Comments on: Sample Debt Validation Letter

By: Whatas

Whatas — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:40:59 +0000

Question, I have been getting call from a Collection Agency in regards to payment on a phone bill from about 12-15 years ago. I know I closed my account with the phone co as I moved and no longer needed a land line. I never received anything from the phone co saying I owed them money and since that time Pac Bell is no longer in business. Also the amount that they say I owe keeps going up (they say its an account that can add intrest something like that) Any suggestions as to how I can get them off my back? I mean after this amount if time I no longer have any of my paperwork from when Iopened my account with pac bell.

Thanks!

By: Annoyed in LA

Annoyed in LA — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:38:56 +0000

Hi Debt Prison,

Great site you’ve got here.

My issue: harassment by collection agency that has my number because I agreed to be a “message phone” for a friend who has no phone when I took him to the ER. Problem IS NOT just the numerous and excessive calls (daily, up to 6 per day according to caller ID), but the fact that my friend qualified for financial hardship with the hospital and they also used my number to leave a message stating they received the hardship forms and his letter, and not to worry about the bill as it was adjusted off. Now, over a year later, I am getting several calls a day. After I relayed the message with the good news that he was not to worry as the hospital accepted the financial hardship request, I deleted the message (although I noted date and time of call from caller ID as well as phone number).

How can I stop the calls (I tried to block the # but they use other #s now)?

AND

Is it even legal for them to try to collect on a debt that was written off? (but perhaps sent to them in error)

Thanks much!

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:34:48 +0000

I’ve read that collections on behalf of a parking department don’t have to validate or follow normal FDCPA guidelines. Our local sheriff has outsourced their parking disputes to an out of state agency that has jumped the gun and sent a collection letter to me (at an old, wrong address) while I’m still attempting to dispute the ticket. I was really just trying to get my day in court but they make it impossible to do so and have gone directly to the collector, claiming I responded outside their vague deadline.
Can such an agency be forced to validate their debt? (California)