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K7Kate

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania
I'm hoping someone can help me or at least give some kind of advice. Back in July I had an upaid phone bill go to a 3rd party collection agency. Before it even went there I had made payments toward this debt with whoever the agency was at the time handling the attempt to collect the debt. I never denied this was a bill I owed and have faithfully paid on it since March of this year. I've gotten the balance cut in half. Since it's been in this 3rd party agency it's been a nightmare. It went smoothly at first, I've made 2 payments since July based on the 'verbal' agreement the lady and I discussed on the phone. She said she made a note on the account that I would be paying $25/month toward the balance. All was fine for July and August. I call today to set up the payment for Sept. and I get a nasty lady on the phone telling me my $25/month will no longer be accepted and if I don't pay the balance in full this month they will close the account and make the note that I refused to pay. This doesn't seem right to me. I tried to call back later in the day to talk to the lady I had dealt with in the past. They tell me I can't talk to her. I was pretty much insulted and called a low life. I asked to talk to a manager, to no avail and also asked to have in writing that they are refusing my payment. The lady refused that as well and hung up on me.
Does any of this seem a little shady? Doesn't any payment have to be accepted and put toward a debt? I later called the original creditor (Sprint) and told them what had happened today and they were less than thrilled with what I told them. They said they would contact the collection agency and recall my debt and I can pay them directly instead of going thru the agency. That relieved me but didn't stop me from filing a complaint. Do I have a legit complaint here?
Thank you so much for reading this and I hope to read some responses very soon!

:)
Kathy
 


cmorris

Member
Stay off the phone! Only deal with CA's in writing, CMRRR. Do not give them bank account numbers, EVER.

They cannot call you names or harrass you, see the FDCPA. Only problem is, you don't have proof. You have been dealing with them on the phone, so you do not have a paper trail.

See creditboards.com.
 

K7Kate

Junior Member
Very true and I'm kicking myself for having no paper trail. I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to pay this debt and I owe. Little did I know it was going to come back and haunt me. I guess the only justice I have in this is that I did contract Sprint and tell them the situation and they are totally willing to work with me and get that bill out of that collection agency.
I guess my complaints about how I was handled will fall on deaf ears with no paper trail then, huh? I don't plan on having anything go into collections again any time soon but should it ever happen, I have much more educated.
:)
 

cmorris

Member
See creditboards. As you have no *proof* of anything illegal, you can only hope to settle this and possibly save your CR. And if you think paying this will reflect positively on your CR, WRONG. It is negative once it goes to collection, paid or not. Good luck.
 

K7Kate

Junior Member
I'm not doing this to save my credit. I'm doing it because I owe the money. The things I learn the hard way......
Thanks for your advice!
 

Ladynred

Senior Member
FYI, what you've experienced is a typcial tactic of collection agencies. Verbal 'agreements' are WORTHLESS and they do exactly what they did to you, accept the payments for a few months, then in comes "bad cop" who gets nasty, makes threats, and demands all or nothing. Of course 'good cop' is unavailable and 'managers' don't exist. I don't think anyone truly ever talks to a 'manager' at a CA anyway, I think these clowns hand the phone to the drone at the next desk and play their game out.

As you said, lesson learned - get everything in writing, especially when it comes to money.

Even if you don't plan on anything going to collections - read the FDCPA, its never a waste of time to learn your rights ;)
 

K7Kate

Junior Member
Thanks for the comments. One more apinion I would like to hear. Is it not a small victory for me that Sprint is going to contact this collection agency and recall the account so I can make payments right thru Sprint (Which I wish I would have done right from the start)? I felt victorious having this happen. That collection agency works for Sprint and they were refusing to let me pay what I could.....I don't think Sprint was very happy about that. I know I'm just one person but maybe they'll think twice about using this particular collection agency in the future. And I did still file my complaints with the FTC and my local government.
Any more thoughts?
:)
 

Ladynred

Senior Member
Yes, I'd say you won a small victory. Not having to deal with a CA is a big plus in my book. The CA's violations are pretty clear and creditors CAN be held responsible for the actions of the agencies they hire to do their dirty work.
 

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