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Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:54 am Subject: Validation Letters

If I am sending in a validation letter regarding a debt I supposedly have, do I send that to the original company or the collection agency? I received something from Palisades Collections regarding an AT&T account that I "owe" $76.81. Because the company is no longer around, since they were purchased by Cingular, I'm trying to figure out who the letter needs to be sent to.

Guest · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:56 am Subject:

I don't believe the original company does not have to validate debt, they do not have the same guidelines to follow. The validation letter needs to go to Palisades. FYI...the collectors at Palisades are a bunch of idiots. Good luck.

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:10 am Subject:

Seeing as how Palisades, according to the threads I've read, seem to have the reputation of having the work ethic of a fat pig lying in the mud (I apoligize to the fat pigs for the insinuation), should the tone to my validation letter be a harsh one?

Guest · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:13 am Subject:

Not necessary to be harsh, just use one of the sample validation letters on this forum, there are lots of threads containing it, and you can find it under the free forms.

The original creditor has the original contract, therefore they do not have to validate if you send them a letter. If they report inaccurate info to the bureaus, then you dispute to the bureaus usually. The original creditor is not considered a collector/collection agency though, so their guidelines are different.

Guest · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:15 am Subject:

I guess you could probably ask the original creditor for validation, but it would be kinda silly, they will just send you a copy of your contract.

If they are billing the wrong person, that is easy to fix, you would not need a debt validation letter for that. It would probably serve no purpose. Maybe I am wrong.

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:04 pm Subject:

Send it to Palisades.

AT&T / Cingular has apparently been scamming lots of people claiming debts of small amounts of money, I'm preparing to file suit against them, myself, as well as their collection agency NCO (I've already got a suit filed against their other one, BCR).

If you send a demand for verification you probably won't get anything back from Palisades, they'll just switch to another agency (to whom you'll have to send another demand for validation letter).

Keep track of all contact with those [url=http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/collection-agencies/]collect ion agencies[/url] in case you need to file suit under the [url=http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/fdcpa.html]fdcpa[/url]. If they take any action at all to collect, even calling you on the phone, that's a violation, and the Act provides up to one thousand dollars in statutory damages plus attorneys' fees per violation.

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:11 pm Subject:

VLD is right. If you browse this forum you can see lots of similar stories. Send out the request for validation.

VLD, correct if I'm wrong, there is no such time limit for the collection agency to validate the debt, but they cannot start collection activities unless they validate it.

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:58 pm Subject:

Just wanted to thank ya'll for the information you've given me. Now I just have to maintain my composure while I script my validation letter.

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:27 pm Subject:

Okay, it looks like I was wrong. The former creditor was Palisades Collection LLC. Now it's been turned over to allied interstate. Does anyone have any information on this company? The CA I spoke with yesterday was a pompous hole in a dark place(use your imagination). I was told by the CA that it didn't matter what research I did, I'd still have to pay it, so I might as well get it over with now. Grrrrr.....

mwtx · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:48 pm Subject:

Virginia-Legal-defense,

Sprint and AT&T have also been scamming people who never used their services through Cavalry Portfolio, a junk debt buyer.

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:08 am Subject:

Curlycarl: you're right - no time limit to respond to a demand for validation of debt; but a debt collector may not take any action whatsoever to collect without having first responded with information compliant with the act. (They can't just send a wad of paper and claim that's a response.)

mwtx: interesting. (I've switched to Verizon myself; they;ve had a good bit of problems, but I've always gotten a courteous, cheerful human on the phone who fixed the problems promptly. And like I say, I'll be suing ATT/Cingular.) But, of course, a junk debt buyer is still a "debt collector".

Lonnis: just send your demand for verification to the new collection agency. You don't have to talk to those people, and you can put it in your letter that they're not to contact you again.

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:01 pm Subject:

If the company refuses to validate the debt and then decides to turn the "debt" over to another company, at what point do I have recourse against these companies?

Guest · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:25 pm Subject:

allied interstate will not validate the debt. And they are a bunch of jerks. They will also continue to harrass family members, and try to get as much info from you as they can. Do not give them any info other than verifying what they have on file. I did send them a letter telling them not to call me, to only contact me in writing, so far they have honored that. They just never validated the debt.

Guest · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:28 pm Subject: Allied Interstate addresses

They have tons of branches all over:

allied interstate, Inc. , 12655 N. Central Expressway Dallas TX 75243- , (800) 447-2934

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 3000 Corporate Exchange Drive Columbus OH 43231- , (614) 901-7988

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 340 Interstate Parkway Atlanta GA 30339- , (800) 447-2934

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 435 Ford Rd., 800 Interchange West Minneapolis MN 55426- , (800) 447-2934

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 31229 Cedar Valley Dr. Westlake Village CA 91362- , (800) 447-2934

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 14550 Torrey Chase, Ste. 550 Houston TX 77014- , (800) 256-0651

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 3200 Northline Ave., Suite 160 Greensboro NC 27408- , (800) 447-2934

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 55 North Arizona Place, Ste. 505 Chandler AZ 85225- , (480) 722-7810

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 15 Hazelwood Drive, #102 Amherst NY 14228- , (716) 691-1320

Allied Interstate, Inc. , 3111 South Dixie Highway, Suite #101B West Palm Beach FL 33405- , (561) 671-2121

mwtx · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:03 pm Subject:

Guest,

Virginia-Legal is right. These companies don't have any timeline to send you varification (except in Texas where it is 30 days). Generally this type of company will just pass the debt around collector to collector hoping for some success.

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:16 am Subject:

Answer is, no, you have no recourse. You just keep sending demands for validation to every new debt collector who contacts you.

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