I keep getting calls from a credit management agency

I had to get in touch with local BBB(better business Bureau) to
get something like this all straight....company was debt collection arm of souther bell, and I proved to them I'd not
lived in the area in question ever...finally got apology letter and
it was all dropped.....
 

debodun said:
I think if I had any unknown debts, that would have surfaced when I bought my new house.
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It absolutely would have. Itā€™s a scam Deb. Either ignore the calls or answer the phone and tell them to bug off. Tell them you know itā€™s a scam and to leave you alone or youā€™ll file for harassment charges.
 

debodun said:
I think if I had any unknown debts, that would have surfaced when I bought my new house.
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Your choice, Deb... but as a number of us have told you, that *is* a legit collection agency that works with a place that buys old debts. (And it could be something very "tiny" from very long ago, not necessarily a big debt you'd know about or that would have stopped a house sale.) I hope it works out for you and that it doesn't turn into something ugly. (y)
 
Evidently, my late husband's cell number had been someone else's number before he got it because he use to get calls/messages all the time from a collection agency looking for Eduardo. My husband's name was David....not Eduardo. He just deleted the messages but I got so sick of the calls that I answered one time and told them what my husband's name was. They apologized and quit calling. Maybe you should at least answer the call once and see what they say.
 
Pepper said:
Yeah, but @CallMeKate I don't think deb has plans to purchase anything huge that requires a loan. Sorry, I don't remember, but did @debodun receive actual snail mail from them?
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I'm not sure how this stuff works, but if it's a real collection agency, couldn't they put a lien on something? I'd hate to assume it's not real when some links have been posted here from places that say it is. I once bought a book at a department store in another city. It was on the store's credit card. Then I moved and forgot all about it... meanwhile the store closed down so I figured I'd do nothing. They didn't even have my new address. Eight YEARS later, the old debt was "bought" and they came after those few lousy bucks. I paid it before they got nasty, but I'm sure there are horror stories.
 
Pepper said:
So, I guess there is no 'statute of limitations' on debt? Only bankruptcy? There should be.
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No idea... but there wasn't in the early 80s in my state. :)
Okay... quick research shows me that the window for them to bring legal action for an old debt is generally expired before ten years, you technically still owe the debt, and they can try to collect, but not start a lawsuit.
 
CallMeKate said:
No idea... but there wasn't in the early 80s in my state. :)
Okay... quick research shows me that the window for them to bring legal action for an old debt is generally expired before ten years, you technically still owe the debt, and they can try to collect, but not start a lawsuit.
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It is 10 years but you have to request it to be removed from your credit report. We went through this when we sold a boat in CA many years ago. The buyer was supposed to pay the taxes but he never did so a collection agency went after my husband to get them paid. No matter what documentation we presented, the collection agency wouldn't accept it. We eventually just paid the $400 and thought that would get rid of it but it didn't. We had to keep showing proof that it was paid (even though we didn't legally owe it) every time we got a loan for something, like a house. After 10 years, we had to request it be removed from my husband's credit report.

It's very important to keep an eye on your credit report and Deb seems to ignore this advice.
 
Pepper said:
So, I guess there is no 'statute of limitations' on debt? Only bankruptcy? There should be.

eta
@ohioboy?
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Itā€™s 7 years on credit card debt but Deb doesnā€™t use credit cards which is why I find it hard to believe she owes anything.


Deb should definitely answer the phone and talk to them. When we wanted to purchase our house we discovered from our lawyer that there was an unpaid debt in his name. It turned out that there was a guy with his name who owned some other guy something like $35,000. My husband had to go and meet the guy who put in the claim to prove it wasnā€™t him. As soon as the guy saw my husband, he knew it wasnā€™t this other guy, cause he was much taller. This other guy looked a lot like my husband but was something like 6ā€™4.ā€

The chance of Deb owing money is small but itā€™s best if she does clear it up. Stuff happens and this clearly is upsetting her.
 
If I recall correctly, Deb had a delay in paying a medical bill and they wanted it done now, not later. Even though she paid it, it can be something like that where someone forgot to enter the payment into the accounts.

Personally, Iā€™d call the Collection Agency directly and see what they show for your name. If itā€™s for your phone number, then itā€™s time to change it or wait it out.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Itā€™s 7 years on credit card debt but Deb doesnā€™t use credit cards which is why I find it hard to believe she owes anything.
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Every bill you pay is reflected on your credit score... it isn't connected only to credit cards. House payments, vehicles, utilities... they all build your credit score whether or not you have a credit card.
 
papa tiger said:
What does the average old guy need credit for ?
You pay your bills, like water, sewer, lights & power.
Maybe the wife's Credit Card, $500 a month.
It's cheap to call Uber, why than pay insurance to drive.
A 3-wheeler electric works well in decent weather too.

_________________________________

Your going to be ok. "F" the in a outhouse bunch.
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Don't you love being scareproof?
 
Jules said:
If I recall correctly, Deb had a delay in paying a medical bill and they wanted it done now, not later. Even though she paid it, it can be something like that where someone forgot to enter the payment into the accounts.

Personally, Iā€™d call the Collection Agency directly and see what they show for your name. If itā€™s for your phone number, then itā€™s time to change it or wait it out.
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Exactly.
 
againstthegrain said:
If they were actively seeking repayment of a debt they would have mailed a notice of collection. Talking on the phone w unknown people w unknown intent about something involving money or finances is not wise in general. Whatever they're after it's not in Deb's best interest.
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Deb moved a while back. The USPS forwarding has surely expired by now, so if the debt is for real, the original creditor (probably something medical) and collection agency may not have her current address.

If a bona fide collection agency persistently reached out to me, I'd call their offices to learn what was going on. Sure, this could be a mistake or a spoofer, but the only way to know for sure is to actually call the collection company.

If it's a copay or something else that she indeed owes, it would be better to square up sooner rather than later. Interest on ignored debts can accumulate at an alarming rate.

There's nothing to lose by calling the company to learn what, if anything, this is about.
 
I feel the OP's pain! We get 3-10 calls a day, and of course the name/number on caller ID is bogus. At first I was keeping track of them and blocking, but then realized the same spiel was coming from different numbers.

- Hang up, or say nothing and let them hang up.
- NEVER say "YES", as folks indicated before.
- NO ONE WILL CALL YOU WITH A VALID "FREE" OFFER!!! And no one will do likewise if they knock on your door.

I confess there have been a few times (like when we are watching a movie) when a call comes and I relate some of the better phrases I learned as a young Chicago teenager.
 
Could it be someone used deb's identity and accrued a debt in her name? My son's Netflix account was just used in INDIA by someone using his name & account, so passwords, etc. changed and updated. How did that happen?
 
Years ago when we lived in TX, I worked for a medical billing company. I worked on the collections end and we had ways to find people. Just out of curiosity, one day I looked up my late husband's information and there were 3 men using his SS#! One was in CA, one was in Fl, and the other one was in TX. We went to the SS office and she told us there wasn't anything they could do about it. These guys were illegals and needed a SS# to get a job.
 

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