Sent a Validation Letter, two months later still no response

[Jeffy25]

Missouri.

I got a debt collection notice in the mail in Jan. I did not recognize what the debt was for, and the company didn't have much of a history that I could find (Afni, from Bloomington, IL).

I sent a validation letter in January, and another in February. And since then have not gotten any response or any other attempts to collect the debt.

I wasn't too worried about it since it wasn't on my credit report, but it just now showed up. So they still haven't tried to contact me, I still don't know what the collection is for, and when I call the number I sat on hold for literally 32 minutes without anyone picking up.

So I want it either removed or to at least be informed what the debt is if I do actually need to pay it.

I have a copy of my signed validation letters still, can I just send a letter to the credit bureaus saying they never responded to my validation letter or do I need to do something else?

Any help would be great, have a great credit report otherwise. And if I do owe it, I have no problem just paying it, but I'm not going to pay something that I don't believe is mine, or at least don't know what it is.

Thanks,
Jeffy

 

[Zigner]

Missouri.

I got a debt collection notice in the mail in Jan. I did not recognize what the debt was for, and the company didn't have much of a history that I could find (Afni, from Bloomington, IL).

I sent a validation letter in January, and another in February. And since then have not gotten any response or any other attempts to collect the debt.

I wasn't too worried about it since it wasn't on my credit report, but it just now showed up. So they still haven't tried to contact me, I still don't know what the collection is for, and when I call the number I sat on hold for literally 32 minutes without anyone picking up.

So I want it either removed or to at least be informed what the debt is if I do actually need to pay it.

I have a copy of my signed validation letters still, can I just send a letter to the credit bureaus saying they never responded to my validation letter or do I need to do something else?

Any help would be great, have a great credit report otherwise. And if I do owe it, I have no problem just paying it, but I'm not going to pay something that I don't believe is mine, or at least don't know what it is.

Thanks,
Jeffy

They don't have to respond to your request.

 

[Jeffy25]

They don't have to respond to your request.

Then what is someone supposed to do if they won't communicate in any way?

And what is the point of a validation letter if they don't respond?

 

[Zigner]

Then what is someone supposed to do if they won't communicate in any way?

And what is the point of a validation letter if they don't respond?

If they don't properly respond to a proper DV request, then they are supposed to stop collection activities. It seems to me that they have done that.

(Posting this on your credit report doesn't count as a "collection activity.")

 

[Jeffy25]

If they don't properly respond to a proper DV request, then they are supposed to stop collection activities. It seems to me that they have done that.

(Posting this on your credit report doesn't count as a "collection activity.")

That makes sense.

Now the $64,000 question. How do I get this removed from my credit report?

 

[Zigner]

That makes sense.

Now the $64,000 question. How do I get this removed from my credit report?

Write a letter to the CRA (Credit Reporting Agency) stating that you feel it is an error. They will confirm with the party listing the item.

 

[swalsh411]

You follow the well-established procedure to dispute a record on your credit report. There are about a gazillion web pages on the topic.

 

[hambirg]

Also Google AFNI Collections Scam. There's a good chance that you don't now, nor ever have, owed this debt.