I have two medical bill collections unpaid , one for $100, the other for $150. One is 2 yrs old the other is 5 yrs old.I've called both and stated no pay unless removed from credit report. Both said no way it is against the law and they would only report paid collection at best. I've seen from the board that once you pay the meter starts again with the paid date. Am I better off not paying these collections?.Will they fall off after 7 yrs. How much are they impacting my credit scores?Please help!
Is it Russell Collections? LOL They are reporting mine and I was 16 and not responsible for the bill. They told me that I could pay it and they would remove it, I told them to remove it or I would sue them. It was gone off my report the next day.
That is a common lie among the collection agencies and creditors. It is told to the consumers because it is a strong argument when the consumer does not know any better. I understand that it is against the contract they have with the credit bureaus and they can be terminated for violating it. But it is not against the law. I never get that sick story any more. When I demand it be taken off they don't even look back because the consequences of their failure to do so in a very short period of time would cost them dearly and they know it. If they have their way, that's the way it's going to be. That is not true. Check out the FDCPA law and you will see that the proper date is well defined and set in stone. That is the way Congress wanted it to be and that is the way it is. If you want to read the law, just let me know and I will provide you with a link that will put you right on the part of FDCPa that deals with that subject very thoroughly. [/quote] Am I better off not paying these collections?.[/quote] I think you are better of to refuse to pay them. Here is why. You can force them to take it off for free and even if they jump up and sue you, you have at least a 98% chance of beating them in court one way or the other. If you can get them to give you a written contract stating that they will totally and completely remove any and all references to the debt from all records both public and private in return for payment of the debt then go for it. If not tell them to shove it where the sun don't even shine. That's what I make them do and anybody else can do the same. As some on the board love to point out, you don't need to pay anybody to do it for you either. All you have to do is learn how and there are plenty of posts right here on creditnet to learn from. All you have to do is pick up the pieces and put the jigsaw puzzle together. They should by law. Maybe sooner if you can convince the cedit bureaus to take it off before then. National statistics show that about 40 to 50 percent of all listings can be removed with simple techniques. There is no need to pay anyone to do that for you either since it's just a simple matter of convincing the credit bureaus that a lie is the truth and the truth is a lie or by figuring out how the listing might be somehow incorrect and making them taking it off for that reason or catching them during one of the times when all the credit repair companies are sending ever increasing rounds of disputes hoping to catch the credit bureaus shorthanded and unable to verify in time. That's all the credit repair companies do and you can do just as well as they do for free. That depends on many factors. They do hurt a lot, but their impact grows a bit less as time goes by and you build more and more good tradelines. So how much they are hurting you at any given time is a variable factor. I hope that I have.
The truth is that paying does not restart the clock on seven years. The Federal Trade Commision has several opinion letters on their website if you need proof. Make them validate the debt. Sample letters are available here on creditnet.com. If they can not validate it, other samples letters can force them to remove it. These are small amounts, but negative info does hurt your credit scores and can prevent you from securing new creditlines. If you admit they are your debts, why not send a C&D letter to the collection agency and offer payment to the original debtor in return for deletion. The thing about this is you can not talk with the first person who answers the telephone. They really don't have the power to remove. You need to talk with a manager. If you can not get them on the telephone, get their name and write a letter with your offer. NEVER make a payment without the deletion terms in hand prior! Good luck!
