CA notice

If you pay it now, it could end up on your reports as a PAID CA account. Just because it isn't reporting now doesn't mean they won't be.

You can try a settlement letter....stating you will pay the alleged debt in exchange for RMA agreeing not to report the account to any of the CRA's.

 

Always do validation...

If nothing else, it keeps the entry from appearing for the short-term, and it makes sure that the amount is actually owed, and isn't a billing error.

What if the charges are from after you had canceled your services, and for some reason they kept billing you an extra month?

 

If you have the $, pay SPRINT (CRRR) while doing DV on the CA.... this way it never hits the bureau.

 

• I would pay, it's not worth the trouble. But that's just me ...

• Debt Validation (letter)

 

Are you sure about this?

I know a few times in the past, OC's have giving me warning that if I don't pay within XX days, my debt will be assigned to a third party (CA) for collection and that this will be reported. Once, I paid the OC the debt on the LAST DAY before it was assigned, but it accidentally got referred out to the CA and was reported. The OC had to go back and request the debt/account back from CA because I PAID WITHIN the time frame they gave me.

But once the OC assigns debt to CA, the risk is the CA MAY report the debt to the CRA's. Even if the CA has not yet done so, I have believed that they can at ANY POINT. Even if you pay the debt to the CA OR the OC, and it isn't reporting at the time, they still can report the debt as a PAID CA account.

I know there have been a few posters here who have had this happen to them....they quickly pay CA the debt hoping it won't get reported, but the CA has come back to report that is has been PAID. A paid CA account is almost as bad as an open CA account.

I don't think you can quickly pay the OC and expect the CA still can't report.....the debt may have been sold to RMA or simply RMA is acting on behalf of OC in collecting the debt. If the debt was sold, OC has no control over the CA's actions.

If it were me, I would try to quickly see if the CA will reach some agreement in writing that if I pay right now, they will agree to not report. The debt is new and they may not want to go through the time and expense of having to report you to the CRA's if you agree to pay for the alleged debt.

Otherwise, with no agreement, I would start the validation process.

 

I think validation can be a great thing. But IMHO, you have a CA that just got a fresh debt that they have not reported, YET. There is more incentive for the CA to agree to not report at this point....1)it's a new debt they haven't had to waste any time/resources in collecting 2)They haven't reported

It's much more difficult to get a CA to agree to a settlement after they have already reported to the CRA's and they have wasted $$ and time trying to collect this debt.

Validation is a good tool, but isn't 100%. Why rule out settlement....especially on a new alleged $22 debt that isn't reporting. If they won't settle, then go for validation...IMHO.

 

First off, the OC only gets a portion of a debt. I have yet to have them tell me.... uh no thanks, we don't want your money - pls pay CA! LOL

I have done this mult times. After the payment is accepted by the OC, call CA (after DV sent) and "remind" them that you have already paid the OC. When they call OC, OC confirms, they close their acct on it and it never hits your bureau.

 

My idea is a wierd twist on this one. Assuming the original poster is pretty sure that this is about the amount that it should be, and that it is his or her debt do the following.

Send a validation letter CRRR

Pull your credit reports to show that they haven't placed anything on your credit report.

Wait 1 day, then send PAYMENT IN FULL to the CA. Use your own bank account so you can produce a cashed check if it goes to court.

When you get the green card back, pull your credit report again to verify that there still isn't any tradeline from them on any of your reports.

Now just sit back and rest assured that if anything is placed on your credit report, that your $25 investment has earned you 4000% return.

Here's my logic. Once they've recieved payment in full, they won't bother to continue researching and collecting the information required to validate. Why would they, you've paid them. Now if they decide to place a "Paid Collection" on your report you can immeiately file a lawsuit and collect $1,000 because placing a notation on your credit report is a collection activity, which by law they are not allowed to do before providing you with validation of the debt.

Unless you're "living in a van down by the river" (and the fact that you're able to get online to check out CN indicates that you aren't) the $22.94 + around $3 for CRRR probably won't break you, and in my opinion this might be the easiest. They can probably provide validation, and once they have provided it, if you pay (without an agreement to not notate it on your credit reports) a paid collection may appear.

Just my twisted thought on this one.

ChrisB