Collection Agency

• Commander of Awesome

  

  Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from a collection agency saying I owed $100 to a health insurance company.
  
  Long story short, I was going to have a gap in health care coverage of about 3 weeks so I looked into gap coverage. I tried to buy gap coverage online, yet for whatever reason they couldn't process the card and it wouldn't go through. I never followed up with them to make payment and I never received a call or insurance card from them. Figured that was the end of it. Fast forward to letter in the mail.
  
  I called the guy and he should I could dispute the charge, but it would take up 2 months to go through the motions. I'm unsure of the impact of this on my credit score etc... and frankly don't want to pay. Anyone ever have to deal with this? Is it worth fighting or should I should pay the $100 and be done with it?
• like_that

  

  Are they from Nigeria?
• gut

  Dispute the charge and then ask that they remove any remarks/reports to credit agencies. A bit of a PITA, and maybe not worth $100, but they can't ding your credit for some bs charge.
  
  Usually when you get the letter it has not yet been reported as delinquent/default. I'd just dispute the claim with my credit card, but if you decide to just pay $100 (sounds like you got your product - if you had needed that gap coverage you would have sued them arguing you had signed for it) make sure nothing has or will be reported derogatory on your credit.
• Sonofanump

  Offer them $60 now or Send them $3.50 a month for the next two years just so they have to keep billing you.
• Automatik

  

  If it's a third party collection agency, I wouldn't worry about it hitting your credit right now. It takes more effort from the agency other than mailings to get your credit score involved.
  
  I'm not 100% on this, but I worked as a commercial debt collector in the past and we were the first step in resolving unpaid balances (mailings and calls), and we would hold on to them for MONTHS before they moved on. Nothing I dealt with had any effect on credit scores.
  
  I would dispute it and hope for the best.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  like_that;1392921 wrote:Are they from Nigeria?

  Nope from Gfyeria.
• like_that

  

  Commander of Awesome;1393181 wrote:Nope from Gfyeria.

  lol'd.
  
  No need to infract him (insert most obvious mod). I thought it was funny.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Automatik;1393019 wrote:If it's a third party collection agency, I wouldn't worry about it hitting your credit right now. It takes more effort from the agency other than mailings to get your credit score involved.
  
  I'm not 100% on this, but I worked as a commercial debt collector in the past and we were the first step in resolving unpaid balances (mailings and calls), and we would hold on to them for MONTHS before they moved on. Nothing I dealt with had any effect on credit scores.
  
  I would dispute it and hope for the best.

  By disputing it, and the health insurance agency QQs and I still have to pay, I assume it wouldnt hurt my credit score/have to pay more after the fact?
• Automatik

  

  Again, not 100%, but I wouldn't sweat it. It takes a long time for something like that to hit your credit.
  
  My insurance tried to hit me with a $500 deductible for staying over night in the hospital. My surgery was outpatient, but the surgeon was delayed big time due to someone needed emergency surgery so that took precedent. It was so delayed that I had to stay over. I got the bill for that $500, disputed it immediately. It took a few months, but I never had to pay it. The hospital ended up resolving the issue and my credit wasn't affected. I probably got at least 10 mailings and 5 calls over that BS.