Hi : ) It has been a while (like 7 years since I stopped paying my bills) but I am trying to repay my debts. First I wanted to know how to find all my debts. Second a lot of my credit card accounts have gone to collectors, how do I know if those collectors are legit? Is there a way to get help so I don't get scammed. Also if I start to contact them are they going to start harassing me? Should I contact some kind of legal help? Thanks for answering.
2007-09-10 09:56:48 · 4 answers · asked by J.B. 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
I have looked up and gotten my free credit report... and nothing comes up. I am also not being contacted by the creditors anymore. So I don't know where to go to find out all of my debts and if they are legit. lus when I used to get these law offices or collectors after me there was no account info like if it was coming from a Visa Card or a Discover Card and it seems like they got the collections from another collection agency which makes it even more shady.
2007-09-12 05:34:27 · update #1
Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to get a FREE copy of your credit report. It won't list debts that have been delinquent for over 7 years, but it is a good start. When a collector calls, tell them you are requesting WRITTEN verification of the debt under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. Don't even talk to them until you receive the documentation. Once you have documentation, they will settle a 7 year old debt for pennies on the dollar. Before you send a payment, request written acceptance of $X as settlement in full. Then overnight a money order and keep a copy of both money order and settlement letter FOR EVER.
If a collector threatens to sue, tell them to do it. The lawyer will be easier to deal with than the collector. They settle these cases like McDonald's sells hamburgers.
2007-09-10 12:09:45 · answer #1 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, I would start by checking credit reports from all three bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, Equifax). You can get a free copy at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Most collection accounts will be mentioned there, with some contact information. It's always better to contact the original creditor to see where the account resides in the present. Most of the remarks that you see will most likely be legit, if they have taken the time to keep up the negatives reporting.
Links you could use:
http://www.bills.com/credit-questions/
http://www.lexingtonlaw.com/ (for credit repair)
2007-09-10 10:46:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if this was 7 to 10 years ago you do not owe any one that money it is taken of your credit report after 7 to 10 years and you do not have to pay the money any more if it is not on your credit report then do not worry about it. That is how things are taken care of but if it is on your credit report then you can call them and see what you can do to take care of it and no they can not start calling you for the money since you called them but make sure when you talk to them you give them the account number that is by the account on your credit report that you take care of that bill then another bill like it happen to me .
2007-09-16 06:43:01 · answer #3 · answered by kitty450 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
www.helpwithbills.org. They are a pretty good organization, they will be able to help you. There's a number on the website as well. I'm not sure if it's a free service, but I have heard and had very good experiences with them. Good luck!
2007-09-10 10:05:07 · answer #4 · answered by zonkflower 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋