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Utility Bill - Collections

4,202 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by bmks270
c47v3770
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Ags, I need your advice.

I received a crappy phone call yesterday. A collection agency out of Dallas, pro-collect, left a voice message asking to call them back so I did to find what's it was all about.

Turns out a final electric bill from January 2014 was never paid. F me right? Anyways, I'm waiting for the debt verification letter to arrive before I make my next move. I think I have two options (please correct me if I'm wrong):

1. Send a "pay for delete" letter to the collection agency in hopes that they will agree to delete the debt from my record if pay the full amount ($99.60). Hell, I'm willing to pay double...

2. After talking to several reps from Gexa Energy, I was told I could pay the bill through the automated system and get a payment confirmation number. Then Gexa would contact the collections agency and I would get a letter saying the debt has been cleared and taken off my record. This is all based on what the rep said which I don't trust 100%.

Apparently Gexa has a collections department I can call so I will try on Monday. I'm trying to find out wether the debt was sold to the collection agency or if Gexa just contacted the agency to try and get paid.

My worst fear is I pay the debt then it's marked as paid and it still shows up on my record at some point. Again the collection hasn't hit my credit yet.

Thoughts on how to handle this?

TIA!
The Wonderer
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AG
Agree to pay in exchange for removal. Happens all the time.
Javelina
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AG
Get it in writing before you pay.
c47v3770
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Definitely getting it all in writing.
Question is, do I trust the utility company enough to settle through them or do I send the "pay for delete" letter to the collection agency?
Guitarsoup
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AG
Is it even on your credit report?
c47v3770
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Guitarsoup said:

Is it even on your credit report?


It's not. At least according to the Chase, Discover and Credit Karma.
59 South
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AG
Sounds like a PITA. Best of luck to ya!
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ATM9000
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third coast.. said:

we got a letter saying that we owed over 2 grand to a rental company for a house we rented for about 4 months in between moves. have a load of emails talking about final billing etc. The rental company never sent anything to the forwarding address and we get this thick demand packet. so frustrating. I have no problem paying anything I actually owe, but getting it from a collections company aggravates me to no end, because the way these people talk to you when you call to question/resolve the debt is absolutely abhorrent. Hate dealing with these people. I contacted the rental company directly and they wouldn't deal with me, just referred me back to the collections company.

ugh.

This happens to you a lot doesn't it?
ATM9000
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AG
I'm In the process of moving now and in my younger days I had stuff like this happen to me where I didn't get final bills etc... likely because I didn't provide a forwarding address.

Now, whenever I move I make a list of final bills I will owe going directly to my mail. If I don't get anything within a week or 2 of being at my new address I call and ask what's up to make sure I don't have a collections call and have to deal with that stuff months or years down the road.
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sts7049
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AG
had the same thing happen to me about 10 years ago. at the time i didn't know i could get it off my credit report so it stayed there for the 7 years or whatever until it finally dropped off.
aggiedata
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AG
don't automatically believe everything that comes from these guys. We got burned a few times because we were fearful of getting something on our credit report. Make them prove it, get papers sent to you then contest it.
chris1515
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AG
At this point wouldn't it be easier to pay the collection agency than go thru Gexa?

Ask if they would take a discount and mark it as paid in full.
CashMoneyYo
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don't even offer them the full amount of that bill - if its even legit. those companies scoop up these 'debts' for pennies. they will take a far reduced amount but yes, get it in writing.
The Wonderer
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CashMoneyYo said:

don't even offer them the full amount of that bill - if its even legit. those companies scoop up these 'debts' for pennies. they will take a far reduced amount but yes, get it in writing.
That depends if it has been placed for collections (original creditor still owns the debt, collector just takes a percentage of what is collected) or the debt was sold (original creditor sells the debt to a third party for a fraction of the original amount). This sounds more like the debt is owned by Gexa and being serviced by a debt collector.
c47v3770
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The Wonderer said:

CashMoneyYo said:

don't even offer them the full amount of that bill - if its even legit. those companies scoop up these 'debts' for pennies. they will take a far reduced amount but yes, get it in writing.
That depends if it has been placed for collections (original creditor still owns the debt, collector just takes a percentage of what is collected) or the debt was sold (original creditor sells the debt to a third party for a fraction of the original amount). This sounds more like the debt is owned by Gexa and being serviced by a debt collector.


I'm really hoping that's the case so I can settle through them. Apparently they have a collections department so I will see if I can talk to them tomorrow. It will either be that or hope the collection agency takes a "pay for delete" deal.

Right now, I'm just waiting for the debt verification letter. When I talked to the collection agency last Friday, the lady said the payment had to be on her desk by this coming Tuesday. Tssss, yeah right..

c47v3770
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chris1515 said:

At this point wouldn't it be easier to pay the collection agency than go thru Gexa?

Ask if they would take a discount and mark it as paid in full.


Yes, assuming the debt is still owned by them. Have not been able to confirm yet
The Wonderer
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AG
chris1515 said:

At this point wouldn't it be easier to pay the collection agency than go thru Gexa?

Ask if they would take a discount and mark it as paid in full.
They typically will not take a discounted amount AND keep from being reported. That is the one leverage they have and they don't give up for less than 100%. Especially for such a small amount.
South Platte
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How much would something like this actually hit your credit? My score is over 800, but I might stiff my last payment to gexa after I change just for all their hassle.
The Wonderer
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AG
South Platte said:

How much would something like this actually hit your credit? My score is over 800, but I might stiff my last payment to gexa after I change just for all their hassle.
It could easily drop you 70-100 points.
c47v3770
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Put in a request for Gexa's collections department to call me back. We will see...
I'm really really hoping Gexa still owns the debt.
bmks270
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AG
They pay people to collect on $99...
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