Hello, Here's my issue. I join a credit monitoring service and found a CA entry on my report it was from OSI in the amount of 105.00 it's been there on my report since 2004. The amount is from a co-pay that they said I did not pay. As far as i can remember I've always paid the co-payments. So I contacted the hospital where the bill came from and they instructed me that the bill is no longer in their system and that I need to deal with the CA. The CA said that they tried to contact me which they proberly did because I had move. So I offered to pay the 105.00 to have it removed and they said no to the removal from my report. My Question, What steps do I take to have them remove the entry from my report it's been there a long time and it's looks pretty bad. My Credit scores are between 600 and 650 from the CRA's
Some questions.... How long ago did YOU call OSI? Have you ever actually RECEIVED anything from them? Finally, what is it that you want to get out of this whole effort? You have absolutely no leverage position from which to negotiate at this point. If you can get the OC to withdraw the account from OSI, then you might get somewhere. But the implication is that they have sold the debt and that OSI now owns it: they are unlikely to budge. Either way, though, OSI is now governed by the FDCPA because they are a third-party collector. Your right to request validation begins with when you RECEIVE their demand for payment, not when they send it. Don't let them tell you otherwise. Your phone call to OSI appears to have been the first communication with them, which puts OSI on a 5-day clock to send you information regarding the alleged debt. The FDCPA is very clear as to when that letter SHALL be sent and as to what that letter SHALL contain. You have 30 days after receipt in which to send them a request to dispute and/or validate the debt. If, as you say, the co-pay was, in fact, paid, then you have a very legitimate reason to dispute their claim. A canceled check or credit card payment entry would be most useful, here. You can set in motion a process that gives you a chance of achieving your goal. And now you have begun to get leverage. There is more that you can do, but this is just the start.
