Harrassing bill collector - and how to deal?
Replies
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Ok... so to those saying "grow up and pay the bill" ....
if someone randomly sent you a bill, saying you owe $1000, you'd just pay it without verification? You guys all just have $1000 to throw away? And afterwards, you'd then fight to get the money back?0 -
Ok... so to those saying "grow up and pay the bill" ....
if someone randomly sent you a bill, saying you owe $1000, you'd just pay it without verification? You guys all just have $1000 to throw away? And afterwards, you'd then fight to get the money back?
You're doing the right thing.
Some people don't bother to read the entire thread. They read the title only. Just ignore them.0 -
:huh: ....I just pay my bills so they don't call.
hard concept, I know.
It's clearly a mistake but bill collectors hear that kind of stuff all the time so they're not going to listen. There's no reason to pay something that you don't owe, and most people aren't just going to throw $300 bucks away like that.
OP I don't think there's much you can do except answer when they call and pretend you just got that number and you don't know who they're asking about. I put on a little girl voice and tell telemarketers I'm 11 all the time, it usually works because they're not supposed to talk to people under 18. Worth a try! Once that bill has gone into collection I don't really know if there's anything you can do by contacting the dentist's office anyway, since they sold the debt to a collections agency.0 -
You've already gotten some good advice. As for why it's so high, if they never sent you a bill (or you never got it) then it is possible that they are "administrative" fees. I know with credit cards they cannot collect anything if they cannot prove the debt is owed, but I'm not sure how that applies to medical.
The last time I had to deal with a debt collector, I told them I wouldn't pay without an audit of the account, because I knew for a fact they could not sue me without one. I never heard from them again. Again, not sure how that compares with medical, but I can't imagine they can just claim you owe money without having to provide proof of the debt.0 -
You've already gotten some good advice. As for why it's so high, if they never sent you a bill (or you never got it) then it is possible that they are "administrative" fees. I know with credit cards they cannot collect anything if they cannot prove the debt is owed, but I'm not sure how that applies to medical.
The last time I had to deal with a debt collector, I told them I wouldn't pay without an audit of the account, because I knew for a fact they could not sue me without one. I never heard from them again. Again, not sure how that compares with medical, but I can't imagine they can just claim you owe money without having to provide proof of the debt.
the last sentence is the main idea behind this entire thread!
You got it!!!!
If no one will send me an itemized account of all the extra fees, then I see no reason to pay more than $25!0 -
Grow up and pay the bill.
Seriously? You would pay a $300 bill with no questions asked? Ok, PM me your address so I can send you a bill for my financial advice: Do NOT pay a medical bill without making sure it is correct, let alone legit. A $300 bill for missing an appointment is not legit.
I fought an $894 medical bill for over a year and a half. Eventually they sent the $74 they owed ME. I refused to pay a $150 bill from having a mole removed because the doctor said it would be covered under my co-pay. Never got sent to collections and after a while the bill stopped coming. I, in fact, have about $900 worth of medical bills hanging out right now that I need to research before I will pay. Guarantee I do not really owe that much.
OP, the person that keeps calling you, is it the same person every time? Do they state what "agency" they are with? Have they sent you anything in the mail stating that you owe? This just seems bizarre, like more of a scam than just a billing mistake.
Good luck. You'll get it figured out. 0 -
DO NOT ignore this!
Bill collection can ruin your credit - even over 10 dollars, much less 306 dollars. Call your dentists office again, or go to them in person.0 -
You can tell the bill collector not to call you. If they do, they are breaking the law.0
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Grow up and pay the bill.
Seriously? You would pay a $300 bill with no questions asked? Ok, PM me your address so I can send you a bill for my financial advice: Do NOT pay a medical bill without making sure it is correct, let alone legit. A $300 bill for missing an appointment is not legit.
I fought an $894 medical bill for over a year and a half. Eventually they sent the $74 they owed ME. I refused to pay a $150 bill from having a mole removed because the doctor said it would be covered under my co-pay. Never got sent to collections and after a while the bill stopped coming. I, in fact, have about $900 worth of medical bills hanging out right now that I need to research before I will pay. Guarantee I do not really owe that much.
OP, the person that keeps calling you, is it the same person every time? Do they state what "agency" they are with? Have they sent you anything in the mail stating that you owe? This just seems bizarre, like more of a scam than just a billing mistake.
Good luck. You'll get it figured out.
The collector never says what his company name is, but says it's an important business matter. In fact, even when you call the collector back, the phone operator at the "company" never says the company's name when she answers the phone, either. But I DID receive a bill in the mail from them, just with the amount of $308, (NOT $306!) on it. And it looks like it was typed up on a Commodore 64.0 -
@OP. Call the dentist company again. Don't hang up until you have spoke to billing. If this is at a collection agency, it's affecting your credit. Sadly, there's a good chance the dentist office can't do anything to stop it at this point, HOWEVER, if YOU AND THE DENTIST office come to an agreement to drop it, pay half, etc, etc, the dentist office can have this debt revised, maybe dropped.
So clear your head and any negative thoughts. Be as nice and understanding as you can be when you talk to billing.
Ignoring this won't make it go away. It will be an issue on your credit report. It's in your best interest to call the dentist billing and take care of this immediately.0 -
Thank you very much for your reply!
I'm not sure I owe THAT much... I know I'd owe the $25 for the missed appointment, but $281 extra? Plus, why would it be so hard to get an itemized list of the fee from anyone?
The $281 could be for their collection fees.0 -
How about not be a dead beat and pay the bill instead of running away from responsibilities????????????????????????????????????????
How hard is it for you to drive to the dentist office, you put it on someone else for not picking up their phone, but you could easily go to the dentist office when this happened and taken care of it.
Better plan, be like the rest of those people who don't bother to be pay their bills and then live on welfare and food stamps and make those of us who actually work and are responsible be responsible for your laziness. YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaY.
WOW...Who crapped in your cheerios? Why so nasty? Ignore these rude people OP. You've got some really good advice on here. I wish you the best of luck!0 -
I dont think its been said yet but you can send a cease and desist letter telling them not to call you at your work or home phone number. They are bound by federal law to comply except to notify you they are filing suit or no longer collecting on the debt. Send it CMRRR. Also, check out creditboards.com for more advice. Specifically, look for WhyChat's medical collection dispute process. He is great.
Also, if its $306 you are probably looking at interest charges tacked on by the debt collection agency. Do not just pay them without validating the debt and making sure it is yours. Specifically, you need proof that the debt collector is authorized to accept payment for the past-due debt. Otherwise you are out $306 and still owe the dentist's office.0 -
Go to www.avattorneys.us, sign up for the service, and an attorney will write them a letter and make them stop.0
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Grow up and pay the bill.
Seriously? You would pay a $300 bill with no questions asked? Ok, PM me your address so I can send you a bill for my financial advice: Do NOT pay a medical bill without making sure it is correct, let alone legit. A $300 bill for missing an appointment is not legit.
I fought an $894 medical bill for over a year and a half. Eventually they sent the $74 they owed ME. I refused to pay a $150 bill from having a mole removed because the doctor said it would be covered under my co-pay. Never got sent to collections and after a while the bill stopped coming. I, in fact, have about $900 worth of medical bills hanging out right now that I need to research before I will pay. Guarantee I do not really owe that much.
OP, the person that keeps calling you, is it the same person every time? Do they state what "agency" they are with? Have they sent you anything in the mail stating that you owe? This just seems bizarre, like more of a scam than just a billing mistake.
Good luck. You'll get it figured out.
The collector never says what his company name is, but says it's an important business matter. In fact, even when you call the collector back, the phone operator at the "company" never says the company's name when she answers the phone, either. But I DID receive a bill in the mail from them, just with the amount of $308, (NOT $306!) on it. And it looks like it was typed up on a Commodore 64.
Did the bill from them have a name? :huh: It had no information other than the amount?
How do you know it's related to your missed dentist appt?
ETA: I don't know what a Commodore 64 is lol0 -
First you need to send a certified letter to the dentist to say that you are disputing the charges.
Then you need to contact the Credit Bureas to let them know this item is in dispute - because if collectors are calling it it showing up on your report. Once a bill passes 90 days it can really hurt you.
Additionally, ask them for PROOF they sent you a bill or a known policy that if you are a no-show you have to pay a fee. $300 seems excessive, normally it is the amount of your copay or $30-50.
If it states you will be charged a REASONABLE amount for the no-show such as the $50, then what has happened is you are now paying for late and collection fees.
I would try to contact the dentist and say you will not pay anything but the basic no-show fee. They may be able to arrange the payment and cancel the rest of the fees.
EVEN IF you pay in full, the collectors will call for some time after until your record is removed from their database.
Hope that helps--
a person who understands about stupid fees you had no idea even existed.
ps: try creditkarma.com to check your credit score. i love it and it's totally free!!
Credit Karma is for your TransUnion. Check out Credit Sesame for your Experian for a monthly score and monitoring or you can use credit.com. Quizzle does your Equifax but its only once every 6 mos.0 -
Grow up and pay the bill.
Seriously? You would pay a $300 bill with no questions asked? Ok, PM me your address so I can send you a bill for my financial advice: Do NOT pay a medical bill without making sure it is correct, let alone legit. A $300 bill for missing an appointment is not legit.
I fought an $894 medical bill for over a year and a half. Eventually they sent the $74 they owed ME. I refused to pay a $150 bill from having a mole removed because the doctor said it would be covered under my co-pay. Never got sent to collections and after a while the bill stopped coming. I, in fact, have about $900 worth of medical bills hanging out right now that I need to research before I will pay. Guarantee I do not really owe that much.
OP, the person that keeps calling you, is it the same person every time? Do they state what "agency" they are with? Have they sent you anything in the mail stating that you owe? This just seems bizarre, like more of a scam than just a billing mistake.
Good luck. You'll get it figured out.
The collector never says what his company name is, but says it's an important business matter. In fact, even when you call the collector back, the phone operator at the "company" never says the company's name when she answers the phone, either. But I DID receive a bill in the mail from them, just with the amount of $308, (NOT $306!) on it. And it looks like it was typed up on a Commodore 64.
Did the bill from them have a name? :huh: It had no information other than the amount?
How do you know it's related to your missed dentist appt?
ETA: I don't know what a Commodore 64 is lol
Yes, the bill has a name, so at least I know the name of the creditor. And there is no mention of my dentist's name on the bill.
LOL A commodore 64 is a computer from the 80's.0 -
That's no guarantee. True story:I just pay my bills so they don't call.
My phone number used to belong to a guy who had a lot of debts. As a result of this, I get ~10 calls each month, usually towards the end of the month, to "verify the identity" of a guy who isn't me. I told them many times that I'm not him but they kept calling. I'm too lazy to do anything else.
The last time they called, I told the girl on the phone that she had a sexy voice and asked her out. She hasn't called back yet, but I have high hopes for the end of this month.0 -
Pay up or fight the charges. Ignoring won't make the problem go away.
^^^ this. Research their office to see if anyone else is suffering the same. Go to the BBB. Then get legal help to deal with it before they take you to collections. Good luck!!0 -
If they say is so and so available when they call say Nope sorry she's taken and hang up. Otherwise before they can say anything say, I'm sorry I don't accept any offers over the phone please send me any information in writing. If they keep on harassing you then maybe send them their money in foreign currency and superglue it to something and frame it. Let them figure out how to get it all unglued. If its a legitatmite business though like medical or dental or something you will need to use in the future I would just try to see if you can set up a payment plan with them even if you can only pay them like $10 or $20 a month.0
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Wow, lots of experience with debt collectors on this thread. Do any of you pay your bills?0
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Dumb question... other than sending a certified letter to a bill collector (from my dentist's office that I'm debating) who tells me multiple times daily from phone calls that I owe $306 for a missed appointment last year, is there a way to make them stop calling? This guy calls from an "unknown number" daily, and I can't block that (Thanks, Apple!)
I'm very tempted to send a penny to them, with a note (certified mail, of course), saying DO NOT CONTACT ME IN ANY WAY IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER.
By the way, I called the dentist's office about this ($306??? REALLY???? FOR A MISSED APPOINTMENT???) since I haven't heard from them in almost a year, and no one's gotten back with me.
Would the "do not call" list apply to this situation?
Pay your bills on time and, if you are going to miss an appointment, call the office beforehand and let them know.
As unpopular as the opinion may be, if you pay your bills on time, this time of "harrassment" will most likely not occur. I know there are exceptions to every rule, and everyone that finds themselves in this postion can come up with one.
I have lived by these rules, however, and have never had to deal with a bill collector.0 -
Call the dentist and settle it with them. If they won't call you back take, your *kitten* down to their office and sit there until they get it straightened out.
Seriously, I suggest going to their office with $25 or whatever their missed appointment fee is and paying it. Make them give you a statement showing you now have a zero balance. Insist that they call or send a letter or whatever their procedure is to notify their collections agency that you don't owe them anything.
The suggestions about pretending you are someone else are just silly. Be a grown up and handle the situation. :-)
Edited cause I used a bad word0 -
Dumb question... other than sending a certified letter to a bill collector (from my dentist's office that I'm debating) who tells me multiple times daily from phone calls that I owe $306 for a missed appointment last year, is there a way to make them stop calling? This guy calls from an "unknown number" daily, and I can't block that (Thanks, Apple!)
I'm very tempted to send a penny to them, with a note (certified mail, of course), saying DO NOT CONTACT ME IN ANY WAY IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER.
By the way, I called the dentist's office about this ($306??? REALLY???? FOR A MISSED APPOINTMENT???) since I haven't heard from them in almost a year, and no one's gotten back with me.
Would the "do not call" list apply to this situation?
Pay your bills on time and, if you are going to miss an appointment, call the office beforehand and let them know.
As unpopular as the opinion may be, if you pay your bills on time, this time of "harrassment" will most likely not occur. I know there are exceptions to every rule, and everyone that finds themselves in this postion can come up with one.
I have lived by these rules, however, and have never had to deal with a bill collector.
ding ding ding0 -
It sounds like the dentist may have sold their delinquent (no offense intended) accounts receivable ledger to a third party collection firm, hence the $306.00 bill for a $25.00 missed appointment. I would deal with the dentist directly and avoid the collection agency.
NOTE: I am not a lawyer (thankfully) and this is just my opinion.0 -
If the dentist is calling you for the money you can't do anything. If they sold the debt off to a collection agency, those people don't have a legal right to harrass you. If you tell them to stop calling and they keep calling you, you can send them a desist letter and then sue, and you'd win it.0
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First you need to send a certified letter to the dentist to say that you are disputing the charges.
Then you need to contact the Credit Bureas to let them know this item is in dispute - because if collectors are calling it it showing up on your report. Once a bill passes 90 days it can really hurt you.
Additionally, ask them for PROOF they sent you a bill or a known policy that if you are a no-show you have to pay a fee. $300 seems excessive, normally it is the amount of your copay or $30-50.
If it states you will be charged a REASONABLE amount for the no-show such as the $50, then what has happened is you are now paying for late and collection fees.
I would try to contact the dentist and say you will not pay anything but the basic no-show fee. They may be able to arrange the payment and cancel the rest of the fees.
EVEN IF you pay in full, the collectors will call for some time after until your record is removed from their database.
Hope that helps--
a person who understands about stupid fees you had no idea even existed.
ps: try creditkarma.com to check your credit score. i love it and it's totally free!!
^^This. End thread.0 -
Quit taking advice from here and head over to creditboards.com for advice from people that 100% know what they're talking about. I go there for my credit advice, and here for my fitness advice. I wouldn't take weight loss tips from anybody on creditboards just the same as I wouldn't take credit advice from anybody on MFP.0
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If you missed an appointment, you owe the whole charge, not just your co-pay. Insurance companies don't pay anything toward missed appointments. Just pay it. Letting it go will cause you to wish you'd taken care of it for such a small amount, comparatively speaking.0
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Quit taking advice from here and head over to creditboards.com for advice from people that 100% know what they're talking about. I go there for my credit advice, and here for my fitness advice. I wouldn't take weight loss tips from anybody on creditboards just the same as I wouldn't take credit advice from anybody on MFP.
Well that can't be good advice because you posted it on a fitness site and this is a credit thread. See how that works?0
This discussion has been closed.
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