Posted on Jul 16, 2016
How can I resolve a mysterious delinquency / "debt collection" on my spouse's credit report?
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My wife just found out that there is a "debt collection" on her credit report from a medical bill she unknowingly received while covered under Tricare in Germany. The total amount owed is less than $100. She never received any form of notification and was shocked when she discovered it. My question is, would it be better for her to wait the "7 year" period now that she is so close, or should she contact the debt collection company and request they remove it from her credit score if we pay the entire balance?
Finance
Money
Credit Manager
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 6
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First she needs to contact the collection agency and ask them who the original creditor is. then she needs to contact the original creditor to find out when this debt occurred and ask for proof...a copy of the invoice or whatever....I once had the same thing happen and it turned out it was a trip to the Children's emergency room with my youngest son and the Methodist hospital billed me, but the bill should have gone to their father...so I forwarded it to him but he never paid it and the sold it to a collection agency.
second....if they can prove it was truly her bill, then she needs to pay it through the collection agency...
One other thing you can do is go online to the credit bureaus this debt is being reported to and "DISPUTE" this account. The collection agency will be contacted by the bureaus and will have 30 days to respond...afterwards the bureaus will send a letter stating it's either going to stay on as a collection or be removed...if it's staying on, go back online and dispute it. This will take it to the second tier of disputing an account which the bureaus will again contact the creditor, but this time the creditor will have to send in proof...at this point many collections will come off because they don't have actual proof...
if not, just contact the collection agency and set up payment arrangements....you don't have to pay all at once...you can pay over the next 12-24 months. Medical collections will not negotiate, unlike other collections that will let you settle for less than full balance due.
I help my clients on a daily basis with credit issues...many have to be cleared up in order to get qualified for a home mortgage loan...So....I've gotten really good at fixing credit issues.
CSM Charles Hayden ENS (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs TSgt (Join to see) SGT Jerrold Pesz Capt Daniel Goodman
second....if they can prove it was truly her bill, then she needs to pay it through the collection agency...
One other thing you can do is go online to the credit bureaus this debt is being reported to and "DISPUTE" this account. The collection agency will be contacted by the bureaus and will have 30 days to respond...afterwards the bureaus will send a letter stating it's either going to stay on as a collection or be removed...if it's staying on, go back online and dispute it. This will take it to the second tier of disputing an account which the bureaus will again contact the creditor, but this time the creditor will have to send in proof...at this point many collections will come off because they don't have actual proof...
if not, just contact the collection agency and set up payment arrangements....you don't have to pay all at once...you can pay over the next 12-24 months. Medical collections will not negotiate, unlike other collections that will let you settle for less than full balance due.
I help my clients on a daily basis with credit issues...many have to be cleared up in order to get qualified for a home mortgage loan...So....I've gotten really good at fixing credit issues.
CSM Charles Hayden ENS (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs TSgt (Join to see) SGT Jerrold Pesz Capt Daniel Goodman
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I understand, I just thought CFPB might also be useful, obv, as well, many thanks.
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Sgt Kelli Mays
Capt Daniel Goodman - they could submit a complaint through the CFPB, but it can take forever and a day to get something accomplished through them...it's easier and faster to do it on your own
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I understand, it was just a passing thought, honest, I entirely follow your reasoning, by all means, many thanks.
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ENS (Join to see) I've already responded to you personally through the message capabilities here on RP. Since I've been working in this filed for over 37 years I hope that advise provided some clarity. Let me know offline which direction you went in? Thanks
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