Next Step in Disputing a Debt

[AMom4xGirls]

What is the name of your state? Virginia

I recieved a phone call and letter from a company named Riddle & Associates in Sandy UT January 23rd 2006 for some type of medical bill from 1998 and 2002, I told them that the debt was not mine, I dont reconize the creditor or purchaser of the account, the same day I wrote them to dispute the debt, I waited until March 10, 2006 for a response and got none, so I wrote a follow up dispute letter along with a copy of the first one and sent it certified mail/return reciept and they signed for it on the 14th of March 2006, no response yet, I pulled my credit report and this is being reported on my credit report . What is my next step if they dont verify it or remove it from my report? How long should I wait?What is the name of your state?

 

[Chien]

Want to get action? There are steps you can take, but my suggestion would include always adding a little extra time (5-7 days?) for written responses to have reached you by mail.

At the end of April, send your dispute letter directly to the CRAs from which you got your report. That will have given the CA at least 30 days to have investigated the certified dispute/validation letter. Include a copy of the first letter too; that way you can show that you originally made a timely request but not by certified mail. (A CRRR letter is not required, but you can prove that the second one was received.) Even if the credit report only came from one, copy all three.

Allow about another 45 days to give the CRA(s) their maximum 30 investigation time and then to respond to you.

On the dispute letter to the CRAs, I'd show a "cc:" to the CA and to the Federal Trade Commission (it has administrative authority for the FCRA). I'd copy the CA on everything. I expect that you'll start getting the responses that you're looking for.

(BTW, as part of the Papaerwork Reduction Act, the FTC discourages written complaints (and probably handles them more slowly), but the following is a link to submit your FTC complaint electronically (so you even save postage):
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01

 

[TigerD]

I recieved a phone call and letter from a company named Riddle & Associates in Sandy UT January 23rd 2006 for some type of medical bill from 1998 and 2002,

Is that the same medical debt you inquired about SOL for in your first post?

I told them that the debt was not mine, I dont reconize the creditor or purchaser of the account, the same day I wrote them to dispute the debt, I waited until March 10, 2006 for a response and got none, so I wrote a follow up dispute letter along with a copy of the first one and sent it certified mail/return reciept and they signed for it on the 14th of March 2006, no response yet, I pulled my credit report and this is being reported on my credit report.

Okay, you don't understand what is happening here. I am going to explain.
1. You demanded validation from the Collection agency. Fine, that is your right. If you request validation within 30 days of first contact, the CA has to stop collection activity until they get verificaiton of the debt from the OC. That could be as simple as a letter stating, "Yup, she owes it." They then have to send you a copy and can continue collections actions against you.
2. They are not required to respond to you at all.
3. They are not required to remove anything from your credit report. It does have to be reported to the CRAs as disputed, which mollifys debtors and means nothing.
4. Follow Chien's advice and that may help. But I don't necessarily think it will. Here's why:
More than 90 percent of debtor requesting validation are seeking stall tactics and trying to increase the cost of collections. I am specifically not saying that is what you are doing, but we in the business play the numbers and the numbers never lie.

The CA may not respond to you because it doesn't fit their model. They know that you will come to them eventually or they simply sell the account to another CA. However, as long as there is a balance on the acocunt, the CA probably will respond to the CRA investigation, which with respect to Chien may take up to 45 days.

Assuming the CA responds to the CRA, you will have a verified collections account on your credit report marked as in dispute. Your credibility with everyone that looks at your credit report is shot.

Your options at that point - pay the collection account or pay far more in higher insurance, higher costs of borrowing and higher rent ... the lis goes on.

Now, the way to use the system to your advantage is like this:
1. I assume the debt is yours and you are simply looking for an out. That is based on your other posts. If I am wrong, I apoligize and remind you that the advice is still valid - you just need to decide which costs less fighting or paying off.
2. Pay the CA the balance.
3. Wait six months and dispute the tradeline as not yours with the CRAs. The odds are 98 against the CA responding to a CRA investigation when their is no money on the table.
4. No response from the CA = deleted tradeline.

DC

 

[AMom4xGirls]

No it is not the same bill, that one has been paid, what is a deleted tradeline?

and no I am not looking for a way out as you say, I am not a dead beat that dont pay bills but I am not going to pay something that is not mine I know when and where I go to the doctor and I know what I have paid and need to pay, and I assume that being you are called debit collector that is what your job is, and I guess that you never have had any problems paying you bills in your past, but you may in your future so be careful of what you say and do because it may come back to home to you, some of my post are for curosity only after reading other post not knowing what they mean so dont always assume the worse of people.