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phacia2010 · 07-10-2007, 07:10 PM

i went to pull up my credit report from all three bureaus. All my debts that i paid/currently paying off are being reflected on my credit reports. which is good news.

But i found one surprise. On my Transunion report, i found a debt for $77 from RJM Acquisitions. it doesnt say what it's for and it was opened on 10/05. I did some research and I found that they are junk debt buyer but i have no other debt. Some people who have this placed on there credit report have been members of book clubs. i was a member of a book club and didnt pay for a book but that was 10 years ago when i was in high school and I never gave them my social security number!

According to what ive read there's no number to contact them and they never respond to letters. i know i should dispute it with transunion but i've also read that it doesnt take much for a CA to validate it, all they have to do is reply back yes.

I'm not sure what i should do, any help would be greatly appreciated.

joshua1987tree · 07-10-2007, 07:51 PM

Dispute it anyway with the credit bureau. I had a BoA account that was showing as a charge-off, and when I checked my credit report later, I discovered that RJM Acquistions had placed the same account as a collection item. I disputed it because they were reporting the same item as negative, and you can't have the same account reported twice as a derogatory. So it was removed with no fuss.

good.nelly · 07-11-2007, 06:09 AM

You should immediately dispute it with Transunion. Notify the bureau in writing about the negative listing. Provide them the copies of your documents that support your claims. Yes there are many junk debt buyers who report false debts. In this case you can also send a debt validation letter to RJM Acquisitions via certified mail with a return receipt request so you have a proof that they received the letter. If they do not respond to your validation letter within 30 days, then you can write to Transunion that the collector did not validate the debt and request them to delete the negative listing from your report.

phacia2010 · 07-11-2007, 08:33 AM

I dont have any documents support it because this is the first time i've seen it. If it is anything from the past ,it's past the statute of limitations because i've paid/am paying everything that i've opened in the past 5 years. I only started getting credit cards within these 5 years. so whatever it is,it's false or the bookclub/some random thing.

should i just dispute with transunion and say it's not mine and see what happens?

Law Student · 07-11-2007, 04:13 PM

RJM is a joke. Most of the debts they puchase have SOLs which have run long ago. I believe they are in New York. You should 1)file a complaint with the BBB, 2) dispute with the CRAs, 3) file a complaint with the New York AG as well as the one in your state about RJMs fraudulent actions.

Law Student · 07-11-2007, 05:47 PM

I forgot to mention, follow goodnelly's advice. Everything must be in order if later you might want to sue them. The letter demanding validation of the debt should be done first. if the debt isn't on your CR (from the original creditor), the SOL has probably run. Be aware as well, that RJM is not licensed and/or bonded in many states where it tries to collect.

good.nelly · 07-11-2007, 10:11 PM

I hope everything works out and thanks Law student.

07-12-2007, 10:20 AM

you should just PAY the 77 dollars. you already admitted that you didn't pay for the item, so what is it going to hurt you to pay the measly amount? Its a heck of a lot cheaper that suing and paying a lawyer.

cajunbulldog · 07-12-2007, 11:03 AM

Guest why would anyone pay a debt more than ten years old that cannot be litigated or reported to a credit bureau!!! If the agency properly validates the debt and the consumer feels a moral obligation to pay it,then maybe they will.You coming on here and implying a person would get sued over a $77 debt is hilarious since sol is an affirmative defense that would kill the lawsuit completely and open collector to a consumer lawsuit for violations of fdcpa.

texaslawyer · 07-12-2007, 02:16 PM

RJM is using credit reporting as a means of pressuring you into paying on an account that may not be yours. Either way it is far too old to report if 10 years old.

This is a fdcpa violation and you could probably find a lawyer to take the case on a contingency basis. Rather than pay, RJM can then pay you and your lawyer.

That sounds like a great day for everyone.

phacia2010 · 07-12-2007, 05:50 PM

thank you everyone for the advice. As always, i have gone gotten a lot of useful information and it is much appreciated.

I don't even know if this is related to that book club,if it isn't it's completely bogus because i know for sure it's not anything else because i am taking responsibility for my all my debts.

good.nelly · 07-13-2007, 12:32 AM

Hi Phacia

Yes it is definitely your moral obligation to pay off the money you owe. But you are not responsible to pay the debt which you do not owe.

08-07-2007, 08:43 PM

My son just got a letter today stating that they are his new creditor and he owes x amount $ from a previous creditor hthat he never had credit with in the first place and if we chose # 1 they will cut the bill 50% #2 cut it 40 % and make payments #3 make payments is this for real????

cajunbulldog · 08-08-2007, 04:26 AM

As always send them a debt validation letter certified return receipt mail.

skydivr7673 · 08-08-2007, 05:39 PM

No matter what you think this debt is for, you must always validate it. For all you know, this could actually be a simple mixup, or identity theft. Be careful not to assume too much about what this is--they are required by federal law to tell you. If they do not answer a DV letter sent certified mail RRR, then they cannot legally continue trying to collect from you.

And guest, you are seriously smoking something. NEVER simply PAY a debt without actually knowing what that debt is, verifying that it is actually yours, and that the amount is correct. Here's a thought--companies like RJM are not known for their honesty. Let's say, for example, that they tell you the amount owed is $77....so you pay it without validation. THEN, they turn around and say "we made a mistake, the debt is really $931...."

While that is illegal, getting you to make a payment DOES restart the SOL, doesnt it? BE CAREFUL--dont let the CA's get out of their legal obligations. If this is in fact legally your debt, then do pay it, but not until after they have proven it is yours.

Law Student · 08-08-2007, 07:31 PM

Is there a "date of last activity" on the letter your son recieved? Form letters that RJM have been mailing recently have a date on them. Some as far back as the early 1990s. They're counting on people not to know about such things as the SOL, make some payment, and bring it back within the SOL. By the way, if someone "took advantage" of their kind "discounts", later they'd probably come after the full amount anyway.

As I've stated before, RJM is unlicensed and/or unbonded in many states in which it is trying to collect.