OK...Here is the deal. Ameritech has my account listed with 2 collection agencies. The second was just added today AFTER my dispute of the first one. This account REALLY TRULY does NOT belong to me. It is from 1996 when we lived in an apartment. We lived at 394 and this was for 440 something. I called the phone company and they said that I need to send them 3 forms of proof that I did not live at this address during Dec 96 and Jan 97. I was 18 and living with my mother. I dont have this info and am not sure that they have to by law have that to remove it. Please help me. I would REALLY appreciate it.
that is what I mean...Can they do that? Or do I need to send them something that says prove I did. Thanks for responding, for some reason I dont get much here. Also, are they allowed to list it with 2 different collection agencies? Experian said yes..but then again that was Experian.
OK. Then what should I do? I am lost here. Also, is it legal for them to report it with two different collecton agencies? I think it is odd that after 2 weeks of being "under investigation" it shows up under another collection agency.
Send both collection agencies a validation letter. There is a good one here done by Lizardking. Make them provide proof you owe the money. Don't just say you want it validated because they will write you back a letter saying "validated". Ask for a copy of the contract they say you signed, copies of checks you wrote the phone company - anything to show it is not you. My experience is that they will not have any records going back that far. You must send it certified mail, return receipt requested. Also, send a second copy of the same letter by two day mail and use one of the postal services bright green stickers (I forget what they call this service). But, they will notify you when it is delivered. You need to do this because many of the collection agencies will not sign for certified mail. Find the Lizardking validation letter here on the board. Mention that you do not want to sue, but will if necessary. You do not have to prove anything. I just fooled around with a collection agency for nine months. I finally figured out the way to win is with the Lizardking validation letter.
Remember. Accept only the real Lizardking validation letter - accept no substitutes. It's like authentic naugahide - the fake stuff just doen't compare. Kidding aside, his letter is forceful but not overbearing. It is firm enough that they will know you mean business but not so nasty they will ignore you. Some of the letters here are too wimpy - others are just too mean spirited.
You have an interesting situation here, and the possibilities of what you can do with it are almost legion. But something here needs to be cleared up before I would want to give you much of any help. Experian was quite correct in their answer to you. But you either made a mistake in your identities or you don't understand something correctly. Experian is not a collection agency. So in order to get the right answer to you for your situation, I need to know if you are actually talking about 2 collection agencies and multiple CRAs or just what. Your creditor can list it with one collection agency who can turn it over to or sell it to another who can sell or turn it over to another, ad infinitium ad nauseum. It usually don't happen that way, but it could happen. And each of those mentioned above can place the same account with all of the credit bureaus as well. They aren't really supposed to do that, but the can do it and it does happen all the time. I don't really know where it says they aren't supposed to do that. It might be in law or it might be in the contracts and policies of the credit bureaus or whatever and it might be that there isn't any rule, law or regulation or anything else on the subject. I've never bothered to research it because it isn't has never been very important in the whole scheme of things. Might seem like a big deal to some folks and if so, I can well understand their consternation, but in the long run it just makes things worse for the collection agencies. Straighten me out on the deal about who all it is you are talking about and maybe we can figure out something for you to do about the whole mess. I usually do. LOL
To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to request a validation of a debt you say that I owe. I know nothing of this debt, as it is not mine, and I donâ??t know whose debt it is. For your convenience, here is the account number in question: xxxxxxxx Please be aware that I am not requesting verification that you have my mailing address, but rather, validation that I have a contractual obligation to you. Specifically the alleged contract or other instrument bearing my signature, as well as proof of your authority in this matter. Thank you for your time, HOW IS THAT FOR THE FIRST LETTER?
yeah. Lizardking has a pretty fair letter. Fact is, almost any of them in the creditnet library or floating around in posts will work about equally well.
Oh sorry if I wasnt clear. What happened was I called experian because I saw on my Creditexpert that it was added with another collection agency today. So it is listed with 2 different collection agencies with a balance of 539.00 both say for ameritech mi.
Ok. Next question. How long ago did you get the first letter demanding payment from each of the two collection agencies? The answer to that can be fairly important to you. Let's just take this thing one step at a time so you can clearly see where we are going. May take a few messages to get it all pieced together, but I'm thinking your situation is kind of interesting. There are multiple possible courses of action depending on your answers to my questions.
I have never gotten anything from any of these collection agencies. I only learned of them now trying to sell our home and get a new mortgage. These debts are from 96
WOW! That mortage business complicates matters for you tremendously. Better put that deal off until you get this mess fixed up. Here is why. The mortgage people will demand that you pay them off before you can get a loan. You might accidently luck out and not get hit with that, but lots of folks do. It's likely to increase your interest rates even if you don't get socked with having to pay them off before you can finance. Tom was telling you pretty straight and George too. Hey, I got a big problem with a neighbor lady who just got beat up by her husband and I gotta take her to the hospital. Catch you later.
