Ok...this is a long story so i'll try to shorten it. Long ago (about 2 years) i made a charge on a Target card for $30. I couldn't pay, they wouldn't let me pay because they insisted for months that i had a 0 balance!! so i forgot about it then all of a sudden Target realized they made a mistake and charged me for $169 and almost instantly they sold the debt because the account accumulated fees and charges plus interest. So now advanced recovery is after me. Now...I asked them for debt verification and i get a settlement letter in the mail. they want $101 and will consider the matter paid in full. Now...is that letter their debt verification? what should I do? i'm a little confused. I'm very uncomfortable paying them certainly with a check. could i be sued? I wouldn't think so as I just got this letter
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Well, some collection agencies will sue at the drop of a hat. Many wont for $169. At least from the ones I have seen.
To answer your question about the verification. No, they didn't verify, AT ALL.
Just because they sent you something in the mail indicating that you owe them X dollars and will settle for X dollars doesnt mean squat.
If it was me (and I had the $30), I would contact Target, again, explain everything and make some sort of arrangement to settle this matter in full...
One time I moved and forgot all about a cable bill until I saw it on one my CRs. I simply called them up, made arrangements and paid up. They were happy and I was happy.
Once I received the receipt of payment in FULL, I fired off a letter with a copy of the receipt and basically told the collection agency to go pound sand. Lo and behold, they were off my CR...
This may or maynot work for you...
Have you tried contacting target directly? I thought you said that you had in an earlier posting, but I may be wrong.
Wow Sun...you make me feel better for sure. I was always under the impression that once a CA got your debt that you cannot talk tot he original creditor as they probably charged it off on taxes as lost income and they sold exclusive rights to the collection agency. thank you also for answering my question. I get so confused sometimes on the debt forum, despite it being a great resource I didn't know what constituted a validation from a CA, though there are numerous templates for requesting debt validation.
good I haven't lately just because I was under the impression that once ARS has the debt it's theirs to do what they want with it. I did initially though. so now what would you guys do with this settlement letter? should i make arrangements? think i should still contact Target despite this being 1 year under the CA?
I would certainly call Target... That would be the VERY FIRST THING I would do. It could never hurt.
If they say "Nope, its out of our hands." If that happens I would continue to work up the chain at Target (keep asking for supervisors etc) till I exhausted all avenues with Target. At the end of all of that and they still say you have to talk to the ca, then do it.
Then you have two choices play hard ball or just pony up and settle with them.
If you decided to pony up and settle MAKE SURE they (CA) will accept the agreement in writting. Make sure on that paper you received from them that they will not sell the balance to some other bottom feeding, monster eating Junk Debt Buyer (JDB). Also on that paper, make sure they will note on your cr that the account has been paid as agreed.
Ok, I will work on this...
thank you very much for the advice. hopefully this will be resolved soon as I would much rather work with Target than the CA
Hey debt let us know how things go ok? sounds like retail cards are murderous, i go to the mall quite a bit and get hit each and every time to sign up for their cards and you save 10% blah blah blah. what they don't realize is that i know that unless i pay off that purchase that 10% saved does me no good cause they'll get more and then some from the interest they put on you. My sister is having a horrible time with some retail cards very high interest. I think Dell is charging up and over 25%! she pays more than the minimum and maybe $5 or so goes to the principal
hey desiree!!
I hear you about promotions at the various stores in malls.
What most people don't realize is that if they accept the offer, the company offering the card in return does a HARD pull on their credit... Which drops their score.
Also, if a person takes several of these promotional deals and their current cards happened to discover this, they could jack the interest rate way up ultimatley crippling the card holder.
I am just speaking of personal experience. Something that happened to me back in 01 or so. That's when I started to get in a credit mess. Today, 5-6 years later, I am finally digging out of that terrible hell hole...
So, in short, hope everyone out there is VERY careful not to be lured into these so called deals!!
Peace,
SunDevilsFan
Hey Sun, thanks for the info. I'm still learning about the credit information. read the debt forum posts but don't post myself because i'm more comfortable here. I don't wanna post unless i can lend some support of some sort or contribute something intelligently.
I didn't know about hard credit inquiries until recently. There's lots of consequences to taking those offers that are so appealing. I didn't know that the existing cards could do that to you though if you take advantage of promotional deals scary!!!!
I sure hope that you and everyone are back on track or well on their way!
I used to sign up for those cards under alias's just to get the free gifts, LOL. I would never put down the correct social security information. Just dont have alot of trust there.
Oops aliases?? Just for free gifts? Thats exciting :). I have not tried that just that I avoid the promotional offers.
You better be CAREFULL!!!!!