Collection Agency Woes...

[blas]

I'm so sick and tired of little "mistakes" these places keep making and I am sick and tired of getting nasty-grams in the mail threatening me!!!!!!

Yes, I was naughty. I couldn't afford my medical bills. I could only give them so much a month, and it wasn't enough by their standards. So I was sent to collections.

I was slowly chunking away at it, then when my family was going through my Nana's stuff after she died, they recently found government bonds that she had saved for all of her grandkids and great grandkids. They had matured to about $2000. My parents gave me the green light to use them to pay off my most expensive and detrimental debts.

Looking back now, I realize I made a slight mistake...I meant to pay off my ENTIRE debt to the collection agency, but I messed up what I owed them and what I owed the clinic (which is seperate). But what I paid the collection agency was over HALF of what I owed. I paid that at the end of June, to be July's payment.

It even says on my online bank statement that they received my payment.

But this last Saturday (the 25th) I went to the mailbox and lo and behold, a NASTY-GRAM from them, declaring that I have not paid for July yet and they are demanding double payment this month, and if they do not receive payment by x date, well just imagine what they normally threaten. Oooh, I'm so scared.

I was seeing red though. I DID PAY YOU FOR JULY you incompetent fucks!

Unfortunately, because of the weird hours that this place operates on, I cannot call them until tomorrow later in the morning. I want to get my point across, without being too bitchy or rude.....but I made a payment almost a MONTH ago (and I already paid for June as well earlier that month) and I DO NOT appreciate mistakes like this and threatening letters, especially because on top of making my monthly payments, I made a VERY LUMP payment for July.

[stucksb]

I hate how most collection agencies are run. They're like a form of legal mafia. I have had several that I paid and paid and they kept sending me letters saying that I never paid. I eventually had to threaten legal action before "magically" they found the payments in their database.

[blas]

If they argue it with me, I'll be pretty tempted to say "Ok, sue me then. You won't get very far when the judge sees the copy of my online bank statement where it shows YOUR agency taking $xxx.xx out of my account on July 1st"

[Ellain]

I hear you! I have the same situation- I had to go to the E-Room for a bad infection, and my insurance (after almost a year) still says that it could have been a "pre-existing condition," which they wouldn't be required to pay for. I'm in collections for almost $4000, which I have been trying to pay of while still arguing with that insurance. I've sent the paperwork the insurance says is required for payment 4 times now. They lose it, tell me the wrong stuff to send- argh! I'm going to stop before I descend to quoting colorful phrases from Gravekeeper (because I am just not that creative).

They... are not nice. That can be applied to both the insurance company and the collections agency.

[iradney]

Do you have a receipt? Write a letter saying something along the lines of
"I made $XXX payment on XX Date. See attached the receipt. There is no need for a double payment as monies have already exchanged hands."

Or something like that.

[Geek King]

I've sent the paperwork the insurance says is required for payment 4 times now. They lose it, tell me the wrong stuff to send- argh! I'm going to stop before I descend to quoting colorful phrases from Gravekeeper (because I am just not that creative).

As soon as you can, go looking for the IL state insurance board. Find out how to file a complaint with them, and do so in the best business language you can summon. Tell the truth without embellishment, and provide what records you can about how they are jerking you around. The insurance might not listen to you, but they will take notice if the agency that licenses them to operate in the state starts asking questions.

[taxguykarl]

Unfortunately, because of the weird hours that this place operates on, I cannot call them until tomorrow later in the morning. I want to get my point across, without being too bitchy or rude.....but I made a payment almost a MONTH ago (and I already paid for June as well earlier that month) and I DO NOT appreciate mistakes like this and threatening letters, especially because on top of making my monthly payments, I made a VERY LUMP payment for July.

Don't call--write a letter (or send a fax) with copies of the receipts. Never call a collection agency by phone if at all possible. Correspondance is easier to document if you need to go to the next level (i.e. complaints to regulators including the Federal Trade Commission; the Postal Inspection Service.,your state's Attorney General and every other consumer-protection bureaucracy in the blue pages).

My favorite tactic in this area: Compose the letters to the regulators--be sure to make it clear that you have yet to file those complaints but have not yet. I usually put 'Draft--Not yet sent' as a word art on the first page. Include these draft complaints in your communcation with the collection agency--they'll fold faster than you can pronounce your full name.

[prb]

"Dear Sir/Madam:
With regards to your letter dated _ requesting payment in the amount of $_ for July, 2009, which is double my normal payment amount, please find attached my bank statement copy showing the payment made on _ _, 2009, in the amount of $_. I trust this will be satisfactory to settle the matter of the payment for July, 2009."

[Primer]

what prb said!!

[taxguykarl]

"Dear Sir/Madam:
With regards to your letter dated _ requesting payment in the amount of $_ for July, 2009, which is double my normal payment amount, please find attached my bank statement copy showing the payment made on _ _, 2009, in the amount of $_. I trust this will be satisfactory to settle the matter of the payment for July, 2009."

Looks good to me. Less can be more.

[Golden Phoenix]

Considering my profession i'm gonna stay out of this except to say, if you phone, it's nto the fault of the poor grunt on the other end of the line, it's probably the computer systems going wrong somewhere, don't take it out on someone blameless.

I'd vote for reporting the business as a whole, managment start to pay attnetion when they're threatened by governing bodies.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I've sent the paperwork the insurance says is required for payment 4 times now. They lose it, tell me the wrong stuff to send- argh! I'm going to stop before I descend to quoting colorful phrases from Gravekeeper (because I am just not that creative).

As soon as you can, go looking for the IL state insurance board. Find out how to file a complaint with them, and do so in the best business language you can summon. Tell the truth without embellishment, and provide what records you can about how they are jerking you around. The insurance might not listen to you, but they will take notice if the agency that licenses them to operate in the state starts asking questions.

In writing to the state insurance board, there is a magic phrase you can use that is very effective in getting action, usually in your favor. Start your complaint letter with the words "I petition you to look into my problem," or something similar using the word "petition." It doesn't hurt to also send copies to your state representatives, or your congressmen. I have had good results doing this with a balky health insurance company (in my case they claimed it was an experimental procedure, despite what my doctor said). I used to work for a government agency that had to answer those type of letters.

[bainsidhe]

Do NOT give them a copy of your bank statement. Or at least, make sure you mark out the account number. The collection agency probably already has this information, but why give them a freebie? My sister had collectors calling her day/night/at work/etc and one talked her into an expensive payment plan she couldn't afford. With the way things were said, she thought she was just promising to try and make a certain payment. Yeah, stupid I know. Instead, the collectors took her wishy/washy approval as license to take a large payment directly from her bank account each and every month. She felt deceived, but what they did was perfectly legal. They had her account number from previous payment checks she mailed. So yeah, at least make them work for your banking info.

[blas]

There's the issue. I don't have a receipt, just the confirmation number and my online bank statement. I assume they already have all my info because I make my payments online every month.

I feel the only way it'll work is to call them, because I want to know exactly how much else I DO owe them, the right amount, and that I'm definetly not giving them a double payment, when I already have to make August's payment by the end of this week....they are not getting double and then August's payment....no way!!!

I put it off and didn't do it today, but they will hear about it tomorrow. I'll get home a little earlier tomorrow.

[TheSHAD0W]

I think your bank will provide you with proof of payment on their letterhead by request. Give it a try.