Wrote last week about my charged off CCB ($3000) acct. with NCO, which I validated as soon as I was aware they had it. They had not yet contacted me by phone, only letter. Received green card back and was waiting out the 30 days to see if I received true validation. Right before 30 days ended, I received phone call at work and letter from NEW collection agency that NCO (never got validation) obviously handed my account over to. This is an atty collection agency in my town. I told them on the phone I was awaiting validation and would not speak to them until it was received. (I thought I was speaking to NCO!). When I got the new collectors letter for the CCB debt, I validated with them sending them the same letter as I used for NCO. Now, recently read another post similar to mine and just found out about Butch's letter (subsequent CA letter). Obviously, I should have used this but being a newbie I was unaware of it. Just validated last week and got green card back this past Saturday so don't know yet what this new atty collection firm will do. Hopefully, I won't be contemplating suicide at the end of the 30 days! Did I make a BIG mistake in not using Butch's letter? Please advise. Thanks.
I would send Butch's letter out ASAP, also adding in the letter that the first letter sent to the new CA is null and only Butch's letter is to be acted upon.
CCB is the toughest of the tough.. heres the bottom line and its gonna be a bitter pill to swallow. Eventually its gonna get sold to Tate Kirlin and Assoc. they will report it as Charged off as bad debt. They will not validate, and force you to take them to court. When you do file against them in court, they will offer to settle with you for either, 1. the full amount for a deletion. or 2. 1/2. the amt for a paid as agreed notation. my advice. if the debt is really yours. Call the office of the president at CCB. Pay the amount they want to get this deleted. It is the only way they will remove this. Read some of my past posts on how stubborn these jerks are. they more or less dare you to take em to court. and they have all sorts of resources to make your life miserable.. Just my 0.2 cents.
Arghhh! At least it's better to know the truth upfront. Will save me a lot of time and angst! Can I call the office of the President while it's in this new attorney collection agency's hands? And if so, will the President's office let me make payments on it or will they expect me to pay it off in one fell swoop? Or, do I just do this with the new collectors? Thanks so much for the info.
If you want it deleted in full expect to make one fell swoop payment. And expect to pay the entire charged off amount. Also expect to sign a full legal release. These guys are not nearly as dumb as they make out to be. Another tactic you can try, (hint hint).. is to pay off a settlement amount, and about 6 months later, try the "knockout letter).. I had 2 derog accts with them , the Knockout letter worked once, for a smaller balance, $300 neighborhood. the larger balance $1900 , I had to bite the bullet and pay. The bottom line is that if the debt is yours, they will eventually produce the original signed contract and then you will be forced to pay it, and they will tell you that by law, they are allowed to report "accurate, verifiable " information for 7 years. hence if you truly know the debt is yours, and you let it get charged off. Do like I did and humble yourself a bit. call the office of the president, and explain to them what happened. (or in my case how bills quit arriving) hint hint.. Offer to pay your bill. In my case they were my last derogs, so i even let them pull an inquiry to let them see that i have no other credit problems, and there truly may have been a misunderstanding. I know this seems like a lot , but THe bottom line is this, in 11/2002 I could not even get credit for a postage stamp.. My scores were in the 450's ... Today, Im in the 700's and derog free, and I have an Amex Blue and disney Visa. If you fight , and yell, and mail validation letters, yes it may come off, however it will take years, and your gonna pay for it anyways because for years you will be forced into sub prime categories, and pay annual fee's and high interest rates. Think about it..
