No Settlement letter

[areck]

I owed a dept. store cc, about $900+.

They offered to settle the debt for $387. I took them up on their offer. I asked for a settlement letter.

I asked for a Settlement Letter and she said they could not generate such until the debt was paid in full (and it had to be paid by the end of Sept.).

She did send a Settlement "offer" letter.

I paid the (check over the phone) $387 by the end of September. I kept noticing as I watched my bank account, online, that it hadn't cleared. Finally got another nasty message by them that my check had been returned insufficient, please call them. The money was there, sitting, waiting, ....... they hadn't even attempted. When I called them, seemed they had taken down the routing nos. incorrectly or something. They corrected that, and submitted the item for debit from my account. It cleared on 10/08/09.

She had stated (prior to this transaction actually occuring) that my Settlement letter would be generated and sent to me approximately 5 to 7 business days after the payment clears my bank. So I waited. No Settlement letter.

I called. Spoke to my representative. She said she sent it, but would send another. It never came. I called again. She said again that she did send it, and read to me what it said, and verified my home addy, but that she would re-send it. Still, it hasn't come. I called again, last week (3rd time now) and she said she doesn't understand why I'm not getting it, asked for e-mail, my fax number, I provided all. She said she would re-send it via USPS, and also via e-mail and also via fax. It still has not arrived via any of the aforementioned means.

What do I do now?

I realize that if they come after me at some point in the future for that $600+, it's not like that's an insurmountable amount of debt that I might one day have to tackle (that's only one of SOOOOOOOOOO many that I owe, and a lesser, way lesser debt that I owe).

But that $387 that I had to fork over, to at least settle that, cut me short elsewhere. It was so hard to come up with that, just to get that one out of my hair. And I want the Settlement Letter.

What is the course of actiion now?

Where did I go wrong in all of this. I tried to get her to send me a Settlement Letter, in advance of "settling", (sending payment to her). In fact, I tried to not even have to do a check by phone. But nope, this had to be settled by the end of September for it to be a valid offer, that offer would go away if I didn't take it right then and there (of course), and this was already the end of September. So it had to be on their terms, check-by-phone. And no, their terms, no Settlement Letter would be generated until the debt was paid in full, cleared my account.

Well now, that check cleared on 10/08, and I still don't have my Settlement Letter from them.

[HHM]

Did you get the "settlement offer" letter?

If yes, that is the most you can hope for. It is not a big deal, they made an offer, you accepted by sending payment. That is a contract. You have settled your debt. Now you just need to hope they don't sell the difference to another collection agency (more because of the practical hassle of dealing with the other Collection agency and convincing them the debt was settled).

I am not sure what else are you asking for. Some sort of receipt that says the debt is settled. You don't need it.

[lindsay2181]

I would be livid, it sounds like they are trying to pull a fast one on you. If she had several means to send you the letter and claims to have sent it several times but still you mysteriously have not received it....have you gotten a new cc statement showing the payment you made and/or a $0 balance at least? Maybe you could write up some sort of document stating your agreement with dates, amounts, etc. and then have it sent with delivery confirmation for them to sign that they attest this information is accurate and send it back to you...not sure.

[areck]

Settlement Letter

I do have the Settlement "offer" letter they sent me.

I guess, like the last post written here. I'm concerned they've sold the balance off to some other CA, and I'll be dunned to the ends of the earth for the other $600+ that would've had to be paid on that account.

Find it really hard to get to panicked over it, only because I just wish that $600+ is all that I could be chased down for. I owe SO much more, to SO many others.

It's just that, it's those little nagging things like that. Those are the ones that tend to sneak up on you in the future, and you say to yourself "why didn't I see about that at the time, and dispense with it".

I do have the settlement offer. And as was mentioned, that's just what I did do. I allowed them to do a one-time debit from my ckg account, for the amount stipulated in the settlement offer letter.

But it does just bug me, that the woman keep saying she's sent it, and even went so far as to be perplexed herself (seemingly) and ask for my e-mail, my fax, you name it, as a means of getting it to me yet again. And still I don't have it.

What I'm looking for is something in writing that says that the offer was such and such, and that I paid "x" amount to settle the debt and that no more collection effort will be sought for debt to said company.

And no, I haven't checked the dept. store billing. They so long ago, closed that account, due to my default on it. Was no longer receiving billing statements from that dept. store. What I was receiving was CA efforts.

[HHM]

What I'm looking for is something in writing that says that the offer was such and such, and that I paid "x" amount to settle the debt and that no more collection effort will be sought for debt to said company.

Honestly, that is an unrealistic request. Most are not going to send one (why would they?). How this typically works, they send you and offer letter, you pay the amount, debt is settled.