collection agency refused letter for settlement

DON'T SEND A CHECK.

Only deal with collection agencies in writing! She's feeding you lies; by law if you request to only be contacted in writing and not over the phone they have to comply otherwise they'd be breaking the law.

As for the check, SEND A MONEY ORDER. Once they get a hold of your banking info they could start debiting more than you allowed right out of your account. These people are liars and scammers, so be cautious.

I will send a money order- my probelem is that when I asked for a letter from them outlining that we agree that if it is paid in full, it will not be reported to the credit agencies, now or in the future, The collector told me that they cannot control when it gets reported, and that the only way to make sure is payment now. I won't give bank info and I want it in writing. If I ask for it in writing do they have to comply?

They don't have to, but instead of asking them- send them a letter. Detail in the letter what you want, and if they sign and return the letter in agreement to your terms, you will pay this in full.

It's better to correspond in writing, you have proof of what is said and done, and they can't harrass you!.

If you are sure this is your debt, and they legally can collect on this, send them a letter stating your terms, certified, return receipt and go from there--and keep a copy of all correspondence from you and them!

Good luck..karen

Not all collection agencies do report to the CBR's. I would get a settlement letter but unless the company reports PAID then expect it to be reported SIF.

it is my debt, it is a medical bill for only 400 bucks, i just forgot it on accident. I just wanted to protect myself, and I am wanting to buy a home, so i do not want this on my CR. They told me to fax them a letter stating what I wanted, and i did (the lady I talked to said they do NOT do this very often and it is strictly over the phone. huh?!?!) Anyway, i also asked that any communication after tomorrow be strictly by mail.
I do not even know the name of this collection agency. She said they did not buy the debt from the hospital, they are just collecting the $$.
Should I also ask for the address of the company and send an identical letter certified, or should I just call and ask that they confirm they got the fax they asked for?

I wouldn't send a fax. Are you telling me you did all of this without knowing what the name of the collection agency was? By law, they are required to give you the name, address, and telephone number of the agency they represent and the client they are collecting for. In addition, make them validate the debt first. Even if you acknowledge that it is a legitimate debt, make them validate. Mail your detailed correspondence via certified mail with return receipt. Include within the correspondence that you only wish to communicate with them in writing. In addition, ensure this collection agency is licensed to conduct collection activities in your state. If they aren't licensed, they can't collect. The mere fact that they've contacted you could very well be a violation of the fdcpa. Make them respond to you in writing before you send a payment. Keep us apprised of your progress and let us know if you're having any trouble.

anne be very careful but don't be afraid of these people--if they are legit they will work with you and follow the laws--however-if you pay this debt without validation and knowing exactly what it is and where it is coming from--this $400 debt could keep showing up on your credit report years from now and you could end up paying for it again and again to get better interest rate on purchases (because it's only $400)--find out who these people are--first and foremost and don't send them anything else except a demand for debt validation. Good luck--also if they didn't buy the debt from hospital--why can't you contact hospital and try to get this cleared up?