I recently discovered collections on my credit report for a medical bill for a service that I received earlier in the year. I remember getting the medical service, but I was led to believe my insurance would cover it. I never even received a bill, and now this is a red mark my credit...what do I do now, and how concerned do I need to be?
What I would advise you to do is first, call the collector that is listed on the credit report, have a pen and paper handy as you want to make sure you are taking good notes.
· The credit report should have the contact information for any creditor reporting on your credit report. If not, a simple Internet search of the name of the company reporting on your credit file will lead you to them. Call them and find out about it; they will be more than willing to tell you what it is for and what you owe. Get a copy of the bill from them, and if it is owed, promptly pay it.
It is extremely important that you let the collector know that you never received a bill in the first place, for the services rendered.
· Collectors take notes of most of the phone calls received, so you want to get that comment into the notes if you can. Clearly explain that you are disputing the collection on your credit report, because you would have paid the bill if you had received one before it went to collections. When talking with the collector ask them when the bills were sent out.
Next, dispute the item on your credit report, make sure your dispute is clear and includes the following very important points:
· You never ever received a bill or a notification of any kind that any money was still owed for the services rendered.
· Upon receiving a notice of the outstanding bill, you will need to promptly paid it.
· You are disputing having a collection appear on your report as you were never given the chance to pay the bill in a timely manner.
The credit reporting agencies will conduct an investigation and respond to you with the results of their investigation within 30 days*.
*If your credit report is not cleared up, you have rights, and you should contact an attorney, so as they can help you clear up your report.
Larry P. Smith is a Chicago based attorney who owns Larry P. Smith & Associates; Protecting Consumer Rights. For over twelve years the attorneys at Smith & Associates have handled various consumer rights matters including fraudulent transactions, debt collector, harassment protection, credit report inaccuracy problems, and lemon law cases for automobiles and consumer products. if you feel your rights have been violated or you have a Lemon Law claim, please contact us for a free confidential case review, and let our attorneys help you understand your consumer rights. (888) 822-1777. To learn more about our services follow us at "http://www.linkedin.com/company/larry-p-smith-&-associates-ltd-"
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