Can we talk about collections agencies?

[irishbride2]

So I was contacted last week because they claim I owe over 8k for giving birth to DS a year ago. We have records of paying our bills. Plus my deductible is 5k and 8k of bills would make zero sense.  They told me the hospital would not talk to me so to not even try. 

Fast forward a week and I have my health care advocate through work working on it. I also was able to go directly to the CEO of the hospital through a family member. The CEO is pissed. They went to billing and they show me owing 3k because insurance hasn't processed it (WTF?), not because I owe it. So the CEO is mad at billing for sending it to collections but REALLY mad at collections for lying and saying I owe 8k. He is investigating. 

So the collections guy keeps calling. But it just seems so shady. I keep telling him that I am working through the hospital and insurance and no I will not write them a check of 8k. I offered to forward him my email from the CEO of the hospital and he claims he has no work email. WHAT?

I don't know what to do to get them to leave me the F alone while I sort through this. They seem to think I should pay them, no questions asked, in a week. But when I asked for a copy of their documents they say it will take 30-60 days to get to me. So I have to be harassed by them for the duration?

[irishbride2]

The silver lining is I had a crappy day at work and I was able to take it out on the collections guy.

[Deleted]

Ya I definitely wouldn't pay that. Can you just ignore the calls or hang up on them if you don't have caller id...

[irishbride2]

Apr 17, 2014 19:01:15 GMT -5 ladybug said:

Ya I definitely wouldn't pay that. Can you just ignore the calls or hang up on them if you don't have caller id...

I'm afraid they will start harassing my family and work. I remember at my last job, several coworkers used to get calls at work from collection agencies trying to track them down. I would DIE

[AAM2012]

I would ask for him to send you a written bill of the debt and for them to communicate with you only in writing. In addition to what's listed below I would also send a certified letter indicating that this debt is disputed and it should be marked as such and therefore it should not (and isn't suppose to) be set to any of the credit agencies.

Edit: you may want to review that link below as to what the debt collectors can and cannot do.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?

If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don’t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector – in writing – to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do that:

Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a “return receipt” so you’ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

[darnkatz]

I'm almost certain that legally, they have to stop calling if you tell them to. That would annoy the shit out of me.

[redheadbaker]

Contest it. Ask them to prove the debt is yours.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2014 19:02:08 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

Apr 17, 2014 19:01:15 GMT -5 ladybug said:

Ya I definitely wouldn't pay that. Can you just ignore the calls or hang up on them if you don't have caller id...

I'm afraid they will start harassing my family and work. I remember at my last job, several coworkers used to get calls at work from collection agencies trying to track them down. I would DIE

Oh Ya I didn't think about that. I think they'd only do that if it was real though, this sounds like a scam or something. But I know what you mean, an old coworker of mine got collection calls almost daily at the office

[racegrrl714]

Send them a cease and desist letter telling them to only contact you through writing. You may add to specifically not call you at work. If they don't comply they are in violation of federal debt collection practices act.
I did not go to law school but I did get my bachelor's degree from the school of hard knocks. Summa cum laude, baby.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[pescalita]

Apr 17, 2014 19:04:15 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

I would ask for him to send you a written bill of the debt and for them to communicate with you only in writing. In addition to what's listed below I would also send a certified letter indicating that this debt is disputed and it should be marked as such and therefore it should not (and isn't suppose to) be set to any of the credit agencies.

Edit: you may want to review that link below as to what the debt collectors can and cannot do.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?

If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don’t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector – in writing – to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do that:

Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a “return receipt” so you’ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

This is basically the advice I read when AT&T sent a bogus collection after me. I was able to resolve with AT&T, despite the collector's claims. Actually AT&T refunded me $ for the hassle, which is a damn good thing.

[EllieArroway]

There is a collections agency that has been calling me every few months for like a year now. They use my maiden name & the debt they claim I owe is from a bank/credit card I've never had. Every time they call I ask them to send written proof of the debt and to only contact me in writing. They never send anything and a few months will go by and I'll get the same call again. There is nothing on my credit report. I think it's just a scam? I was really freaked out the first time they called me. They were SUPER pushy and kept saying that if I didn't pay right then there would be a judgement against me. I think if they call me again I will try the certified letter thing.

[bowies]

Lurker jumping in (what, I'm here for updates on the good doctor).

My XH used to manage a collections agency and they are trained to go right up to the line on legality. If they collect the debt, they get paid, if they don't collect (either it's not paid or you pay the creditor directly) then they don't get paid. That's why they will harrass you, tell you to deal only with them, and if they have a contact number for you, they will use it indiscriminately. Calling someone at their place of employment is one of the most effective tools they have. And of course the collector has an email. He's just not going to give it to you (or his real name either). IIRC, he's not legally obligated to do so.

You're doing the right thing - handle it directly with the hospital. I think it can take up to 30 days for the pull-back to register in the collections agency's database, if in fact the hospital did that. In the meantime, absolutely send the letter.