Merchants Credit Guide - CFB Financial III, I Googled 888-239-1037 and found out I may of saved myself a crap load of incoming calls Chicago Illinois

do you have any proof that this debt was paid to the collection agency's before they sold it to another?

was it a settlement amount you paid or the entire amount due?

The reason I ask is all collection agency that settle for less, will sell the balance, to another, that's how these low lifes are.

If you got proof that the entire amount was paid to the first collection agency, send 1 letter to valaidate the debt along with the proof to this new collection agency. if they continue to try and collect from you, sue both these collection agency in court.

look up the statute of limitation in florida, its 5 years on a written contract.

paying this now, will show a paid collection, so it will still hurt your credit score, when your clean up your credit, you want at best items removed.

also if you have proof this was paid, contact the electric company and see if they ever got any money. the first collection agency should of been collecting for them. most collection agency that are collecting for the original creditor, never forward the payment to them, leaving the collection on your credit report to appear as if you never paid.

collector never go away the worst then a STD.

when you disputed this with the credit bureaus did you enclose proof that this was paid?

This company will do everything it can to get this money from you, even make promises that won't keep. there best will be that the 110.00 you already paid, shows that you made a payment but you still have a balance, how are we going to take care of that today.

Karen, Ms. Merchants, will be along shortly to tell you, you should just go ahead and pay and get it over with, there's really nothing you can do, you don't have any recourse here.

Listen to the advice Steve and P, have given others on how to deal with collection agency's

GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S

Tell them to validate by

. What the money you say I owe is for;
? Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe;
? Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe;
? Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable;
? Identify the original creditor;
? Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account
? Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state
? Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent


1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period.

2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon.

3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER ? TYPE YOUR NAME

4. Keep a copy of every letter you send.

5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest.

6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out ..


SAMPLE LETTER FROM ONLINE PRIVACYRIGHTS ORGANIZATION TO DISPUTE DEBT

Your Name
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip

Date

Name of Collection Agency
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip

Re: Dispute of Collection Action: Case # ________

[If the collection agency has sent written notice, your case number is likely in the letter. If you have not received a written notice from the collection agency, tailor this line accordingly. For example, show the date you were contacted by the collection agency and/or identify the creditor by name if you can.]

To [person whose name appears on agency's notice to you]:

On [date] I was contacted by [name of person who called you] of your agency, who informed me that [name of collection agency] is attempting to collect [amount of claimed debt]. This individual is collecting on behalf of [name of creditor]. [OR] This individual would not tell me for whom you are supposed to be collecting.

[OR]

On [date] I received a written notice of the claimed debt, a copy of which is attached.

This is to inform you that I dispute the debt because [insert reason for dispute, e.g. the agency has confused you with someone else or the debt was paid. Include copies, not originals, of any correspondence that proves your point]. I am hereby requesting that you confirm the fact that I owe this debt as required by any applicable state and federal laws. Please contact the creditor to obtain verification.

In addition, under the provisions of state and federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and related consumer statutes, I am hereby instructing you that you are to cease collection of the debt while efforts are made to obtain verification. Until you resolve this error with the creditor, you should neither contact me nor anyone else except the creditor about this collection.

Furthermore, any reporting of this matter to a credit reporting agency is premature. Until you have investigated my dispute, you should not relay negative information to a credit reporting agency. If negative information has already been reported, you will need to notify the agency to remove said report until the investigative process is over so that my credit report remains accurate, or at the very least, my credit report should be updated to reflect my dispute.

Your next contact with me should be either notice that the creditor has failed to provide verification of the debt and that the matter has been closed or that you believe that this debt is valid and are providing proof of my responsibility. If the former, please confirm that I am not being held responsible for the debt in writing and also that if the account has already been noted on my credit report, that you will contact the bureau(s) in question to have the account removed. If the latter, I expect that you will provide me with an explanation as to why you have decided not to remove this account from collections and a copy of all documents relevant to the debt such as the application, bills, records of communications and payments, and any other data that indicates my responsibility.

I am instructing you not to contact any third parties such as my employer, neighbors, friends or family members. In addition, you may not contact me by phone at work or at my home about this collection activity. All future correspondence should be sent to me in writing.

[If you want to still speak to a collector by phone, indicate times when it is okay to contact you or note the name, address, and phone number of your attorney, if you have retained one.]

I look forward to your acknowledgement that you have received this notice by [date that is two weeks from date of letter].

Sincerely,

PRINT OR TYPE YOUR NAME DO NOT SIGN