collection letter out of the blue..

[jjjj]

hi, i'm new here. i've been reading posts to educate myself for some time, and i'll appreciate anyone's adivce.

i received a letter from TrueLogic Financial corporation (collection agency) today. The creditor is MCI communications, and the balance is $249.24. The letter says if i don't respond to them in writing in 30 days, they will assume the debt is valid.

sometime in 2000 or 2001 or 1999, i recall i had MCI calling card, but I do not remember using it. The is is the first time i hear from MCI or collection agency, regarding the balance.

I'm going to dispute the charge in writing. I'm also afraid this collection agency has reported their action to credit report agencies. if that's the case, what am i supposed to do?

first, dispute and verify the debt. if debt is correct, take care of the debt demanding them to remove the record from credit report agencies.

is this what i am supposed to do?

i honestly don't remember using MCI calling card, and wonder whey this collection agency contacts me now after so many years? is this one of the tricks they do with invalid debt?

should i not respond to the collection agency at all? i'm worried about my credit report.

any advice on what to do will be appreciated.

/sincerely,

[SinkingFast]

You can go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com and pull free copies of your Credit Report from all 3 Credit Bureaus. You're allowed to do that once a year with each Credit Reporting Agency. You can try looking at one Credit Report and see if it shows. If not, then check another.

Also, if you filed BK, you might want to look at your Creditors Matrix and see if your attny listed a debt from them in your BK. If you don't have copies of your BK paperwork, you can check on PACER and look at your case file. There's a link in the General BK Talk Section to PACER. Or you can call the Clerk of the Court's office about getting a copy.

When you write, ask them to Validate their information. Give you billing dates, $$$ amounts, and such. Throw the ball back into their court and make them prove you really owe them.

Many times, when a Creditor sells off old debt, the Junk Debt Buyer doesn't get the underlying paperwork to support the Claim. With a debt this small, relatively speaking, MCI could have bundled a bunch of old debt to sell and True Logic got yours wrapped up with a whole bunch of other people's.

Send your letter via Registered Mail. Make them sign proving that they got it. Create a paper trail.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

Several years after I filed Bk in 1992, I got a letter from a JUNK COLLECTOR trying to collect on an American Express I had. (SEVERAL YEARS LATER!) I wrote them back and gave them a copy of my dischage papers. I just wrote this account has been discharged in Bankruptcy. Enough said. Haven't heard from any JUNK COLLECTORS in awhile but from what I read they can still try as they buy old debt for pennies on the dollar and WILL TRY to collect to "unknowledgeable," Bk'ers who already got discharged of their debts.

Just my 2 cents, CMIYC

[jjjj]

statute of limitations on debt

thanks everyone for feedback. i'm going to ask the collection agency to verify the debt. i really honestly recall using mci's service.

i read in other posts about state's statute of limitations on debt, that most states limit the amount of time a creditor has to collect a debt.

in the letter in which i'll ask the collection agency to verify the debt, i also like to tell them statutue of limitation has run out (i'm not sure of this, but i had mci's calling card sometime in 1999, 2000, or 2001 at the most).

where can i find information on statute of limitation? or, am i not doing the right thing here? i'll appreciate your advice.

sincerely,




"Also, time may have run out on the debt. While there is no federal statute of limitations on debts, most states limit the amount of time a creditor has to collect a debt. However, that deadline varies from state to state." (from other post)

[jjjj]

I'm in Missouri.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

Yeah .. make them verify the debt .. MAKE EM' WORK ! I wouldn't be honest about remembering if I can get away with it, they don't care about your feelings, creditors want there money just as fast as they are willing to lend it to you! Just do a google search on stats or another one will chime in here to lend help you !

Best of Luck, CATCHME-IFYOUCAN !

[lrprn]

I'm in Missouri.

From http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/...-State.html#26 - hope this helps!

[CindyLou]

If you filed BK before the new laws then any "dischargeable debt" is discharged whether it was listed or not. Simply call the collection agency and fax them over a copy of your discharge paper. That should take care of it!!