significant new supporting information can be dismissed as "frivolous or irrelevant" without the need for any investigation. This is expressly stated in the new implementing rules for the direct dispute process at 16 CFR 660.4(f)(ii), and by implication, also applies to disputes filed throgh the CRAs.

The intent is that the party reporting the information only be required to investigate a dispute on the same issues once.

[raptor]

Made phone calls to both agencies and no progress, both said they do not accept paid for delete terms.
I didn't ask for a supervisor, but one CA with the medical bill did say they had the wrong birth-date for my wife's acct. So as i see it i could dispute again saying they have wrong birth date info.
How long will these stay on report? 7 yrs.
And does a paid debt on a credit report look better than a unpaid debt?

[Hal Jordan]

Did you try contacting the original medical provider? If I were you I'd not even mess with the Collection agency. In my experience they never PFD if they are just contracted to collect for a medical provider. In my experience you have to deal directly with the medical provider to get somewhere. Read my last post to you in this thread. That's what Worked for me.

[raptor]

I called both, but the medical one just won't deal...they say they don't accept PFD. period.

So i am going to just continue to dispute it as wrong info as they had mt wifes wrong DOB. and it is also listed on my report and even the person i talked to admitted it should not be on my report.