     dana vasu (Dana) | Sunday, April 23, 2000 - 12:50 pm 
I have an old gte bill for $100 that was charged-off. now I want to get rid of it. I have a choice of paying the collection agency or gte itself. I would love to get either one to delete the charge-off notation altogether, but each has said "no way." I understand that usually a creditor and a collection agency is always able to erase the notation if they want to, but that "public utilities" are less likely to do so. so I'm wondering if anyone knows whether phone companies EVER remove a bad notation, or if this is just a hopeless case? can the collection agency do it, their representative seemed a little more desperate to get payment than the phone company rep? (although neither one would budge on the notation) might they at least agree to some kind of notation that is better than "charge-off account--paid"? also, if it is a hopeless case is it possible and/or likely for them to not redate the account? the charge-off is already four years old and will be off my credit report in 3 years anyway -- unless they redate the account to 4/2000 the date of payment. |
| Anonymous (Anonymouse) | Monday, April 24, 2000 - 04:19 pm
Don't pay on it - It will reset the clock. Try to get them to agree not to discuss the matter with a third party in order to settle the debt - get this in writing on their letter head, signed by a company officer - and good luck, but if you can get that, you then dispute with the CRA's - and they will not verify based on your agreement. If they do, you have recourse (sue them for violating your agreement.) They debt WOULD be redated to 4/2k and it would look just as bad "charged off - paid" as "charged off" does. If they are really stupid enough to not want the money, let it ride until the SOL (statute of limmitations) runs out. |
| Bryon Davis (Notaloseryet) | Monday, April 24, 2000 - 05:09 pm
How did you get phone service again, I have a problem with Pac Bell. Also, is it affecting your chances of a loan or an apartment? |
| Christine Baker (Admin) | Monday, April 24, 2000 - 05:58 pm
Ok, on paying the charge-off:
Paying will NOT reset the clock, neither will a sale of the account or any other action.
What's important here is that the account is ALREADY charged off. If it wasn't, yes, THEN the 7 years would start over again.
Now, they MIGHT redate the account if it's paid, in which case it can be disputed.
Check out the FTC opinion letters in the LINKS section. It's right there.
And I would try to negotiate for removal as mouse said. I wonder if GTE has an agreement with the collection agency so they can pull accounts from collections. Definitely deal with GTE when you negotiate.
Remember that PAYING a collection or charge-off will not increase your Credit Scores, so unless you need it to show paid for a mortgage, don't bother paying it without removal from the credit. |
| Christine Baker (Admin) | Monday, April 24, 2000 - 06:00 pm
And to Bryon:
I don't know about getting phone service again, but if they report a collection on your credit it will definitely hurt your ability to borrow or rent. |
| Bryon Davis (Notaloseryet) | Tuesday, April 25, 2000 - 08:05 am
Hurt as in not being able to rent from one of those big companies? Also, I am almost through a ch. 7 bk, will it still be listed as reported by Pac Bell or will the collection agency (who is listed) just be on there with an attached in BK notice?
Also, if I rebuild my credit in the next 6-12 mos. there shouldn't be too many problems?
Just wondering...Thanks for the advice. |
| Anonymous (Anonymouse) | Tuesday, April 25, 2000 - 12:23 pm
Once it's BK'd don't sweat it - it basically goes away due to the BK I believe. (IANAL). Start over with a secured card - that's what I'm doing. |
| Steven Kallestad (Steve) | Thursday, June 08, 2000 - 08:43 am
Just dealt with GTE a few months ago... apparently someone had my social security number and ran up... get this... an $1144 bill. I told them it wasn't mine, I had never lived in that city. They basically said, we see this happen all the time - but we're not going to remove it from your credit report.
I paid it to get it marked as paid (Upcoming mortgage). I disputed the "Paid Collection" and it was removed from my credit reports (experian and equifax so far... transunion is dragging) |
| Michael Bardelli (Bull22) | Thursday, June 08, 2000 - 04:18 pm
Steve,
If they have made an entry on your credit file for a debt that was not yours and you can show that it was not yours, then why pay it. If they told me that they would not remove it from my credit report, the next communication would have been from my lawyer. I would sue them not only for the amount of the debt, but would also ask for ALOT of punititve damages as well. That type of behavior from a business is NOT acceptable. Have you filed a complaint with the FTC yet? |
| Christine Baker (Admin) | Friday, June 09, 2000 - 12:06 pm
Steve paid it because he needed a mortgage.
He should hire a lawyer to sue GTE for his money back and PUNITIVE DAMAGES. |
| anonymous (Redtib2k) | Sunday, June 11, 2000 - 04:53 pm
Definitely fight with GTE on that bill. I used to work for Bell Atlantic as a customer service rep, and part of the job was verifying ID for customers to get new service. If you had an SSN, the name of the person, and one of their addresses within the last 5 years... you qualified. This included even if you were male and the name/SSN was female (you could be the husband). Bell Atlantic has now outsourced the process to an even LESS qualified and stringent group that is paid hourly. Think about it from their(the phone company) perspective, it's up to you to make sure your info isn't available to theives, and they make nothing by saying "No you don't have enough info".
It's a corrupt system within the phone companies and always has been. Ask them what proof of ID they got when this person signed up for service under your name. I'd bet big money they didn't even keep a record of it. Phone companies typically don't even keep call detail records beyond 90 days, so they probably couldn't even prove in court WHAT the debt was for, much less that you were the one who got the service.
Best of luck! |
