credit card collections

[brantley]

What is the name of your state? GA.
I have received a letter from a collection agency stating that I owed a balance on a credit card I had in 1992. Due to the time, 13 yrs. I do not have any paper showing this was paid off. This has never shown on my credit report, nor have I been contacted till now. Can they make me pay this again and what should I do. Is there a statue of limitations on this? I do not keep receipts past 7 years is this wrong.

[matti422]

I had this happen to me before, and found out that the bank had sent a "renewal" to a 10 year old address (I didn't live there anymore), and issued a new card to someone else in my name.

Contact the collection agency (by mail, return receipt) asking for the details on the charges in dispute. Also, call the credit reporting bureaus and put a fraud alert on your credit reports. Start a log containing times, dates, names, companies and worker ID numbers (most telephone workers won't give last names) for every person you talk to on this issue. I don't know what the law is on this, but I know you're not liable for fraudulent charges. With a 10 y.o. card, it's possible this is fraud.

Good luck. It took me about 8 months of due diligence to get a letter exhonerating me of all charges. Make sure you get that (assuming it is fraud), and hold on to it.

[Lisabyday]

The SOL for the State of Georgia on open-end accounts (credit cards) is four years from the date of delinquency. In order for the collection agency to collect, the debt would have to have gone into delinquency April 19, 2001. The reason I used this date is that this is the latest (given the SOL) the collection agency could legally take action against you and recover.

As to your credit report, take a look at it and see what it says. Depending on when you paid this account off or when it became delinquent the time frame for remaining on your credit report is seven years from the first initial missed payment. At least I think that is correct. Hope this helps.