I had mentioned a long while back that my husband has a collection for 1995 for an electric bill for 246.00. It appears on Equifax and TU. Now I want to try to settle this account with the agreement that they remove the account completely. How should I go about this?? Should I call or write a letter and what exactly should I say? Thanks as always for your advice
RE: J Edgar, Kristi or anyone Mom, When I had this problem, I called the power company and told them I never received the final bill. I didnot know that I owed them. (this was true). I told them when I got my report, this is when I found this out. It was from '94. The rep for the collection agency for the power company said, "OK ma'am as a courtesy, we will delete the account from your credit file if you pay the bill. I agreed. I mailed them a check and it was deleted in about 2 weeks. I should have gotton it in writing first. But I was lucky. Maybe calling them first may be the easiest. But if they are nasty, you might want to just write a letter offering payment for deletion. But I personally was successful with calling. This worked with Bell Atlantic and PSE&G. That's all I have to offer on the subject.
RE: J Edgar, Kristi or anyone One of the things I've noticed over my 2 years of scanning boards such as this one is that it seems to be the consensus that utilities are some of the hardest folks to work with about removing derogatory info. Obviously roni has succeeded. Allow me to offer that certainly your chances will be enhanced if you are very polite (but not kow-towing), succint, and straightforward in your request for help. Bear in mind that the folks at the utilities are not the jerks of the collection world, but work-a-day stiffs like the rest of us. If you are nice, but clear, in what you are trying to do, you stand a good chance of connecting on a personal level with someone who might be, due to your candor, disposed to be of more assistance than they "have to be" by their job description.
RE: J Edgar, Kristi or anyone Thanks Roni, seems like they gave you a break. Curiously though does that fact that it is listed by the collection agency and not by utility company matter? Do I contact the utility company or the collection agency?
RE: J Edgar, Kristi or anyone Thanks MO, I know I hear they can be quite tough. As I posted to Roni, I am not sure who to contact the original company or the collection company?
MO I must confess I am not a people person and I don't do very well over the phone, don't ask me why just a weird quirk of mine, I always get hubby to order pizza LOL. Anyway I was wondering if you could suggest a letter that I could write to possibly resolve this debt. Thanks Mom
