Questions tagged [debt-collection]
For questions related to debt collection, debt collection agencies, unpaid debts, etc.
115
questions
-1
votes
3answers
320 views
If I really did owe the bank a billion dollars, what would happen? [closed]
There's a saying that goes like "If you owe the bank $100 dollars, that's your problem; if you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem."
Let's adjust for inflation and say that I owe the ...
19
votes
11answers
13k views
Urgently need pre-paid debit card to pay debt collector
I owe a sum of a few thousand dollars to a debt collector. I've already gone through the steps of getting a confirmation of the debt and it is a debt I know I'm accountable for. I need to pay this ...
0
votes
0answers
42 views
Removing an incorrect collection record from Canadian credit profile
A gym in Canada did not cancel my account and suddenly claims that I owe them money for almost two years, despite the fact that I never signed an agreement with them (I signed it with a different ...
1
vote
0answers
59 views
Impact on credit score of paying off a debt very late
We went through a rough patch a few years ago after a disabling accident and got behind on some payments. When things turned around, we squared our accounts with our creditors and our credit report is ...
2
votes
1answer
218 views
What happens to small bills if they are unpaid?
I understand that bills are sold to collection agencies if they are unpaid. But what about very small bills then? For example, say if there is a bill of less than $10.00, will the company bother to ...
8
votes
1answer
252 views
Medical bill sent straight to collection agency
I was very surprised to receive a letter from a collection agency regarding a medical bill incurred during my wife's pregnancy last year. We never received any correspondence via mail, e-mail, or ...
2
votes
0answers
104 views
How to collect a judgement in Maryland?
I have a $30,000 judgement against an individual in the State of Maryland. The case was adjudicated in Small Claims Court in Maryland. I'd like to collect the judgement but the individual is not ...
3
votes
2answers
170 views
Negotiating with a collections agency to remove a valid, small debt from credit report
I just found out that my wife had a debt from a doctor related to our recent pregnancy go to collections. I found out because credit monitoring picked it up - I haven't heard from a collections ...
2
votes
2answers
67 views
Is there a prescription/stipulated time for an invoice to be collected?
Is there a time frame to collect an invoice? I have a client I need to collect a bill from. They are always making excuses. Do I have a time frame to collect the bill? Does the debt have a ...
1
vote
1answer
207 views
Does deleting a tradeline mean the account is wiped from credit report
A collections agency wrote:
Within approximately 30 days of your final payment successfully posting, we will request that the three major credit reporting agencies delete our tradeline related to ...
0
votes
0answers
98 views
Credit card debt
A Russian-Norwegian dual nationality person I know took up 20000 pounds of credit card loans in Norway. He then went back to Russia and has lived there for 1 year now.
He has not heard anything yet. ...
2
votes
1answer
187 views
Does not paying a collections company affect credit score?
From a discussion in comments, a question came up. For the purpose of this question, all I care about is my credit score.
I got a credit card, used it and did not pay it back.
The credit card ...
1
vote
2answers
179 views
Should I pay off a credit card or a collection balance first?
I have a collection and a credit card with roughly the same balance. I received a bonus and I am able to pay off one of them completely. Which is more beneficial to pay off first?
2
votes
1answer
252 views
Improving credit: what should I do about very old debt; ignore, settle, or pay it in full?
I have about $6,000 of very old debt. It went into collections about 3 years ago when I was in college.
Today I have a good job, and I am thinking about the future. I am now interested in improving ...
0
votes
0answers
85 views
Notices to Previous Employer
A debt collector sent court notices to my previous employer after I had already moved to another city and obtained another job. Because the notices went unanswered I now have court records against me ...
3
votes
2answers
140 views
How to negotiate a debt in collections?
I have a debt that has been in collections for a significant period of time (>10 years). The debt is from a college loan that defaulted when the lender (a private school) didn't send the deferment ...
87
votes
6answers
29k views
I co-signed on an apartment for a now ex-boyfriend who refuses to pay. What can I do?
I co-signed on an apartment with my ex-boyfriend when I was 18 and he was 21. We broke up.
I am now 26 and it has been in collections for years. He refuses to help pay the debt. I am now stuck with ...
2
votes
0answers
136 views
Student loans paid already but collection agency claiming loans are in default
I paid off my student loans via pay garnishments and the IRS taking 3 to 4 years of my tax refunds.
Unfortunately, I have moved 5 times in last 2 years and I cannot find my files confirming this.
...
3
votes
2answers
145 views
Does an unpaid medical bill that is sent to collections have any adverse affect besides affecting the credit score?
I know that an unpaid medical bill affects the credit score if it is sent to collections. But is there any more adverse affect that it creates?
0
votes
2answers
161 views
Can a sole proprietorship start a debt collection business
Can I buy bad debt under a sole proprietorship?
I've considered the costs of an LLC versus a sole proprietorship.
However to dig deeper, I am unaware on "who can buy debt", and where to find these ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
Original creditor forwarding payments to collection agency
In 2017 I had back surgery performed at an orthopedic specialist surgery center. During the billing process I set up auto-draft for all of the bills so that I would not have to worry about missing a ...
4
votes
1answer
328 views
14 year old charge on utility bill
I recently bought a house and signed up for utilities. I then go to sign up for automatic payments on their webpage, and it says I owe over $400 from when my account was last active in 2004.
I know ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Do I need to get it in writing when paying off collections accounts?
I have a credit card in collections with a balance of $1972. I will be able to pay this off in a couple of weeks. I have read a lot of articles that say that I can negotiate to have the balance ...
6
votes
2answers
684 views
Medical bill with wrong name sent to collections
A few weeks after my wife gave birth, the medical bills started rolling in. One of them was addressed to "BB Last Name)." Our last name is not common but there are other people in our city with the ...
4
votes
1answer
267 views
Better to pay debt collectors or original provider?
I was having a conversation with a colleague about repairing credit. He believes if you have a debt that went to collection, that it's best to pay the original provider of the goods or services. ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
What is the most efficient way to dispute an invalid collection on a credit report?
I had a surgery and a ton of medical issues. All but one thing went through insurance. The healthcare provider for that one thing went straight to collections. I contacted them, and my insurance ...
25
votes
6answers
18k views
Potential debt collection scam from National Credit Systems?
Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from an organization called National Credit Systems. In the letter, they say that I owe them $230 to the apartment manager that I rented from 3 years ago. I ...
2
votes
1answer
87 views
Collections account on one credit report yet CreditKarma reports my scores are almost the same. Why?
I've been fighting with the credit reporting agencies to get an incorrect collections account removed from my report. Two of the three have complied, but TransUnion is being very stubborn. It's been ...
3
votes
1answer
284 views
Can credit card debt be negotiated?
A family member with Credit Card Debt has missed a few payments. The bank sent a letter saying that they would be willing to settle for 20% less of the current debt.
Question: Can the debt be ...
4
votes
1answer
88 views
Can a bill be sent to a third-party debt collector at any time?
Bob lives in the United States. A business billed Bob. Can the business send the bill to a third-party debt collector at any time? (e.g., does the business have to wait a certain amount of time? ; ...
0
votes
1answer
79 views
When does a debt collection affect one's credit score in the United States?
Bob lives in the United States. Bob didn't pay for a bill, and the bill was sent to a third-party debt collector. When will it start affecting Bob's credit score? For example, will Bob's credit score ...
43
votes
3answers
7k views
Why would a lien appear on a mortgage after 17 years?
I have a 30 year, fixed rate mortgage from the year 2000. I have never missed a payment and don't have any other debt. A couple of months ago, I a got a letter sent by a company I never heard of (...
-1
votes
1answer
162 views
Multiple credit cards for one debt? [closed]
Scenario:
A person owes $30,000 in school debt to a single entity. The person also has THREE credit cards. Each month, the person pays $500 using credit card 1 towards the debt and $50 (minimum fee) ...
7
votes
1answer
2k views
Collections calling thanks to BioLife. Is this a scam?
My father just received a phone call from collections saying he owes $650 for a product he purchased in 2015. We thought it was a scam call at first but they seemed to have his personal information ...
1
vote
1answer
357 views
How does “debt prescription” work in America (Utah if that matters)? [closed]
When googling for "debt prescription" I get a lot of hits in South Africa. Is it called something else in US English? And to the point, how does it work in America? Specifically contracts such as "...
4
votes
1answer
99 views
Debt sent to collections while still attempting to solve with vendor
In California, can personal debt be sent to collections while you are still engaging in a potential resolution with the vendor?
Example: communication with the vendor towards a solution is moving, ...
8
votes
1answer
248 views
Old collection keeps resurfacing on my credit
[This question is very similar to Credit Report debt expiration limit: original creditor vs. Collection, but I'm solely concerned with the 7-year FCRA rule and my ability / legal right, or lack ...
5
votes
1answer
929 views
How to Dispute a Medical Bill that Went to Collections
I had a 2-hour ER visit for a biking accident at an out-of-network location in 2014, and provided the insurance information at check-in. Four months later the hospital and the doctors (charging ...
-2
votes
1answer
3k views
Received debt collection notice regarding unpaid college course
A couple years ago, I took a college course at a community college that would transfer to my University. After a week, I simply stopped attending, and didn't return the book I had rented from them.
...
94
votes
8answers
24k views
How to deal with the credit card debt from family member that has passed away?
My father recently passed away and had some considerable amount of debt on his credit cards. House and credit card were in the deceased’s name only. The state that is happening in is New Jersey.
In ...
1
vote
2answers
153 views
Disputed bill awaiting response sent to collection agency
I have a family member who disputed a medical bill she received in April. Essentially, the provider billed for a code that indicated it was a 30-minute visit, instead of 5. Upon receiving the bill, ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
Do I still need to pay college I owe money to even when they are no longer operating/shutdown?
Few years ago I attended this college in NH, USA. I owed them about $5,000 for courses and housing. Since I couldn't afford to pay for the next semester, I stopped going to that school.
About 4 ...
0
votes
2answers
493 views
Contacted by a debt collection agency in Netherlands but I have practically never been there
I live in Italy, and over the past few weeks I have been finding missed calls by a phone number from the Netherlands; since I have a relative that works there my first thought was that the number ...
1
vote
2answers
448 views
Best way to deal with a $2700 Collection for unpaid apartment expenses
I am looking to rent a townhome and I have a credit score of 762.
Over a month ago I got a notice about a new account on my credit report, so I look into it. $2800 collections notice from an ...
1
vote
4answers
100 views
Payment plan with bank or negotiate with collection agency?
If I have a credit card bill that's months over due, I assume my credit is already shot because of the bill being overdue. The bank sent a notice that if I don't respond within a certain amount of ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Unpaid College Tuition - Does Statute of Limitations Apply?
I have over $10K in outstanding debt to my old college. Due to an issue with my parents' tax return my final year of attending, my FAFSA was invalidated, and all financial aid (loans, grants, and ...
74
votes
6answers
26k views
A debt collector will not allow me to pay a debt, what steps should I take?
I was contacted several months ago about a debt collection for an incredibly small sum. I asked to be sent something in the mail where I could remit payment for it. The individual told me the debt ...
2
votes
2answers
620 views
Can I pay a creditor directly after they have sent the debt to a collection agency?
Let's say you have a credit line account with a department store. You owe a balance on the credit card and it was sent to collections. In order to pay this off, is it possible to still send regular ...
4
votes
2answers
364 views
I have asked for proof of debt and been told they “don't need to prove it”
I lived in the Netherlands for about 6 months in 2015 and was a customer of Ziggo (internet provider).
When I cancelled my account (November 2015) they told me (on the phone, not recorded) that there ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Distant relative inheritance and outstanding debts
My mom's cousin Larry passed away earlier this year. He wasn't in touch with any family for the later part of his life, but when he became ill, he contacted my mom and she did a lot of work to help ...
