collection agency !!

[sunsprinkle24]

I just got a letter from a collection agency on my son for 45.00...I had no clue what this could be about, so I called the number and they told me it was from Jan of '04 !!! I do not recall anything abou this, but I guess I will go home and search thru the tax records for a dr bill at that time. I told the man I hadn't received a bill on this that I could remember, he didnt seem surprised. Can a dr office do this - send to a collection agency this far back, and why didnt they send me a bill? I KNOW I never recieved a bill on this. I know that sounds lame, but if I had I would have paid it! Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

Definitely ask for verification or a copy of the bill, or call the doctor in question. They should have the name of the company from which they bought the debt, e.g. Houston Healthcare PSC or whatever.

There are scam companies that do this for a living -- $45 is an insignificant amount, but if they send out 25,000 thousand of those, it adds up! Sometimes people panic and pay when they don't have to.

 

[sunsprinkle24]

When I called the collection agency, they told me the name of the dr - Immediate Care, which we do have in this area, and I could have taken my son there....but I can't understand why they wouldn't have sent me a bill? You would think that they would send SEVERAL. I just dont know what to think, I will have to go thru past dr bills/checks ( I save all that with the tax returns) . Yeah just what I wanted to do tonight .

 

[Tigger&Aidan]

Tell them to send you a detailed statement. Don't pay it until you are absolutely sure it's legit! I received a collection notice once for a $90 charge for an ultrasound that I did have done and that my insurance paid for. Like you, I had never gotten a bill or anything in the mail. Just a letter saying they would be taking legal action if I didn't pay in 10 days. Turned out it was some problem with the Ultrasound Company - they had turned over their records to a third party and they sent out tons of notices for debts that had already been paid. I'm sure that some people never even thought twice and went ahead and paid again....

If you have insurance, contact them and see if they have any record of approving or denying the charge. Good Luck!

 

[FloridaMom]

I received a collection from a dentist I had seen in 2005. Here is the thing, in 2005 I already had a medical savings account from my job, and I had paid with the Visa card that was linked to the account. So, I knew I had paid the balance in full. The dentist office never posted the payment to the account and sent it to collections... I had to get a letter from the Visa company saying that the amount had posted in 2005, and then send it to the dentist and to the collection company. I was soooooo mad!
So, get proof that this is your account, detailed proof of the original date you were, what you signed, etc... just a statement is not enough.

Good luck!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

send a letter to the collection agency requiring that they prove the debt

like this

http://www.creditinfocenter.com/forms/sampleletter9.shtml


send it with a return receipt, so that you have proof they received it. Often, that will be the last you ever hear from them. Also, you will need to check your credit reports to make sure they don't post it there. If they do, you will need to get that removed also.