is it legal for a collection agency to make a inquiries on your credit reports?
397275
Not 100% sure.  The law says they must have a legitimate reason to access your records.  I'm sure they are checking for your last address and employment history.\n\nI'm gonna bet it's legal though.  ;(
133448
They can call you as many times a day as possible to reach you.  They are only allowed to have *contact* (which means, leaving a message or speaking directly to you) with you 3 times per week, between the hours of *8am and 9pm* - NOT JUST BUSINESS HOURS -, unless you have requested them to call you back at a specific point.  If you have more than one debt, you probably have more than on collection agency calling you, which always makes it look like you are getting tons of calls from one company because their #'s come up as private or unknown.  If the calls become harassing in nature, as in threatening to call neighbors, relatives or with police involvement, then you should contact an attorney.  Remember, nothing they say is really any good unless you get them on tape & if you are recording them, in most states you have to tell them you are taping them.  You can also send them a cease and desist letter, which tells them to cease all communications by phone.  Also remember that these letters do not follow the account, you have to write a new letter if the account is transfered out of that particular office.  If you take care of your debts, you wouldn't have to worry about the annoying and sometimes harassing phone calls.  Most of the time if you just pick up and explain your situation to them, they can help you out.  Hope this is helpful for you.\n\nSee FDCPA (fair debt collections and practices act) (some states have stricter laws, like texas, south carolina, west virgina...  check out state laws too, because if the states' law is stricter than the fdcpa, then the state law supercedes the fdcpa)\nHarassment is not defined in the act, so if you feel harassed then you should speak to an attorney, but keep in mind the above...  if you can't prove it, it didn't happen.  You must submit the cease and desist in writing, you telling them to not call you anymore is a waste of breath.
932474
Absolutely not...if your only income is SS Disability, you're judgment proof...and that's a FEDERAL law, not state.\nYour best bet...call Consumer Credit Counseling, and speak with one of their credit counselors.  CCC is a non-profit agency, so they won't ask you for a percentage.  (If they do, they're not the REAL CCC...there are lots of imposters out there.)  They'll tell you exactly what to do in order to prohibit the collection agencies from pestering you.\nAlso....you can go to www.clarkhoward.com and get more complete information.  (Clark is a consumer advocates guru who hosts a syndicated radio show from Atlanta.)  You can even send them a question via e-mail.\nGood luck!
394995
No...but they can get your credit history.
944827
Ask the custodian of the records where you were reported.
640363
Almost all the info you have here is not correct.  Collections agencies do not buy accounts, they work on a contingent basis.\n\nSome of the info is right.  Once the account is assigned to a 3rd party the original creditor does not have the ability to negotiate any longer  \n\nYou must deal with the collection agency.\n\nHere are some hints.\n\nDo not tell the collector that you are trying to buy something on credit (ie a house or car) and you need this to be paid.  This take away your leverage as they now know that you HAVE to pay it and they don't have to take a settlement.\n\nSimply tell them that you are trying to make good on your past mistakes and take care of your responsibilities.\n\nMost agencies will take a settlement offer, start low and they will counter, don't play too much or it will irritate them and then may just say "forget it, pay it all."\n\nGood luck!!
787969
Credit bureaus update their records as soon as the info is received.  \n\nIf you are concerned about a particular account you would do better contacting the creditor directly and ask the creditor how often they report your account activity to the credit bureaus.  Some creditors report monthly, some quarterly and some don't report at all.
750487
If you fell that you gave that information out, you can contact the three credit reporting agency's and add a fraud alert to your file.  With this in place, they will have to make contact with you to verify that you applied for any new credit.
612613
Sometimes.\n\nYou should write a letter the the credit bureau and object to it being there.\n\nIn fact it is good to do that with all negative information, because if the posting company does not write back and oppose it being removed, the credit bureau has to remove it.
273814
A lot of collection agents like to pretend that they have filed a suit against you.  They even go as far as sending you a copy of the actual court papers (not yet filed with the courts) to scare you even more.  \n\nDid you know that it's against federal law for a collection agent to say he's going to sue you and not do it?  \n\nYou need to do two things right now!\n\n1.  Find out when the default on the credit card happened.  This is the actual date you became late on payments, NOT the last transaction that took place.\n\n2.  Go to the first link below.  It explains what the Statute of Limitations on debt is, and lists each state's SOL.  Your debt may be too old, and they can not legally recover it from you.\n\n3.  Read the next link.  It explains the Fair Dept Reporting Act.  In it you will find the part about what Debt collecters can and can't do.  It gives you information on how to file a complaint.\n\n4.  Might be nice to contact a lawyer and see if he's interested in pursuing a nice settlement for you.  Split the cost with him as his incentive.  I know several in my area who do that.\n\nGood Luck
365213
In this case, they can.  But read my entire message...\n\nAccording to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, they can only report your debt for 7 years, starting from the DAY YOU DEFAULTED on the loan.  Many people are reporting that it begins on the date of the last transaction.  They are wrong.  Read the info in the sources below, I think it states it pretty clear.  If that's not good enough, I can send you a copy of an FTC position statement to clarify it even more.\n\nNow, many times collection agencies will purchase an account, and not really know when the default date was.  So they will simply place whatever date they want on it.  This "date bumping" is illegal, and if you can prove it you can sue them for $1000.  If you have any past bills or paperwork, examine it.  Check the reporting date on your credit report.  If it is wrong, protest it and get the whole negative report removed from your record.  \n\nThe reason they get away with this is because you don't know the law.  So they will take advantage of that to harrass you.\n\nNow, as for actually collecting the debt, check the statute of limitations for your state.  After that date, you no longer have a legal obligation to pay them.  The can continue to try and collect, but any legal action can be tossed out of court due to the expired SOL.  \n\nRead the links below for more information on this.  \n\nYou are fighting a war with creditors.  Do not fight them unarmed.  Knowledge of the law is your only weapon!  Get armed and read the links below!!!
1090624
I think the collection agencies actually purchase the debt BUT you are right. The company writes it off and your punishment only should then be a negative mark on your credit. \n\nThey end up getting to write it off AND get their money back when the collection agency buys the debt. All the while you are being chased around by collections... \n\nI'm with you bud.
960787
According to consumer action:\n\nTwo laws protect consumers from abusive debt collectors: the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law; and the California Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The federal law applies only to third party collection agencies, or those agencies collecting debts on behalf of original credit grantors. The California law applies to both original creditors and collection agencies.\n\nYour most powerful weapon against a collection agency under the federal law is to write a letter asking them to stop trying to contact you, although this doesn't mean you don't owe the debt. If the agency continues to harass you, it is in violation of the federal law. It can communicate with you only to inform you that it plans to take actual legal steps.\n\nThe following restrictions apply to collection agencies under federal law and to all bill collectors under California law. Collectors CAN:\n\n    *\n\n      Contact you by phone between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.\n    *\n\n      Contact you initially by phone, but within five days must provide you with a letter that reflects the amount of the original debt, plus any interest that has accrued, the name and address of the original creditor, and a statement that states you have 30 days to dispute the debt.\n    *\n\n      Contact your lawyer only, if you have one.\n    *\n\n      Contact third parties only in order to locate you.\n    *\n\n      Charge interest on the debt if it was called for in the original contract or if allowed by state law. Rates may vary by state. In California, interest may be charged even if it was not in the original contract.\n    *\n\n      If you ask the collection agency to verify the debt within 30 days of when it initially contacted you, it must stop all collection efforts until it does.\n    *\n\n      Demand payment in full. Most collection agencies will let you make partial payments, but if you default on the agreement, they can insist upon full payment.\n    *\n\n      If you request in writing that a collection agency stop all communication with you, it must stop. But it can communicate with you to inform you that it plans to seek legal remedy or it is terminating collection efforts. (This is a Federal law and does not apply to original creditors.)\n\nThe following prohibitions apply to collection agencies under federal law and to all bill collectors under California law. Collectors CANNOT:\n\n    *\n\n      Contact you by phone before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.\n    *\n\n      Fail to state: the agency's name, address, and phone number; the creditor's name; the amount owed; interest owed.\n    *\n\n      Attempt to or collect more than is owed.\n    *\n\n      Use any language that is obscene, abusive, or profane.\n    *\n\n      Call constantly so that they deliberately annoy or disturb you.\n    *\n\n      Threaten to sue you or garnish your wages, unless they intend to actually take this action.\n    *\n\n      Threaten to ruin your credit.\n    *\n\n      Threaten to send a sheriff to your house to have you arrested or your property seized.\n    *\n\n      Threaten to take any action that they cannot legally take.\n    *\n\n      Discuss your debt with third parties, or reveal to them that they are calling from a collection agency and that you owe a debt.\n    *\n\n      Insult you or a third party.\n    *\n\n      Use phony documents that appear to be from a law office or government agency.\n    *\n\n      Contact you at work if the collector is aware that your employer prohibits such calls.\n    *\n\n      Contact you after you have advised a collection agency in writing to stop.\n\nAdditional California Debt Collection Law\n\nCalifornia law allows original creditors and bill collectors to contact an employer for the following reasons only:\n\n    * To verify the debtor's employment and location.\n    * To set up wage garnishment after winning a judgment in court.\n    * To verify medical insurance fo
145731
Actually any one can do it. If you owe a business money and you decide not to pay it most businesses instead of going to court will give it to a collection agency which intern sends you a nice letter and then if you dont pay it they put a nice spot on your credit.  Yes you know about any borrowing institututions who do it regually.  But through a collection agency almost anyone can.  If you see any you can dispute it though.
1073560
THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE.  YOU SHOULD SEEK ADVICE OF A LAWYER IN YOUR STATE FOR ADVICE REGARDING STATE-SPECIFIC  AS WELL AS APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS.\n\nOK - got the disclaimer out of the way.  \n\nYou could always pay the bill and provide the creditor with the payment details.  If things have gone beyond the phase of simply just paying the bill there are laws which protect consumers from unwieldy and unwelcome calls from creditors.  The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act governs what creditors can and cannot do in the pursuit of collecting unpaid debt.  If you don't want to receive the calls you may want to consider telling the creditor just that the next time you get a collection call.  Keep a record of the calls and how you respond to them. If it gets out of hand, abusive or overbearing the best thing to do is get in touch with a local attorney.\n\nGood luck.
236225
hi briezee1\nThe answer to this is going to be it depends.....First, Are they 100% accuratly reporting on your credit report? Second, Are the creditors the original creditor or collection agency?\n\nThere are a couple of ways of approaching this. If the debt is yours and is reporting 100% accurate I will concur with RICK that you have a moral obligation to repay the debt. With that said, I find it highly unlikely they are reporting 100% accurate.\n\nIf the creditor is an original creditor you may want to consider offering them a settlement. If it's a collection agency you may want to consider sending them a debt validation letter first. You want to know that you have a legal and contractual obligation to pay them and not the original creditor. \n\nIt is also important to know the date of last activity on the account. Even though negative credit may stay on your report for 7 years, most statute of limitations is much shorter. You will want to check your state statute regarding the debt.It is possible the SOL (statute of limitation) is up and the debt is no longer collectable.
736654
This sounds like a load of cr*p.  Don't deal with collection agents at all.  If you WANT to pay the bill, deal directly with the credit card company (and make SURE it is the credit card company you are dealing with, not a collections agent pretending to be them).\n\nIf the company won't deal with you and the debt has already hit your credit report, just don't bother with it at all--it can't get any worse.\n\nIf they threaten to take you to court wait until you have at least two letters from a REAL attorney (investigate whether the law firm that sends you the letters is legit or not) and then offer to settle with them for 50% of the funds due.\n\nCollection agents will lie, cheat, and steal just to get you to talk to them, don't deal with them at all!  No honest person becomes a collection agent... or if one does, they soon lose all aspects of humanity they once had.\n\nGood luck!