metro portfolios inc. Cohen & Slamowitz LLP. is one of the names or owners of Metro Portfolios Inc. This company sued me for $1,582 and put me on to garnishment. I believe iam paying more than the original amount. I am paying more than the original amount in contrast than with my original creditor. Tustin, California

I was not telling this person to lie about not getting validation. However if you read my post I am giving advise to anyone who needs help with collection agencies. I used to work for a collection agency.

You have to agree that not many people know that they can ask for validation of a debt and that the creditor has to respond with in 30 days. Especially when the charges are much more than the original bill. I understand that there are collections fees however in my daughter in laws case a bill of $2000.00 was inflated to $8000.00. Seems to me if you got that bill you WOULD ask for validation, wouldn't you?

I was not trying to give anyone false hope of getting it off of their credit report. However there are many reports of these people Cohen & Slamowitz serving papers to people's previous addresses so they won't have any way of knowing that they even have a court date making it easier for them to get a judgement. Also like the original author states " I am being charged too much for something I was not prepared to pay" So therefore yes he can report to the FTC & The BBB. They will investigate it and this Metro Portfolios Inc, the original creditor and Cohen & Slamowitz if all reported will have to validate this debt even though there was a judgement filed against the author. All he has to do is explain the situation to The FTC & The BBB that he was not in town and how this all came about. Your trying to make it seem impossible for this debt to be removed when it is not. Do you work for the original creditor, Metro Portfolios or Cohen & Slamowitz??? Seems kind of fishy to me! Why would you even waste your time if you are just going to tell them it is impossible? It just doesn't seem like your being much help to the author. All your doing is telling me that I am wrong about what I am giving him advise on what to try.

This person already is going though wage garnishment, which means it has already been in front of a judge. Before this even happened, not only was he notified by the hospital, according to her 3 collection agencies.  On every collection letter it says you have 30 days to dispute a debt or it is considered valid.  Did they request validation then. Even if they did not, they have a piece of paper with there name one it saying it was going into garnishment.  Was the request made then for validation??
I was not scolding the person who did the original report---I was being realistic and giving advice.
It is totally unrealistic to make this person believe that all they have to do is say never got validation of debt and it will come off their credit--it wont happen.

To the original author:  If you dont believe me, make a quick trip to a legal aid or lawyer, they will tell you the same thing.
Forget the validation of debt angle, it will just waste time as you continue to be garnished.

I am sorry but what I said is true. It will be taken off quicker that their heads will spin.

I checked my credit report on Dec 1, 2009. There was an account that was reported that I was disputing and making good faith payments on until the dispute was settled. Just so happens that I made all of my payments up until Dec 1st. This company could not wait to get it on my credit report.

I was hopping mad when I saw that they had reported to the bureaus. I contacted the FTC, BBB and Attorney General. Sorry about the original post I should have mentioned not to contact the Attorney General unless it is a last resort.

BY DEC 2ND I HAD AN ANSWER THAT THEY WOULD BE REMOVING IT FROM MY REPORT. I CALLED THEM THEY EMAILED ME A LETTER. I CONTACTED EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX, & TRANS UNION ON DEC 2, I FAXED OVER ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. THE LETTER, A LETTER OF EXPLANATION, COPIES OF MY RECEIPTS, THE FTC & BBB REPORTS.

BY DEC 3RD IT WAS OFF OF ALL 3 BUREAUS. SO IF THAT IS NOT QUICK ENOUGH THEIR HEADS WILL SPIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS? CAN YOU TELL ME?

SO YES MY METHOD DOES WORK!

IT JUST SO HAPPENS I DO PAY ALL OF MY BILLS ON TIME AND IN FULL. HOWEVER WHEN I MOVED AND DISCO'D MY SERVICE WITH TIME WARNER, & TURNED IN ALL EQUIPTMENT, BOXES, MODEN ETC. I OWED A FINAL BILL OF $130.00 THIS WAS IN APRIL. MAY I RECEIVED A BILL FOR $544.88 FROM TIME WARNER. IT WAS NOT FOR EQUIPTMENT. SO I CALLED THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHY MY BILL WAS SO HIGH. I DISPUTED IT. THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. WELL THEY DID IN JULY...I GOT MY FIRST LETTER FROM CPA. I CALLED THEM. I STATED MY CASE ADVISED I ONLY OWED $130.00 AND THAT I WOULD MAKE GOOD FAITH PAYMENTS UNTIL RESOLVED BUT ONLY IF THEY WOULD KEEP IT OFF OF MY CREDIT REPORTS. WHICH THEY DID. i PAID EVERY MONTH UP TO DEC 1ST WHEN IT WAS PUT ON MY REPORT. SO I LEGITIMATELY DID NOT OWE THE REST OF THE MONEY. I PAID WHAT I OWED. THEY (CPA) EVEN CHARGED ME $4.95 EVERY TIME I MADE A PAYMENT AND ONE TIME $7.50. SO I HAD TO PAY THEM TO PAY THEM! IS THAT FAIR? TAKING IT OFF THE BUREAUS IS THE LEAST THEY COULD HAVE DONE!

I hate to say this, but i have worked with companies and citizens who had gripes and sometimes legitimate complaints about collection agencies and I can tell you the "wait for them to send you validation of debt" is a bad idea.

Yes, you can request it, but every side knows by now that is one of the biggest stall techniques in the world.  You knew about it long before it went to the third agency, and the comment that it will be off your credit before quicker than your head will spin is simply not true. The longer you wait, the worse it gets.

Now, collection agencies will settle with you first of all.  If your insurance (if what you state is true) was canceled completely with no notification to you, I would start with that angle.

The attorney general has got much more important things to deal with than someone who is mad about a medical bill.

Dont waste time with validation of debt because I guarantee you wont win that argument and it certainly wont come off your credit because of it.

My advice to you honestly, and I have spent over 15 fighting against collection agencies and helping people in debt: see what happened with your insurance, see if you cant settle your debt, and let me know what happens.