Debt Validation..Is this enough?

Most of what you asked for is a bunch of BS and not required by FDCPA. If they were able to send you statements, showing your account activity for the past 9 months, I suggest you settle with them.

Thanks for the response.
If what they showed is proof enough, what is the validity of asking for a "Pay to Delete" for all of my credit reports. I know that I would have to do this in writing, but has this ever been done successfully to anyone's knowledge?

The infamous pay for delete...they just dont happen. Did you read about it at the same place you got the basis for the dv letter?

Pay for deletes are basically goodwill....goodwill extended to a good customer they want back. For a good customer they might delete a few lates. For a charge off? They have nothing to gain....they dont want you back as a customer since you couldnt pay your bill. Most companies have a policy of no pay for deletes...the costs in labor hours is just too expensive for them and they get no benefit.

FYI...no CA is going to negotiate thru the mail.

Yes, I did hear about the Pay to Delete from the same place I got the body of the DV letter. But, it is also discussed in this forum.

Question 1: What harm would it do for a collection agency agree for a pay to delete? They get their money, I get it off my CR.

Question 2: How do I negotiate with a CA, if not by mail? I have no way to record calls, as recordings are always distorted. If it came down to it, it would be my word against theirs.

Negotiate over the phone but get your final agreement in writing.

It's of no benefit to a CA to delete it if they're settling for less. However, it can be a good bargaining chip for you IF you are willing to pay the balance in full.

My last question is about settling for a lesser amount. Do the CAs not pay pennies on the dollar for these debts? Even if I offer less, they are still getting something, would it not be worth it for them to get some money, if not all of it?

It really depends. If it's a JDB, yep...they paid almost nothing and it would probably be pretty easy to get them to settle but, why would you bother if they can't validate?

If it's a CA who's been assigned by the OC, they may have some docs to back up their efforts.

How old is this debt?

It's a new debt, and according to your response to my OP yesterday, they did validate. I got a 9 page print out of my last 3 months activity from the OD, and you responded that it was enough.

What I said yesterday was that if they were able to produce statements for the past 9 months of activity, you should settle. It's highly likely they have the proper validation or will easily be able to get it from the OC.

When you say this is a "new debt," what are you saying exactly? Are you saying this is a CA working on behalf of the original creditor? Has this account been charged off? Does the original creditor still own it and they're assigning it to CAs or is this a CA who has purchased your debt?

Debt verification, per FDCPA 809(b), is not a process of proving the legitimacy of the debt. It is a process for validating that the OC asserts a debt, that the debt collector has collection authority, the name of the OC, and the amount of the asserted debt.
The debt collector need not provide OC account documents in order to satisfy the debt verification requirements of FDCPA 809(b). They dont have those business records as a normal course of business.
Proof of legal legitimacy of a debt can be obtained as part of the legal discovery process should any legal proceeding be initiated, but is not a requirement in the administrative debt verification process under the FDCPA.