How can you get collection agenices to quit bothering me when a bill has been paid?
474397
Contact their client (the company you owed) and request to totally clear the account/bill. \n\nI've done this before with BMG Music. i cancelled my account and return the CD, so I really don't have to pay. the collection agency keeps on sending mails but contacting BMG fixed everything.
488183
You need to contest the debt in writing. If you do not do so within 30 days, they can proceed with the collection, although if you missed the deadline you should still send the letter. The address to send you letter should be in the written notice you were sent. If you have not received a written notice, demand one next time they call. Tell them you will not discuss the issue further until you have received the written notice.\n\nIt is best to handle all of these conversations in writing. If you agree to something on the phone, followup with a letter detailing your understanding of the agreement.\n\nMake sure you write the letter in a professional, non-emotional manner. The fact that the process makes you angry does not belong in any correspondence with them, stick to the facts of the matter. Keep copies of everything you send and everything they send to you.\n\nThey have to show by a preponderance of the evidence that you incurred the debt (not beyond a reasonable doubt as in criminal cases).\n\nIf you are unable to resolve the issue and you still believe you are right, you may need to retain a lawyer. Because of this, if the amount is small, it may be better to simply settle. You can negotiate settlement with them including having the report removed from your credit report. They don't want to go to court either.
160611
They can take you to court make you pay them and he you dont if and when you get a job they can take the money directly out of your paycheck... Its so much easier to call the collections people and make payment arrangments on your bill plus anything you want in life you have to have good credit so by letting a past due bill sit its really hurting your credit.
34012
If you have a charge off, you have to pay the debt.  That's the only way to get rid of it.  You can wait 7 yrs til it falls off your credit report, but you still owe the money, collectors will continue to call you.  A charge-off is a term used to explain a debt that is over 180 days past due.  If you wait for it to fall of your credit report, you also run the risk of them filing a judgement against you (which is on your credit report for 10 years!), or suing you for the money before the 7 years.  LOL at all the people who think that your debt disappears after 7 years.  That's just the limit as to how long it can hurt your credit.  You will always owe the money.\n\nThe other people who have responded have responded in a way as if the debt wasn't a valid debt.  If this debt is rightfully yours, a letter of dispute or any of the suggested things are useless.
830111
You have just stumbled into the trap that I have tried warning people about for months now!\n\nThere are only two ways to get a negative item removed from your credit history.\n\n1) The creditor must remove it\n2) The creditor fails to respond to a credit bureau investigation request.\n\nOnce you have paid the creditor, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get them to cooperate in fixing your credit.  \n\nThat is why I warn people who are going to pay off old debts...make the creditor agree IN WRITING to delete the entry once the bill has been paid off.  Don't pay them a dime unless they agree to do it.\n\nNow you are broke, and you still have bad credit.  Is that fair?\n\nAll you can do now is start the dispute process.  Note that even though you paid off this debt, the creditor is only REQUIRED to show that the debt has been paid off, but it will still show reports of late payments, charge offs and collections.  It will still be a negative report. \n\nBut it at least should show the bill is paid.  Failure of the credit to update your credit history is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  If they don't update the listing, you can sue them for $1000 in small claims court.\n\nSend a dispute letter to both the credit bureau and the creditor.  But note that it sometimes takes a couple of months for these updates to show up on your report, so you need to be patient.
491605
Hello!?!?  You owe them money!  To get them to stop calling, PAY IT!!  Just because you didn't publish your phone number doesn't mean you're no longer liable!\n\nP.S. The answer about the collection agency is not right.  It may have been in your original written agreement that you would still be liable after the debt was sold.
249523
This is a classic example of how collection companyes screw you!\n\nEven after you have paid off the debt, they continue to post your histor on your credit report.\n\nNext time, send them a letter telling them that IF you pay off the debt, they MUST remove any negative history.  \n\nNow look where you are?  Broke and bad credit.  \n\nYour first job is to contact all of the creditors and credit bureau and demand that the status of all those loans say "paid in full".  Have the credit reporting agencies place a letter in your file explaining what happened.  You are allowed a short message.  \n\nGo through the links I've supplied and see if it helps.  \n\nGood luck.
19028
Pay your bills and stop  charging.
352988
the debt never goes away.  you can commence billing/collection as soon as the bill is adjudicated by the insurance company.
877661
if you have a house or any joint property the creditor can place a lien, the best thing to do is what you said contact the collection agency and offer them a cash settlement some take as little as 15% as a cash settlement MAKE SURE YOU KEEP PROOF OF PAYMENT collection agency don't like reporting to credit bureaus so a lot of times that debt will still show up years after you have already paid it
606071
Just to let you know, every reported transaction is going to take you about an hour on the phone. This is going to be a pain in the butt. You need to dispute the accounts, (which you've done) now the angencys are going to need to prove that is infact you. They will do this by matching your DOB and ss# as well as your last 3 previous addresses. If they don't match yours the bill isn't yours, and it will be taken off. It takes some time ( a couple of months) so be paitent. If it isn't resolved in that time, you need to call each agency. Sorry but itentity mixups and theft are hard new.
433829
Once you tell a bill collector to stop calling you they must you on a "Do-Not-Call" list. If they continue to call you just call the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and they should be able to help you out. Yeah I know I used to be a telemarketer.
31795
You have Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to help you.\n\nHere are some of the important points:\n\nThis law was established to ensure that consumers are treated fairly by debt collectors. All kinds of personal and household debts are covered in the law, including automobile loans, medical expenses, credit card debts, and more. However, the law does not apply to businesses collecting their own debts. The Act provides the following protections:\n\n• It prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, deceptive and unfair practices such as:\n\n• Using abusive language or making threats.\n\n• Using the telephone to annoy you.\n\n• Contacting you at inconvenient times or places.\n\n• Misrepresenting themselves to you.\n\n• Threatening a lawsuit or other action.\n\n• Collecting more from you than you owe.\n\n• It establishes the procedure for debt collection:\n\n• First, within five days after the initial contact, the debt collector must send a statement of the amount you owe to the creditor, and what action you can take if you dispute owing the money.\n\n• Second, if you send a letter within 30 days disputing that you owe the money, then the debt collector cannot make further collection efforts until you receive proof of the debt.\n\n• Third, the debt collector cannot collect for any debt that cannot be verified.\n\n• It limits debt collector contact with third parties (except to locate you).\n\n• It requires that if you owe several debts, the money you provide must be applied as you wish.\n\n• It restricts debt collectors from trying to collect any debt in dispute.\n\nNow that you have the law and what it tells you, you are more empowered than you were previous right?\n\nHope this helps,\n\nJohncy Edward\nYour Trusted Credit Repair Guru
566385
I agree with the first person. The do not call list. However, it will not stop calls from any company that you have done business with or collection calls. \nThe only way to make those stop is to tell the company when they call to remove you from their call list. For collection calls, tell them you do not wish to be contacted by telephone again.And also send them a certified letter telling them the same thing. \nAfter that if you still recieve calls from one of those companies you can report them and they could be fined. I think there is more information on the donotcall site.\n\nGood Luck!
983913
It is very easy to get a collection agency to stop calling, you simply send them a letter telling them to do so. Send them a C&D (cease and desist letter). Simply write: "In line with my rights under the FCRA, please do not contact me again in any way, shape, or form regarding this debt". If they contact you again - by phone or mail - they are breaking the law.
856209
YES!  And sorry to say, but you probably won't get your issue resolved.  They are always right and you are always wrong.  That's will all of the bill people you have to call.  Good luck to you!
147200
depends on state laws.  I know here, they have to notify you in writing...then the calls start.  On the back of their written notification, it usually has the laws that apply to collections on them.  I know here (illinois) can write a letter requesting they no longer contact by phone...and they have to stop.