I need advice for dealing with a collection agency. Please help.

[The Absurdist]

Very long story short. I have a credit card that I haven't used in over a year, just show up in collections. I got a letter today saying to call this collections agency (CA) and take care of it. My guess is that the Credit Card Company (CCC) assessed me a yearly membership fee or some other BS charge, and since I wasn't using the card, and consequently forgot it existed, the account started accruing late fees and interest. As of right now, they say I owe around $350.

I called the CA and said I didn't know anything about this, and needed verification of what the charges were for, when they were placed, what the interest was being applied to, etc. They said they don't have access to the information, and told me to contact the CCC. So I called the CCC, and after a couple hours of getting the run around, the account rep told me that they don't have access to information on any account that goes back farther than six (6) months. I said you've got to be kidding, if you don't have access to this info than who the hell does?

I ws told to submit a written request for information to the corporate headquarters and that they would forward me copies of the information on the account. The guy at the CA was actually, cool and helpful, and told me to submit a request for verification, but he also cautioned me that the clock is ticking on the account and that it will continue to accrue interest even while I attempt to find out what is going on.

What is the best way to handle this situation without getting ripped off/screwed? I have done some searching around and have a debt verification letter that sounds very professional and lawyerly that I am going to send to both the CCC and the CA, via certified mail. Is there anything else I can do to protect my credit or to resolve this more effectively.

And please, no flaming about how dumb I was not to handle it earlier, I already know that. What can I do starting now to resolve this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jba]

send the debt verification letter. stop using the phone, do everything via certified mail. check your credit report to see what's on there and who it's from. offer to settle for half, and they remove the mark from your credit.

btw you should be regularly monitoring your report, you would have found out about this months ago.

[CardMinger]

DO NOT OFFER TO SETTLE FOR HALF

more info to follow...

[Cubswin]

The debt is already in collections so do NOT contact the credit card company. Do NOT speak with anyone from the CA on the phone and do NOT provide them any information at this time. Forget your lawyerly letter and write a letter to the CA that simply states:

"I dispute your claim. Please only contact me by mail."

Do not do anything else until you get a written response from the CA.

[gonebroke2]

[ QUOTE ]
The debt is already in collections so do NOT contact the credit card company. Do NOT speak with anyone from the CA on the phone and do NOT provide them any information at this time. Forget your lawyerly letter and write a letter to the CA that simply states:

"I dispute your claim. Please only contact me by mail."

Do not do anything else until you get a written response from the CA.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good advice. It is up to the CA to contact the credit card company to prove the debt is valid.

[Emperor]

1. Dispute the claim via a certified letter, and request that they communicate via mail only. Is there any chance someone got the numbers to your card?

2. Check your credit, and dispute the claim if it is on your credit report. Write a letter to the credit agencies explaining situation.

[Moseley]

Demand in writing, to the CA, that:
1. proof that the debt is yours.
2. you want an accounting of the debt balance.
3. Advise them to only contact you in writing. All your correspondence should be certified mail, return receipt requested.
4. Advise them that you are disputing the legitimacy of the debt with the credit reporting agencies, and do so.
5. Advise them that if you do not receive the requested info and they continue to try and collect the debt with dunning letters, or call you, or report the debt to the credit agencies, that you will contact the Attorney General.
Many CA are using illegal tactics and many AGs are cracking down on them.
6. Keep a chronological history of all actions you take and the responses you receive.
7. Copy the CCC, and advise the CA that you are doing so, on all contact you make with the CCC.
8. Do not admit that the debt is yours in any correspondence and that you are only disputing the balance.
Always remind them that they have neither proved the debt is yours, nor provided you an accounting of how they arrive at the balance.

Be advised that I am not an attorney, therefore, my suggestions should not be considered as legal advise. Therefore, no reference to my attempt to provide legal advise in this post, without a license can be assumed.

[Ray Zee]

dont do anything in writing. just call the credit agency and tell them you dispute the claim and will do nothing further with them.
most times they will drop it as they dont want to spend their money on a worthless claim.
if you fell you owe the money pay it. if not dont give them a red cent.