Anyone Know Merchants Credit Guide Co

What is the name of your state? WAS FLORIDA

Today in the mail i received a letter from merchants stating they were representing Sherman L.L.C for an account from 11 years ago stating i owed 289.04. How convenient of them to give me three payment options. the first stating i get 50% off if mail it immediately and 70% off within 90 days or i make a payment plan. This is on an old phonecard account i am almost dead certain i paid off, and this has never appeared on my credit report. looked already. I contacted them the first time and asked "why if i owe this money after all these years is it not on my report" they're response was "we will put this on your credit report if that's what it takes to get you to pay"
I responded that i would look into the situation and call them back. i called sprint they had no record which i figured they would'nt, so i called back and asked them to send me documentation of the charges, any proof they had and i was forwarded to an answering machine. i've looked them up online and have found various other situations like mine. i'm not paying a dime, but do i need to do a "cease and desist" letter or anything, i've filed a complaint with the federal trade commission. Any advice anyone has would be great. thanks

First, stay off the phone!

Now, send a letter, certified mail return receipt, asking for proper validation. This must come from the original creditor (Sprint?). Tell them to only contact you by mail.

You will likely not hear anything. This debt is out of the statute of limitations, and if they try to send you validation, you will have proof.

They cannot put this on your credit reports without illegally reaging the account. If they do that, you can sue them.

Just get the proof it is out of the statute of limitations and save it, just in case. If and when you get proof, send a full cease and desist letter.

send to sprint or merchants

who do i ask for the original?

You send a debt validation letter to the collection agency. They must get proof (validation) from the original creditor (Sprint).

Debt validation & Cease and desist

Go to www.creditinfocenter.com you will find sample letters for debt validation and cease and desist. Look for Sample Letters link on the left.

Merchants' Credit Guide Co.

California

I'm glad you are here and posted this!
I have been contacted by them also with almost the exact same thing, just a higher amount ( $389.86 ). Between here and www.creditinfocenter.com I am IMMEDIATELY sending certified return receipt letter disputing the debt and asking for validation of the debt under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

i have the same problem

hello, im from Florida and i also receive the same letter (march 8) from That Merchants Guide Credit Co, and im also having the same problem, only the amount is about $30, not much but is still annoying people billing you something you dont owe, I thank you for posting and answering to this concern, is really helpfull for us, anyway i would like to know if you people solve this problem ok, you can contact me by email, i will appreciated, thank you.

It also happened to me here in Hawaii!!!

I have also received a letter under from Merchants claming to be representing "good old" Sherman with the same conditions-but it was for Sprint Communications CO-I called Sprint and they said that they never go by that name only Sprint or Sprint PCS. I also called the FTC and they told me to follow the same procedure as posted here. Thank you for all of your help and incite I hope that they will get prosecuted some day!!!!

Merchants' Credit Guide

I got the letter from Merchants' Credit Guide on 3/08/05. I saw it was regarding a Sprint Communications issue and I don't remember ever dealing with Sprint. I called and left a message that this was not me, please call me back. When they called me back, they left a message that they got a call from me but I didn't leave a number! How did they call me back if I didn't leave a number? (I did leave a number). So, after that message, there was another message on my machine from the same guy for a different person. I called back last night (the ninth) and told them that this was not me. I just bought a house and in doing so had several credit reports that did not have any information about a debt to sprint. The man on the other end said that calling cards do not show up on credit reports. Then he told me that since the statute of limitations was up, I had a "moral obligation" to pay them. The scary part is-they have my social security number! I have filed a complaint with the Fed. Trade Commision but I am still nervous about these people having my SSN. Oh, and I live in Michigan.

I also recieved bill for an old Sprint account

I am in NY, NY and I received a letter this past week asking me to pay $350 for a Sprint bill. When I called and told them that I never held an account under the name they stated on the bill, they replied with my SS# which is very scary and should be illegal. I was told that this bill dated from prior to 1997 and was probably from a phone card or calling card.

The whole thing is BOGUS! I would like to know where these people are getting our SS# from and why this seems to revolve around Sprint. The letter came from a NY state address and had a Chicago reply address.

Thanks for posting about this. I will write the suggested letters. Its clear that people are more and more vunerable these days.

People, people, validation may not be necessary !! Unless these alleged debts are within the Statute of Limitations for each of your respective states, and I suspect they are ALL PAST the SOL, all that is necessary is to send Mechants a drop-dead letter !

On a debt they are claiming is 11 years old, it is WAY past the SOL in FL which has a MAX SOL of FIVE YEARS. All you need to do is send them a letter, certified, which states they are never to bother you about the alledged debt again as the debt is TIME BARRED per FL statutes !

Use this letter:
http://community-2.webtv.net/YCHANGE/STORAGE/page13.html

The FL statutes ( and all states) can be found on that same site.

Now, the rest of you, if you don't KNOW what the dates are that they are claiming, use the validation route, but if they are claiming dates older than your state's SOL, just use the same letter as above and tell them to get lost !

OH yeah.. one more thing. An 11 year old debt can NOT be put on your credit report, not legally. IF Sherman goes that far, they are breaking the law and you can sue their lowlife butts for violations of the FCRA !! Negative items can only be reported for 7-1/2 years from the date of 1st delinquency preceeding collection and/or charge-off, that's IT.

Thank you, ladynred for the advice.......

I printed the info !!!!!

This is a great forum.

Good luck to everyone with getting your Sprint stuff cleared! I'm gonna be on the lookout

I am in Virginia but dealing with an account originating in Illinois. I also have just received a letter from Merchants' for a Southwestern Bell phone that I had over 5 years ago. Southwestern Bell, now Cingular, states that I have a zero balance, which is true. They are also showing that I never owed the amount that merchants says that I owe. This is very frustrating and time consuming. Something needs to be done!!

Another Merchants Credit Guide Scam

I too was contacted by Merchants Credit Guide Co. I live in Pennsylvania, and have never had an account with Sprint. After reading the other accounts posted here I have come to realize that there is indeed a credit scam at work here. I urge anyone in PA to reprt this to the Attorney General, as well as take the action recommended here.

Dealing with Merchants' Credit Guide in NJ

Wow...I was bowled over when I got my letter yesterday from Merchants' Credit Guide telling me I owed $283 to Ameritech (Now SBC Global) for a bill from 1998. I moved from Indiana to New Jersey that year and I KNOW I paid all my accounts in full before closing them!
Upon calling the agency I was told NOT TO CONTACT AMERITECH (now SBC Global), AS THEY WOULD NO LONGER HAVE A RECORD OF THIS OWED AMOUNT! This was my first red flag... I began to think this was a scam when I asked why this had never shown up on my credit report--the person I spoke with told me that the agency does not report unpaid debt to the major credit agencies; however, I had a moral obligation to pay this amount. The rep. then went on to explain all the convenient options I had regarding payment. No credit agency I know of allows one to pay a percentage of the debt and call it even!

Long story short, I called SBC Global and explained the situation. They were able to pull up my information and said that there is no record of me owing the company any money and that if I had, they would have turned me over to a collection agency long ago (and it would have shown up on my credit report). SBC Global said they have NEVER HEARD OF THIS COMPANY and gave me the list of credit agencies they do deal with. I was advised to contact the State Attorney General regarding this matter.

I am ENRAGED that this company has my social security number, past and current addresses and my phone number--and worse, that they are using this information to blackmail me for money! HOW IS THIS LEGAL???