Hi, I just love this board and your fantastic advice. Just got approved for a Chevron Credit Builder. Since I only need gas twice a month (I work 3 miles from home) I thought this would be a good idea. The Customer Service Rep I spoke did confirm that they report to all Credit Bureaus. I do have a question. Recently my employer was contacted by mail for employment verification including income info. They returned it to me as it is not their policy to verify any information without my approval. My question is this: I thought I read once where I can contact a collection agency and ask to NOT contact my employer and they must abide by this. Am I correct? If so, I will contact them immediately. Instead of paying the collection agency, I plan to pay the creditor directly. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks CR
Yes, it's always better to deal with the original creditor instead of a collection agency, and also yes, by law Debt collectors must stop contacting you if you ask them to in writing. Good luck. Regards, Alex Creditinsiders.com ------------- Need Credit Help? Visit Us! http://www.Creditinsiders.com
You are correct that they must stop contacting you if you request this, but make sure to do it in writing. The only thing you should be concerned about is that if they are calling to verify your employment, then they are either preparing to file a warrant in debt against you for the bill or planning to garnish your wages. I would contact the original creditor or the collection agency as soon as possible to negotiate. 9 times out of 10 if you call the original creditor, they will just refer you to the collection agency anyway. Good luck
Any time you send a message to a collection agency, make sure you do it via certified mail. The collection agencies can easily say that they never got your un-certified letter. Collection agencies can not be trusted!
Donâ??t C&D CR: Someone else suggested that you issue a cease & desist letter, a method of stopping further contact by an agency per FDCPA. I wouldnâ??t recommend you do this because as Pat rightly indicated, agencies donâ??t pursue litigation unless thereâ??s something to get! Sending a C&D could push them to get a bit more aggressive, irrespective your plan to pay the creditor. At this point it will be clear you work, no matter how the employment verification is returned. Yet pursuant to law (FDCPA) an agency cannot contact your employer if it believes, or has reasonable cause to believe, this would bring you harm. My suggestion is to simply compose a letter stating that your employer doesnâ??t appreciate this type of contact, and that you request them to stop all further contact at work. If you send a C&D you may be boxing yourself into a corner, in the event the creditor throws the issue back to the agent â?? refusing to deal with you. Point being is that you shouldnâ??t want to cut off any negotiation room you may need later, by ticking off the agency with a C&D letter. Maintaining options is the thing. Keep The Faith, Anthony Villaseñor
Pat, I thought they could also attach a checking and/or savings account if they succeed in getting a judgment against you. B2
Sometimes the employment verification letter/call is nothing more than a scare tactic. It is simply a tool used to convince the debtor to pay up. On the other hand, if the dollar amount is high or the creditor is known to sue, it might be time to "face the music."
