Advance America Collections
Date: Tue, 01/17/2012 - 18:50
I could use your help on another PDL collection issue I'm having. I'm slowly working my way out of the PDL cycle that arose from some urgent medical bills. I fell behind in everything.
I took out a PDL with Advance America, which is legal in Florida. No issues there. I paid half of it, leaving a balance of about $220. Again, this $220 balance is legit and I intend on paying it. Unfortunately, while I was going back and forth with AA trying to work out terms, I was sent off to collections. I didn't have the money at the time and they did what they had to do, I don't really blame them.
AA informed me that they sent my account over to DMP and that I would need to take the matter up with them. I never could get through to anyone at the DMP number that they provided, so I waited and figured I'd be contacted soon enough.
Yesterday, I recieved a call from a company called Federal Check Processing. The voicemail was something along the lines of they are ready to press "fraud against a federal financial institution" due to a worthless check I wrote off of my personal account (refering to the NSF on the last AA payment.) So, I call these yahoos back. The lady ("investigator") told me that they could see my initial payment and had a balance due of $220 and they would be willing to hold off on pressing charges if I were to agree to terms with them. Good news is, I'm well read enough not to fall for their scare tactics and asked for a validation. Quite honestly, I never heard of these guys and don't plan on paying anyone I don't have to.
Now here are a series of red flags that popped up in all of this:
1. Their validation letter was for $413, almost double what we spoke about on the phone and almost double what I believe to be owed. No mention of the $220 that is actually owed or was discussed.
2. This was not the company that AA informed me that I would be dealing with.
3. The sheer number of threats and incinuated threats that I knew they could never follow up on were amazing (ie, they kept stressing "Federal" as if they were a government agency.")
4. They are not a licensed agency in Florida.
Well, I called them back today to clear some of this up. The investigator claimed that they were not in Florida and did not have to be licensed here and that they were actually doing me a favor by settling for a lower price (basically waiving percieved interest). She did agree to send out a letter basically stating that they would accept $220 as a payment in full, but there are too many red flags to proceed without hesitation.
Again, I want to pay off this debt, but want to make sure I do it correctly. Can an unlicensed CA actually file charges or take me to small claims court if the debt is valid? Can an unlicensed CA accept money, or will I wind up owing more to another party later? Am I missing anything else here? Unfortunately, I don't have the $220 to pay them in full, I will have to go on some sort of plan.
Thanks for your input
I took out a PDL with Advance America, which is legal in Florida. No issues there. I paid half of it, leaving a balance of about $220. Again, this $220 balance is legit and I intend on paying it. Unfortunately, while I was going back and forth with AA trying to work out terms, I was sent off to collections. I didn't have the money at the time and they did what they had to do, I don't really blame them.
AA informed me that they sent my account over to DMP and that I would need to take the matter up with them. I never could get through to anyone at the DMP number that they provided, so I waited and figured I'd be contacted soon enough.
Yesterday, I recieved a call from a company called Federal Check Processing. The voicemail was something along the lines of they are ready to press "fraud against a federal financial institution" due to a worthless check I wrote off of my personal account (refering to the NSF on the last AA payment.) So, I call these yahoos back. The lady ("investigator") told me that they could see my initial payment and had a balance due of $220 and they would be willing to hold off on pressing charges if I were to agree to terms with them. Good news is, I'm well read enough not to fall for their scare tactics and asked for a validation. Quite honestly, I never heard of these guys and don't plan on paying anyone I don't have to.
Now here are a series of red flags that popped up in all of this:
1. Their validation letter was for $413, almost double what we spoke about on the phone and almost double what I believe to be owed. No mention of the $220 that is actually owed or was discussed.
2. This was not the company that AA informed me that I would be dealing with.
3. The sheer number of threats and incinuated threats that I knew they could never follow up on were amazing (ie, they kept stressing "Federal" as if they were a government agency.")
4. They are not a licensed agency in Florida.
Well, I called them back today to clear some of this up. The investigator claimed that they were not in Florida and did not have to be licensed here and that they were actually doing me a favor by settling for a lower price (basically waiving percieved interest). She did agree to send out a letter basically stating that they would accept $220 as a payment in full, but there are too many red flags to proceed without hesitation.
Again, I want to pay off this debt, but want to make sure I do it correctly. Can an unlicensed CA actually file charges or take me to small claims court if the debt is valid? Can an unlicensed CA accept money, or will I wind up owing more to another party later? Am I missing anything else here? Unfortunately, I don't have the $220 to pay them in full, I will have to go on some sort of plan.
Thanks for your input
You need to send the collector a cease and desist and also repor
You need to send the collector a cease and desist and also report them to the FTC and your state's AG for violating the FDCPA.
Frankly, I would send a letter with your final payment to AA directly.