I had a medical bill that I had let go for too long. I received a collection notice in the mail and assumed that it was from the original creditor (the doctor). Once I received this, I called the original creditor to setup a payment plan in which they were more that happy to accept. Well the debt is just about paid off when I notice on my credit report an unpaid account from a collection agency. I called them up and found out that it was from the medical bill. I explained that I had been paying the original creditor and they stated that they knew this because the creditor had been sending them my payments. I asked about the balance left and what she told me was almost the full balance. Apparently, the Dr. was not sending all of the payments and when they did, they were taking their sweet time about it. The Collection agency then proceeds to tell me that they will credit me for the payments if I can prove that I sent them but they will not remove anything from my credit report unless I paid her in full during the phone call and not worry about the payments from the doctor. I'm thinking about attempting to sue the collection agency or the Dr. Does this sound like I may have a case. I'm not asking for legal advice but more of a "what would you do?". Thanks, James in Ohio
It all sounds very fishy to me. It seems like the CA may not own the debt, or else the OC wouldn't have spoken with you when you contacted them about payment. I would talk to the Doctor's office first and ask if they can pull your account from collections, which is what should have been done in the first place. Then, dispute any incorrect information on your credit reports with the CRA's.
