: Can I pay a creditor directly after they have sent the debt to a collection agency? Let's say you have a credit line account with a department store. You owe a balance on the credit card and it was sent to collections. In

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

I had a debt collector call on a bill that was sent to collections because of a clerical error.

Instead of negotiating with the debt collector, I called the company that originally owned the debt. They allowed me to pay my bill without any late fees 6 months later, and they gave me a receipt to furnish to the debt collectors. I'm sure the debt collectors got a refund for the purchase of my debt.

If your desire is to pay the debt, then you could still call the owner of the debt and see it they wish to work with you to get the debt paid.

Any contact with the original creditor will affect your legal rights with respect to collection and statutes of limitation, so you should be sure you want to pay the debt back in full before you take such a step.

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

Once a debt has gone to a debt collector, you have to work with the debt collector to settle your debt. Essentially, the department store sold your debt to the debt collector so they don't have to deal with it anymore. You have rights when contacted by debt collectors. You can negotiate a deal so that the amount you actually pay is lower than what you owe. It is illegal for them to quote you for a higher amount than what you actually owe! Also, they can't threaten you or pretend to be a credit bureau. Your best bet is to work with them and negotiate a better payment. Don't give up. Collectors often times purchase the debt for a very low amount, so even if you pay less than what you actually owe, the collector will still make a profit.
www.credit.com/debt/collections-crash-course/