Okay so I finally got something from Experian; two deletions, one item remains. I have NEVER gotten anything from a collection agency, and Exuifax deleted it. So how is it that Experian was able to verify it as correct? So do I now send a Debt Validation Letter to the CA...or do I send another letter to Experian asking how they "verified" the investigation? How should I proceed?
The results of CRA investigations are often a mystery to me. If you haven't received anything from the CA, I would stay away from them at the moment and still keep fighting it through the bureaus. You could always try demanding that they provide their method of verification so you can get some more information about what they've actually done to verify this debt. Who is the OC? Are they reporting a charge off on your credit reports too?
The original creditor is not reporting as a charge-off. The NTL is from Credit Management, LP. for Time Warner. The CA that is reporting, has never contacted me. I had an account with the OC, and I canceled the account when we moved. I pulled my bank statements and I have a payment to OC for the final month. If I owe it I will pay it, but I have never received anything from either. What I have gathered from my reading...if I pay it, it will continue to report as a paid collection. I don't want a negative trade line at all. How can I get this addressed? I have a letter written and ready to go for Experian to disclose their method of verification. I just want to know what to do if they come back and report it as "accurate".
This sounds like a billing mixup to me, which you should really not be penalized for any further. If the account has just been assigned to the CA for collection, you might be able to convince the OC to pull the account back and deal with you directly for payment. As you mentioned, you don't want to just pay the CA and end up with a "paid collection" sitting on your credit reports for the next 7 years. That's just as damaging to your credit scores as an unpaid collection.
