How can send a bill to a collection agency?
964486
If  you call a local collection agency in your area they will ask for the information of the person owing you the money and they will send out notices trying to collect. This is not the most effective way, most people throw the notices away...be warned collection agencies charge a fee and or a percentage of what you are trying to collect. You will more than likely end up not receiving the full amount owed to you. You are better off taking these clients to small claims court. I believe in most states it is around $35.00 to file a motion. In the end it is cheaper and with a strong case you will receive all monies owed. If and when you file be sure to include that you want to be reimbursed for court costs.
869473
Take it to a coin dealer. (Yes, I know it's a bill...but they deal in that stuff, too.)
112221
The first thing I would do, is if you owe the debt, contact the original creditor in writing expressing that you are intrested in resolving the issue and are being harassed by a collection agency...be sure to provide them with who the collection agency is.  If you still owe it, they will work with you.\n\nAs far as stopping the calls, simply ask the agency for their mailing address and send them a certified letter demanding the harassment and phone calls stop and that all communiction should be in writing.  Be sure to log the calls and the times and any threats or harassing they commit.  After they recieve the letter, it is illegal to call you....if they do, file a complaint with a copy of your letter and the certified receipt showing they received it along with your log to the authorities.  Whatever you do, do NOT discuss the debt with them at all!  Simply cut them off politely and say that you need a mailing address and tell them that any future communication should be in writing.  Follow up with the certified letter, and it should stop.  Also, if the collection agency has reported the debt on your credit report, you can remove it by sending a letter to each of the creit reporting agencies denying the accuracy and demanding that the debt be "validated".  This will give the collection agency 30 days to send a copy of the original signed credit agreement as well as a complete payment history.  If they donot do this completely within the 30 days, it must be deleted by law.\n\nGood luck....I hope this helps you.
198442
Relax, I can fix your problem real quick with just a phone call and a letter.\n\nCall up the cell phone provider and let them know your account was sent in error to a collection agency, and inform them to call off the dogs.  \n\nThen send a cease and desist letter to the collection agency.  The link below has a sample letter, just change it around to fit your purpose.  \n\nBe sure to include a statement telling them not to call or write to you again.  \n\nBe sure to check your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com to make sure that the collection agency didn't put any negative comments on it.  If so, I've enclosed some additional links that will help you out.\n\nMail the letter Certified USPS so you can prove and track it.  Keep logs of all letters and phone calls that you make in case you need to follow up with legal action.\n\nI'm 99% certain that by following the above advice you will not hear from them again.  Unfortunately, many collection agents are so narrow minded (all the see is green) that you may need to stop them in court.  \n\nIt's very important to note:  Unless the debt is large (at least $1000) many collection agencies won't even try to sue you to recover the debt.  They are content to going after your credit history and messing up your life.  \n\nYou are fighting a war!  Do not fight these guys unarmed.  Knowledge of the law is your only weapon!  Get armed!  Read the links below.
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
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.
364448
not sure how they do it but tampa usally sends me a bill in early june
1066789
The link below contains a bunch of sample letters to send to creditors.\n\nEmail me if you need more advice.
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.
911719
Roderick,\n\nLet me break this down for you.\n\nOnce you are in a situation where you can even pay a portion of the debt, you need to send the collection agency a pay-for-deletion letter.\n\nJust remind them that you have other creditors to pay, and "in the spirit of compromise" you would like to settle the account for $XXX dollars as payment in full IF and ONLY IF the collection agency will remove the negative item from you credit report at ALL THREE credit bureaus.\n\nThe collection agencies will try to give you the okie-doke by saying that they can not do this (because it's extra work for them).  However, they have the ability and authority to do it.\n\nIf the collection agency declines your offier, just inform them in writing that your payment went to another collector who agreed to the aforementioned terms.\n\nPlease be aware that you are NOT TO TALK to the collection agencies over the phone or through e-mail.  All correspondence must be sent via CERTIFIED MAIL.  In addition, you must maintain copies of the receipts as proof of mailing.\n\nSee hyperlink below.\n\nGood luck.
812093
Now that it is in collections, there are only a few things you can do. (1) pay the money so that it doesn't ruin your report and then take the company to small claims so that you get your money back (2) dispute it with the credit bureaus (3) write a letter and send it certified mail to the collection agency disputing the claim. They have to send you proof that you owe the bill and that the original creditor gave them permission to collect the debt. The last two options may get the debt resolved shortly, but be warned that you may have to go through it again if the collection agency sells the bill to another agency. There is a link below for sample dispute letters.
349172
You are finding out what I've been trying to warn people about for weeks now.  \n\nNever, ever, pay off an bill that is in collections unless you get IN WRITING that they will remove the negative entry from your record before you pay them a DIME!\n\nNow that they have your money, you no longer have any leverage over them.  Good luck getting them to fix your report.  Remember this....credit reporting agencies only report what the creditor tells them.  They can NOT remove it or change it.  \n\nWhat you will need to do is this.\n\n1) Send a letter to the CRA protesting the report, and tell them exactly what is wrong with it.  If it's paid off try to supply any evidence of it.\n\nThe CRA will contact the creditor to "verify" that the report is legitimate.  Remember they are not investigating anything, they are just verifing with the creditor that the information they have is correct.  \n\nIf the creditor does not change the record, and you have documented evidence that it is wrong, then move on to part 2.\n\n2) Send a "demand for validation" letter to the creditor.  They must supply you with copies of all contracts, bills, receipts, and everything used to calculate what they claim you owe. If they do not produce it, send a copy of this letter with another protest to the CRA to remove the listing.  If they don't do it, you have grounds to sue both the CRA and the creditor.\n\nIf the creditor can not supply proper evidence to prove the listing is accurate, and still will not remove it, you can sue the creditor for violations of the FCRA, and defamation of character.  \n\nRead the links below, contact me if you need more help.
152227
make sure you never charge mare than you can pay when the bill comes.  just because you have one, doesn't mean you have to use it.\n\nif you get in trouble slightly cut it up and send it back.  pay more than the minimum payment due.  if your minimum due is 30 send them 60.  the longer it takes to pay, the more you pay.  the higher interest the more you owe.\n\nie: if you spend $1000. and your minimum due is $30, if you pay them $100, they will put at least $10 onto your card for interest.  so instead of only owing 900. you now owe 910.  and they do this every month.\n\nso never buy more than you can pay in a month, or you will owe more than you bought.\n\nread the fine print\ngood luck
1118057
They usually pass it in to another debt collecting agency as far as I know
130502
The collection department of the creditor can begin calling you the day after your payment is due. Normally it is at least 60 days past due before the account is turned over to a collection agency.
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.
644911
The advice to call the FTC, or your Representative or Senator....please don't waste your time.  What a crappy bit of advice!\n\nNot sure what the insurance company is doing, start by calling them and get info.\n\nBut you did say you have proof the bill was paid, so lets go along that angle.  Paul M is correct, you simply need to read the Fair Debt Collections Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.\n\nFollow my instructions....I've played this game before and it will work for you.\n\nSend a "demand to validate" letter to the collection agency.  Use the sample letter below.  By law, they have 30 days to send you proof that you owe this debt.  That includes contracts, bills, receipts, and everything used to calculate what they claim you owe.  Also include a cease and desist notation in the letter so they stop calling you and bothering you.\n\nSend a letter detailing your dispute to the credit reporting agencies that are listing this debt.  By law, they must investigate this.\n\nIf the collection agent does not validate this debt, send a copy of the VOD to the credit agency, along with another demand to remove the listing.  \n\nIf they still do not remove this listing, you have an excellent small claims suit against both of them for listing unvalidated debts on your credit report.  You can sue them for $1000 each, and you WILL win.  I've done it, it works!\n\nContact me if you need any help or advice.