Help please with old Verizon bill

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by LRM216, Dec 30, 2009.

  1. LRM216

    LRM216 Well-Known Member

    No one has been able to validate this over the years, and it has been taken off my credit report. Back in 2002 I signed up for a Verizon account on line with a phone service. I had my daughter taken off my account due to high bills which I had to pay. I told Verizon that a secret password had to be used by anyone attempting to change my acct. She called them up and had her line reinstated without the use of any password. Rang up a $500 bill that I refused to pay. I closed out my acct after fighting with them and the executive offices, who would only cut the bill in half, even though they admitted they were wrong. I paid nothing and bore the consequences of this being on my credit report. It was written off in 2004 by Verizon. New collection firm trying to collect, sent validation letter to them, received a letter from Verizon stating that I owe them $222, written off in 2004, and they don't have to send me any statements, but will if I request within 10 days. Am I still obligated to pay this after all these years? This was their error, I paid my bills in full to them, just refused to pay her $500 bill that when I closed out her account at $0 balance. Thanks for any assistance?
     
  2. jjgross

    jjgross Well-Known Member

    It might be pass the sol for collecting money.Have you got any money back from your daughter?I would say by saying that their admitting fault,their open to suit.Now your problem is,if you let your daughter off the hook,who caused the problem in the first place.It's going to fall off your report soon anyway.Oh was it a cell phone because the law is 2 years on collection.
     
  3. LRM216

    LRM216 Well-Known Member

    JJ:

    Thank you. This was many years ago, as you can see by the date of 2004. My daughter has never been on my cell phone account since that date, nor will she ever be! Yes, it was a cell phone. I validated with CA and the letter I got back was from Verizon, not the CA, stating that it was written off in 2004 but I still owed and that they didn't have to supply me with statements, but would if I requested them within 10 days. Just don't know whether to ignore it, or pay it. It was their fault but even though executive office back in 2003 realized it should never have happened, it was still under my name and therefore had to be paid. Is there another letter I should send, ignore it, or what? My credit is pretty good otherwise and this has been on my reports since way back. Thanks so much for your help and Happy New Year to you and yours - hope it's a great one for you.

    Linda
     
  4. jjgross

    jjgross Well-Known Member

    You might let it ride for a time,Or write their corp office and explain the problem,that they should remove this from your report.
     
  5. LRM216

    LRM216 Well-Known Member

    Ironically, in today's mail I received a packet from the CA of the old bill statements for the amount that was defaulted on by myself. Original amount was $502, but the collection agency is only asking for $122. Is this some sort of trick? Even if the bill is SOL, and I pay the $122 they are asking for - it will still remain on my credit report, correct? If so, does it make sense to pay it? And if they realize the amount (which is states on the statement) that the balance was $502 - why are the asking for only $122? I can't figure this one out at all. Thanks again.
     
  6. jjgross

    jjgross Well-Known Member

    It will add another 7 years to the reporting,marked as settled for less.They don't think they can get the full amount because the sol is up.I wouldn't budge unless it's written that it's paid in full and delete.Anything less and your wasting your money.
     
  7. MammaJ

    MammaJ Member

    LRM216-

    It seems to me that you could just write them back agreeing to pay the amount that they requested ($122) IF they will agree to delete the item from your credit reports. And of course like always, don't send them the money without having a written agreement from them to this effect.
     
  8. squidzilla

    squidzilla Well-Known Member

    Are you sure about it re-aging the reporting period? I was pretty sure that it's 7 years from DOFD, regardless of the debt being re-aged from an SOL perspective.
     
  9. cap1sucks

    cap1sucks Well-Known Member

    There is a 2 year federal statute of limitations on cell phone bills. They have provided you with false and misleading information when they said they didn''t have to validate. I'd wait until about 10 days after their 10 day limit has passed then send demand for validation and sue them if they don't provided it within about 45 days. Sue them in federal court, not local court.

    Provided of course that the 10 day limit statement was made in writing. In any event you don't owe the money because of the 2 year federal SOL.
     
  10. jjgross

    jjgross Well-Known Member

    In some states it will,some it won't.If you make a payment and its not current then they can use the payment date to restart the clock.I think that is what it says
     
  11. cap1sucks

    cap1sucks Well-Known Member

    And I think it makes no difference what state law says about re-aging or statute of limitations for reporting to credit bureaus. It also makes no difference what other federal law says about the statute of limitations on debt. The only factor that can be considered is the 7 year 6 month reporting period under FCRA.
     

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