Length of time to expect Paid In Full letter after paying med collect.

I purchased virus removal software online last year and this year when the subscription ran out the company renewed automatically by charging my debit card again. When I called my bank to protest unauthorized charges they told me that since I supplied my debit card number to them that I would have to dispute with the company. I think whoever you talked to at Contract Callers is confusing Credit Cards with Debit Cards.

Judy you should have protested strongly because the fact was, it was an unauthorized use of your card. Think about it, if what the bank told you was true, then anything you pay for with a card gives the merchant free reign to charge it up?

If your bank refuses to acknowledge your complaint, you should put a complaint against your bank to whatever regulates banking in your state and even go federally..what the bank told you is total BS....I'd be afraid to ever use my card if that was the case.

Actually with a lot of those services, when you sign up you give them permission to auto bill you using the credit card you signed up with. Most people do not read the disclosures.

Hi goldenbast.

I thought it odd too but the CSR that I spoke with at the bank insisted. Luckily the company was ethical and it seems I failed to read the fine print. The software company refunded so I did not pursue with my bank.

This is a small banking chain that I no longer do business with. cnbtexas.com

wow...well, good that the company was being ethical....I had something like that happen to me a while back...found out the small print really was small print...couldn't read it with the naked eye...it wasn't until I threatened to sue that I got a refund.

Its sad that some companies purposely try to trick you into added charges you never would have agreed to if you don't have superhuman sight or some such:)

To the OP: Have you paid this yet? If not I STRONGLY urge you to look into the "Hipaa process for collections" (Google it), or at minimum work out a PFD situation BEFORE paying.

to the OP, also. I would have requested something in writing before I even made the payment, advising once I paid the $38 then my account would be PIF and my credit report updated to reflect that. I hate to say, but you might be waiting a long time for the PIF letter. Like: forever.

Get any details of any agreements in writing up front before the payment is even made. If the company wants the payment bad enough, and they are a reputable CA, they should have no problems with this. Yes, it's only $38; however, it could just as easily have been $3800.

As for charges on your debit/check card with your bank. As I understand it, from back when I worked in banking, if that check card has the Visa logo on it, and you did use it like a credit card (IE not entering your PIN like an ATM card) then your bank is obligated to investigate any and all complaints of unauthorized charges you might have. Just as if it were a credit card.

I know some smaller banks may not feel they have to do this. I have even had my credit union attempt to tell me they were "doing me a courtesy" when I filed a complaint of an improper charge on my debit card; however, I told them they were not doing a "courtesy", they are required under Visa regulations to investigate my claim.

Again, I haven't worked in banking in over 10 years so things may have changed, so if I'm incorrect about this someone please let me know.

There is a $54 collection on my husbands CR and I CMRRR a PDF to them and today got their response. They said no. I offered to pay the full amount if they would delete their tradeline and the letter they wrote said it is against fdcpa law but they will report the debt as paid in full as soon as payment is received.

This was my first attempt at trying to straighten up our credit. Does anyone know anything about this being against FDCPA law or are they just jerking me around over $54?

Judy--is this a medical collection?

Judy--also have you sent a DV letter to them?

Yes, its a medical bill that somehow got past us during my husbands illness.
I have sent a DV to them. I only sent the PFD which they denied, saying its against the law. I don't beleive that but thought I'd ask here just in case.
They're jerking me around right?

I'm sorry, I'm shaking I'm so mad. I meant to say that I have NOT sent a DV to them. Sorry....

Here's my letter so far. I need an ending. Should I DV? Am I admiting too much before getting validation?


Dear NAME,

I received your letter dated January 5th and was disappointed that we were not able to settle this quickly.

This small debt was overlooked during my illness and I only recently became aware of it. I would like very much to clear this from my credit report as I am sure you would like to clear from your books. However, paying this unknown debt at this late date and for it to still remain on my credit report would not benefit me the slightest. $54.00 may not be much to your company but it is $54 that I could apply to my other medical bills with companies that are willing to work with me.

If you believe that removing your tradeline from my credit report is illegal then I beg you to reread the FDCPA. As a matter of fact, your letter to me is a violation of the FDCPA (deceptive tactics/misrepresenting the law).

Go to myfico.com, then find the link for "ficoforums", in the search area type in HIPAA

You should be able to get it removed if you follow this process outlined exactly.

Thank you so much! This is what I'm going to do tomorrow so if this isn't right, stop me! lol

I'm going to send $53 to the OC (Hospital) for this debt and then I guess wait? for it to show as a paid collection and then dispute it citing HIPAA.

I won't mail my letter but it sure did make me feel better by writing it.

Do not send the letter you have, as you could lose certain rights you have under this procedure (it really would have been best for you not to send the PFD letter before, as you were communicating w/the CA, but it's already done. You never want to even contact the CA for medical debts either by phone or letter, you can deal w/the OC though).

Just make sure you follow what's outlined in the post under the "Rebuilding your credit" forum called "Medical Collections & The HIPAA Letter Process (w/HappyDays)".

I have visited the fico forum you told me about and read alot today. I will fully understand it this weekend before I act again. I appreciate your direction.

In today's mail another CA over yet another medical bill (this time $83) declined my offer of full paymt. to remove their tradeline. I also had a collection letter from a completely new collection agency (another medical bill) that is not on my hubby's CR yet.

Do these guy communicate or something? It seems that since I started this last week that they are starting to come out of the woodwork. This time the bill is bigger, over $400.

All colecction agencies do that cause you get 60 days to dispute the charge with you company and have payment reversed and then you have the paid in full letter and the money

Hew, this topic is from 2009 but to jump on the bandwagon:

never, ever,ever,ever pay a collection with your debt/credit/check...that is just inviting trouble. Always pay by cashier's check or money order to protect your banking information. PLUS you have the added benefit that they can't claim the 60 days....you can't dispute a cashier's check or a money order.