Hello all, I had a Capital one card with a $750 limit. It went into collections, and is now reporting a balance of over $1100. I contacted Cap One today and they said that I had to call this 800 number because they no longer had the account. I googled the 800 number, and it turns out, the company is called Suttel & Hammer. From what I've read online, this company is not fun to work with. This brings me to my first question. Do you think I should contact this company and work out some sort of settlement? Or maybe just use the address I found online for the company and send a DV? Currently, I'm not in a position to make a payment. So, I don't want to call them and have them try and pressure me into making a payment just for me to tell them I can't do it right now. They are not reporting on my CR, so I assume the debt hasn't been sold, and S&H is just trying to collect on CAP One's behalf. Secondly, Capital One told me I had another account with them and to contact another phone number, which I googled as Portfolio Recovery. However, neither this Capital One account or the Portfolio Recovery company appear on my CR, so I should possibly just leave this one be?
Hi jwpj - W/ the first account, I would take the DV route after hearing so many horror stories on the forum when it comes to calling CA's. Generally a paper trail can be beneficial to those doing the disputing because you don't want to get into a "he said, she said" situation down the line. Also, this will give you more time to decide and strategize your next move, important if you don't want to make a payment immediately. Second, while you don't want to wait for that other account to "magically" appear on your CR, it's probably worthwhile to address these accounts one at a time if there's no urgency. That being said, it's hard to believe that it will just never appear on your CR and you may want to keep this in the back of your mind if you plan on taking a loan out sometime soon.
I know, I usually likewise don't advise calling a CA, unless you are capable of dominating the conversation, and keeping the CA of script.
jwpi, I speak from personal experience. Don't call the CA directly. I called them and made a deal with them over the phone and it did not work out at all. The only way to communicate with them is with a paper trail. Thanks! Heather with BoostMyScore.NET
