Okay so I'm new at this so bear with me. I've been reading credit net for a couple of days now during the evening and I've learned a lot from this site. However I think that I might have made a mistake. I've read that I shouldn't believe a CA no matter how nice they sound on the phone, and to get a written agreement especially if we are compromising on some sort of deal. Okay so this is what happened. I have student loans that had been deferred since I am going to school right now. However one of the my loans, Federal Perkins Loans has gone into a collection agency. The fact is, I had never received any bills from my school about this one and I thought I had deferred all of them... But it turns out that my mailman wasn't delivering my mail until I finally complained to his superior. So now my Perkins loan goes into collection and this CA sends me a letter saying that they have been assigned to my case. I tell them that I would like to pay the debt but I want a letter stating that after I pay the debt a notice will be sent out to the credit bureaus telling them I no longer owe this debt. She says she won't send me anything until I pay the money. However I have read many times, that sometimes CAs will collect your money and your account could be sold to another agency and I might have to pay the money again. I told her that I would try to come up with 500 to put down as down payment and pay monthly fees of 150. Then I realized that I didn't really know if her company was really assigned by my school to receive their payment. So today this other CA calls me and I politely ask her to send me validation saying that they have permission from my school to collect my debt. She starts getting mad at me and then says that she will do that but then all negotiations are off. She said that after she sends me the information i will have to pay the lump sum in one week. During the whole time, she was very rude, laughing sarcastically and calling me a liar. I was trying to have an amicable conversation with her but the whole time she was yelling at me. So finally I lost my patience too and I told her that I would not pay a cent if I didn't get written validation. She said "if you don't pay there will be serious consequences" I asked her what? And she yelled "Do you want me to threaten you?" I mean i've heard about mean CAS before but I had never experienced it before. If I hadn't read Credit net, I would have broken down and cried. So my question is this, since this is a federal government loan should I pay even if they don't adhere to my requests? I am afraid they might sue me. Also, are CAs allowed to threaten me? To those of you kind people who read this and post me a reply "I'm sorry it's sooo long and thank you for taking your precious time to help me" I really appreciate!!!"
No CA's are not allowed to threaten you. They will LIE LIE LIE. I'm not real "up" on Fed Student Loans, but I know they can be tricky. But here's what I would do. 1. Stop talking to them on the phone. 2. Send them a dispute/validation letter. 3. Read, read, read here all you can about CA's and student loan collections, etc.
You said the loan was through your school, and not the state loan agency. Try talking to the schools loan office, and explain to them the problem which you were having with your mail. If you complained to the mail man's superiors in writing, provide them a copy of the letter. If not, I would go to your post office, and speak with the person who you talked with previously, and say that because of the willful and knowing, and negligent performance of his duties, you are being victimized. It was his employee's fault that you are in this mess, and *HE* will personally get you out of it. Maybe he could be convinced to write a letter on your behalf. I don't know whether or not you would be able to hold the USPS personally liable (to the tune of damages caused by the mail man's non-delivery) you know the government, they have figured ways to work into any law where they are less liable than any other company. But if you were prepared to pay the CA (before the attitude); seeing if you can get it recalled as submitted in error by the OC, gets them out of the picture. Another addition. They aren't required to send you validation when asked over the phone. To request validation you must do so in writing, for your rights to be intact.
