	AllExperts > Collections Law
	Search

About Regan Shinski
Expertise
I can answer questions on collections, repossessions, bankruptcy, credit repair, credit counseling, FICO scores, credit planning, and the cause and effect of credit related decisions. I can also answer questions on collection settlements and preparing to sue your creditors for false debts and credit credit reporting.

Experience
Fifteen years ago I was financially devasted due to severe health issues. I filed bankruptcy, had a foreclosure, car repossession, tax lien, and ruined credit. I immersed myself in credit law. I settled dozens of accounts and had them removed to improve my credit. I personally sued four creditors and collection agencies and won cash settlements for their false reporting on my credit reports. Since then, I have completely recovered and have nearly $100,000 in revolving credit lines and perfect credit. I have owned a credit repair company for the past five years and have an additional three years of specific work in the collections and debt management industry. I am fully versed in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Acts (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and have used them successfully in collection settlements and lawsuits for myself and others. I am also familiar with and abide by the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). I have deleted or helped delete literally hundreds and hundreds of derogatory items from consumers' credit reports and helped negotiate many settlements with collection agencies and creditors. I have also advised people on bankruptcy at any stage. In the current credit market, I have successfully advised numerous people on how to obtain credit and how to negotiate for better terms.

Education/Credentials
BA University of Minnesota

You are here: Experts > Business > Corporate Law > Collections Law > verizon account collections

Collections Law - verizon account collections

Expert: Regan Shinski - 10/27/2009

Question
Ok so let me start with I made the mistake of letting my mother use my name for her Verizon account. Needless to say she let a $750.00 bill accrue and never paid it. At this point it is in collections so I am trying to resolve because I am trying to build my credit score. Well it was just reported back in August. I called Verizon and they told me I cannot pay them because it has been sent to the collection agency. My husband seems to think that there is no law stating I have to pay the collection agency that I can pay Verizon but I said to heck with the fight and just called the collection agency. They told me I would have to pay either 300 bucks for 2 months (the first due by Friday which I don’t have) or pay $150.00 for 5 months and that’s the best they could do. I tried to get them to let me just pay $100.00 a month but they said that it would not be locked in and the total amount due would just keep rising. Is that true? What should I do? I thought about just disputing it but I figure it’s too late now that I have already talked to the collection agency.

Answer
Hi:

There are different thoughts on this.

OPTION 2: You can try to negotiate a better deal. Send a written offer - $400 in $100 monthly payments or $300 cash - or whatever you want and can afford - in exchange for full settlement of the debt and deletion of the account from your credit reports. They will likely reject or counter offer. Make sure your letter says in some way that you are not admitting the debt but want to pay for simplicity or just to clear the matter up. Give a specific date the offer expires so you won't be bound to it later. Put in the letter that your mother has charged other debts in your name (or other hardship reasons# and if they don't accept you will either apply the limited money you have to those debts or pay a bankruptcy attorney to file chapter 7. Send it certified mail, return receipt requested to their legal department. If they don't respond, call them a day or two before it expires to gage their interest in settling and make sure they have even routed it to the proper person. If you enter into an agreement make sure you get a written document from them saying it will be deleted from the credit reports once paid. DO NOT send money until you have that document in your possession!

OPTION 2: If you want to pay the debt, just start paying $100 per month. What are they going to do? Turn it over to collections? Keep a record of all letters you send, be sure to use a check or traceable money order and KEEP them. It is not unheard of for them to try to double bill you - either intentionally or not. You need your proof of payments. Keep in mind, this will STAY on your credit reports even if it is paid. The only real benefit to paying and NOT getting it deleted, is they can't sue you. They likely would not sue you for this amount anyway.

OPTION 3: Get extremely aggressive in credit repair. This is a complicated process. Indeed there are credit repair companies like ours that this is all we do. Basically you use the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act #FDCPA) to catch the collection agency in a violation. Most collection agencies do not seem to be able to comply! Once the violation is proven, the statute calls for up to $1000 in penalties plus damages. These violations then become the basis for a lawsuit - or threat of a lawsuit - to offset the collection account and clean up the credit report. Again this is a complicated process but it DOES work. If you are interested please e-mail me or ask another question. Proper credit repair really needs to be custom tailored to your individual case, so this forum is not the best to give specific direction.

Good luck in whatever path you choose.

Regan
mbscompany@aim.com
813-454-1459

Add to this Answer Ask a Question