Posted on: 13th May, 2008 09:26 pm
I had an account with Cingular home phone and a cell
phone no roaming charges! was in Az looking for a home in 1974-on &/11/04 I received a call my father had passed away.
I called a relative and asked "call everyone in Chicago. I will do the long distance, I have free roaming".Cingular/SBC
sent me a huge bill/I called Cingular said "the rep misinformed you,You don't have free roaming". I paid my home phone bill and disputed the cell-the company did not budge,nor did I. It has gone to a collection agency, FINAL BILL
AND THEY HARRASE me night/day and weekends. They are offering me hslf. I think 1/3 is fare ($150). How do I do this and not have it on my credit report?
phone no roaming charges! was in Az looking for a home in 1974-on &/11/04 I received a call my father had passed away.
I called a relative and asked "call everyone in Chicago. I will do the long distance, I have free roaming".Cingular/SBC
sent me a huge bill/I called Cingular said "the rep misinformed you,You don't have free roaming". I paid my home phone bill and disputed the cell-the company did not budge,nor did I. It has gone to a collection agency, FINAL BILL
AND THEY HARRASE me night/day and weekends. They are offering me hslf. I think 1/3 is fare ($150). How do I do this and not have it on my credit report?
Welcome sevengrace,
As per the Fair Debt Collection Act, the collection agencies cannot call you at any time of the day. Moreover they just cannot harrass you this way, it's against the law. They need to give you a debt validation letter too. And if you think they're asking for more than you should pay, then request them to send you the DV letter.
As per the Fair Debt Collection Act, the collection agencies cannot call you at any time of the day. Moreover they just cannot harrass you this way, it's against the law. They need to give you a debt validation letter too. And if you think they're asking for more than you should pay, then request them to send you the DV letter.
I will write and get the debt validation leter and hopefully settled it once and for all. Thanks again. I will keep your quote and share it with other it is
so true. I will act on this. because I like peace and success.
so true. I will act on this. because I like peace and success.
Hi sevengrace,
I think Adonis has given you very good suggestion. If you feel that the collection agency is asking more than what you owe then request them to provide a debt validation letter. After that pay the due debt off. It will have a good effect on your credit as you are paying the due debt.
Best of luck,
Larry
I think Adonis has given you very good suggestion. If you feel that the collection agency is asking more than what you owe then request them to provide a debt validation letter. After that pay the due debt off. It will have a good effect on your credit as you are paying the due debt.
Best of luck,
Larry
Larry and Adonis have given you some good information. Unfortunately this will not necessarily stop the phone calls. You will need to notify them in writing (possibly more than once) for this to happen.
In the letter you can specify they only contact you by mail in the future. It is sometimes difficult to get this sort of letter to the right person...ask for the name, etc of that person. If you get a not-so-helpful CSR just hang up & call again until you get the information you need. You can get a sample of this letter at "http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/letters/" There are many more sample letters available on this site which may be of assistance.
When dealing with a creditor/collection agency you want to get as as much as possible in writing (all of these letters can be FAXed back & forth) and keep copies of everything!
By the way, you can also get a letter requesting debt verification and letters proposing payment options & amounts for debt settlement on this site.
Good Luck, I know these guys can make themselves more than a pain.
In the letter you can specify they only contact you by mail in the future. It is sometimes difficult to get this sort of letter to the right person...ask for the name, etc of that person. If you get a not-so-helpful CSR just hang up & call again until you get the information you need. You can get a sample of this letter at "http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/letters/" There are many more sample letters available on this site which may be of assistance.
When dealing with a creditor/collection agency you want to get as as much as possible in writing (all of these letters can be FAXed back & forth) and keep copies of everything!
By the way, you can also get a letter requesting debt verification and letters proposing payment options & amounts for debt settlement on this site.
Good Luck, I know these guys can make themselves more than a pain.
the easiest way to get debt collectors off your phone is to pay the bill that you owe. i understand that you went through the dispute process; but it was unsuccessful as you noted. as a result, the collectors are certainly within their rights to seek payment. adonis is correct that there are times of day that you allowed and not allowed; but you didn't state that to be your issue.
the best advice you got is to finalize the balance owed, settle it and move on. your credit report will be the better for the repayment.
the best advice you got is to finalize the balance owed, settle it and move on. your credit report will be the better for the repayment.
Although I have creditors calling me also and I hate it, I have to admit to myself also, that its true if you really want to get the creditors off your back and save your credit you need to pay them, or make some sort of payment arrangement.
Lynnette you also forgot to mention that anything you mail to them you should have it sent by certified mail. You can mail letters all day long that they "might loose" but if you send it certified you'll be able to go online and print off a copy of their signiture stating that they recieved your letter.
Best of luck...
Best of luck...
Hi sevengrace,
You can send a Cease and Desist letter to the collection agency thereby requesting them to stop the harrasing calls. This is in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Also ask them to give you some time so that you can gather the funds and pay off the bills. It's better to pay off or else you never know when the bills would amount to a bigger amount.
As for a sample of the Cease and Desist letter, you may check it out at "http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/template-cdletter.html" .
Good luck
Good luck
You can send a Cease and Desist letter to the collection agency thereby requesting them to stop the harrasing calls. This is in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Also ask them to give you some time so that you can gather the funds and pay off the bills. It's better to pay off or else you never know when the bills would amount to a bigger amount.
As for a sample of the Cease and Desist letter, you may check it out at "http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/template-cdletter.html" .
Good luck
Good luck
I just wish that my call block would work, but they have so many numbers that they use that you can not possibly keep up with them all. It gets really annoying.
they normally use the numbers on your credit report. A good way for them to stop calling you is to pay up!
A lot of ppl make the calls stop but that's when the doorknock comes. If you owe a lot of money they will somebody to serve you to bring you to court.
A lot of ppl make the calls stop but that's when the doorknock comes. If you owe a lot of money they will somebody to serve you to bring you to court.
I don't owe alot, in fact the bills that I have that were in collection status are all paid up, they were never a lot of money.
My struggle is the daily grind of the gas prices and the rise in grocery and other costs that are on the rise because of the rising gas cost.
My struggle is the daily grind of the gas prices and the rise in grocery and other costs that are on the rise because of the rising gas cost.
jbarto..I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes its not that a person doesn't want to pay, its that they can't. I know I have a bill over 5 years old that I would love to settle. They don't call alot..a few times here and there and then quit. I just wish I could afford to even pay something but I, like you just have nothing to give. For crying out loud I was in the grocery store last week and put back a bag of sugar, all the while hoping I had enough for another week. This gas craziness has really got to end. I just don't know how we are going to get by if it keeps at this price.
We are all feeling the crunch of the high gas price that is for sure, unfortunately bill collectors don't care about this, they are only concerned that you pay the money that they say that you owe.
Keep in mind that the cease and desist order well work with a collection agency, but will not work if it is an original creditor, they have a right to call and try and collect there debt and do not have to abide by some of the laws that apply to the collection agencies, so make sure that you distinguish weather or not you are dealing with the original creditor or the collection agency.
Probably the only way to stop the calls is to pay the bill and get it over with. It will also raise your credit score if the bill is paid before it is wiped off your report.
Keep in mind that the cease and desist order well work with a collection agency, but will not work if it is an original creditor, they have a right to call and try and collect there debt and do not have to abide by some of the laws that apply to the collection agencies, so make sure that you distinguish weather or not you are dealing with the original creditor or the collection agency.
Probably the only way to stop the calls is to pay the bill and get it over with. It will also raise your credit score if the bill is paid before it is wiped off your report.
You are absolutely right about the cease and desist not being an option for the original creditor, I wonder why no one mentioned it before, Maybe they are thinking that they will go away. Hopefully anyway.
Actually this is the best time to handle any problems or complaints while the debt is still with the original creditor, once it is out of their hands and into a collection agency it is like your pleas fall on deaf ears. Collection agency do not believe you no matter what proof that you try and provide them, all they care about is collecting.
If this is happening to you, then you are better off writing all your correspendence in two fold, always send a copy to the original credit also. If the bill or collection activity is not too old, you may still have a chance of getting it straightened out with the original creditor. Once the bill starts to age, then your chances get slimmer and slimmer as your fees start to go through the roof.
Getting bills caught and continueing to keep them caught up can be challenging once you get behind, you should only take out bills that you can afford and try to pay them all on time.
If this is happening to you, then you are better off writing all your correspendence in two fold, always send a copy to the original credit also. If the bill or collection activity is not too old, you may still have a chance of getting it straightened out with the original creditor. Once the bill starts to age, then your chances get slimmer and slimmer as your fees start to go through the roof.
Getting bills caught and continueing to keep them caught up can be challenging once you get behind, you should only take out bills that you can afford and try to pay them all on time.