Harrassing bill collector - and how to deal?

moosegt35

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.

This. It cracks me up that she is expecting something to be turned into her insurance company. Insurance pays for you to go to the dentist, not sit on your *kitten* when you are supposed to be at the dentist.

Brianna716

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?

Just like it would be bad advice for me to refer somebody from creditboards to MFP if they posted a fitness thread?

moosegt35

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?

Just like it would be bad advice for me to refer somebody from creditboards to MFP if they posted a fitness thread?

Yep. You are offering advice on credit issues on a fitness site. It is made for fitness, not credit. Same as the credit board is made for credit issues, not fitness advice.

donnat238

I just pay my bills so they don't call.

That's no guarantee. True story:

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.

This happened to me. After months of calls about someone that I don't know (and would kick in the butt if I did) I contacted my phone company about changing my phone number...they recommended that I get the name of the company and their mailing address the next time they called and send a registered letter to the state. I did this and the phone calls stopped.

1princesswarrior

I feel your pain.

Federal law states that they have to provide an itemized bill for you when you are disputing medical charges or any charge as far as that goes. I'm in a similar situation with a gym billing company but much worse.

I am also working with several collection companies in terms of paying delinquent medical bills because I was out of work for some time due to having surgery and no income. They have all been extremely helpful in allowing me to set up payment plans and working with me and the hospital to negotiate a settlement with reduced fees or no fees at all just as long as I make payments. And all have provided me with itemized bills, what my insurance has paid and has not paid, etc.

So I would question why you are getting so many calls a day if you are working or trying to work with them. I would ask for business license numbers as they also have to provide that information to you. Sounds a little strange to me.

KrazyDaizy

Look up the FDCPA (fair debt collection practices act).

Debt collectors have to obey the law.

^^^^^This

Request in writing for the calls to stop. Once you produce it in writing to the debt collection agency to stop calls then the calls must stop. That doesn't mean that they won't put the money owed on your credit report though. You may be better off paying it or at least talking to the guy to see what you can do since it wasn't submitted to insurance plus you do not have an itemized bill.

castadiva

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.

Erm... if it doesn't mention your dentist, or the source of the debt, why do you think it's the dentist?? All in all, sounds very fishy to me - you should be given the name of the company when you call, and when they call you. Have you googled the name on the bill, at least? If you're aware you owe some money to the dentist, make sure you verify whether or not they have passed on the debt to a collection agency. Be a pest if you have to - stay on the line until they transfer you to speak with accounts, or insist they give you a number where the accounts department can be reached at that moment in time, and keep calling until you speak to someone.

TubbsMcGee

Missed appointments count as charges, and... if you had received a bill and never paid it, then... well, sorry, you owe it. I'd just make a payment plan and pay them. They won't leave you alone, and will probably attempt to find a friend or family member to start harassing if you don't buck up.

This ^

If you missed the appointment time, that's your own fault.
Most offices will charge a "no-show" fee because you're taking their OTHER business away from them by not showing up.
Take it as a lesson learned, and if you're going to have to miss a future appointment, be courteous and let their office know well in advance.
In my opinion, the bill collector isn't harassing you.
You need to pay your bill.
End of discussion.

AwMyLoLo

Missed appointments count as charges, and... if you had received a bill and never paid it, then... well, sorry, you owe it. I'd just make a payment plan and pay them. They won't leave you alone, and will probably attempt to find a friend or family member to start harassing if you don't buck up.

This ^

If you missed the appointment time, that's your own fault.
Most offices will charge a "no-show" fee because you're taking their OTHER business away from them by not showing up.
Take it as a lesson learned, and if you're going to have to miss a future appointment, be courteous and let their office know well in advance.
In my opinion, the bill collector isn't harassing you.
You need to pay your bill.
End of discussion.

$306 for a missed appointment?! NO.

moosegt35

Missed appointments count as charges, and... if you had received a bill and never paid it, then... well, sorry, you owe it. I'd just make a payment plan and pay them. They won't leave you alone, and will probably attempt to find a friend or family member to start harassing if you don't buck up.

This ^

If you missed the appointment time, that's your own fault.
Most offices will charge a "no-show" fee because you're taking their OTHER business away from them by not showing up.
Take it as a lesson learned, and if you're going to have to miss a future appointment, be courteous and let their office know well in advance.
In my opinion, the bill collector isn't harassing you.
You need to pay your bill.
End of discussion.

common sense and responsibility? How have you lasted this long on MFP?

ekz13

ETA: I don't know what a Commodore 64 is lol

And now I feel old..... :grumble:

AwMyLoLo

Missed appointments count as charges, and... if you had received a bill and never paid it, then... well, sorry, you owe it. I'd just make a payment plan and pay them. They won't leave you alone, and will probably attempt to find a friend or family member to start harassing if you don't buck up.

This ^

If you missed the appointment time, that's your own fault.
Most offices will charge a "no-show" fee because you're taking their OTHER business away from them by not showing up.
Take it as a lesson learned, and if you're going to have to miss a future appointment, be courteous and let their office know well in advance.
In my opinion, the bill collector isn't harassing you.
You need to pay your bill.
End of discussion.

common sense and responsibility? How have you lasted this long on MFP?

One time when I lived in an apartment, I transposed numbers on my rent check, accidentally underpaying. I did not realize the mistake until some months later when I came home to an exiction note hanging on my door. In addition to the underpayment, there was about $300 in penalties and charges. I had never been made aware of the mistake until this point. I contacted the property management company and argued my way out of the charges. I mean, it was an honest mistake, I had always paid on time and correctly prior to and after this, and it was ridiculous that it wasn't brought to my attention until I was "being evicted". I paid the amount that I had accidentally underpaid and the rest was history.

*kitten* happens. An honest mistake or missed apointment does not have to result in exploitation.

dpwellman

Everyone knows a Commodore 64 is a souped up VIC-20

Pipsg1rl

Hi, OP! I'm just wondering how things are going.

After I left my post I also wanted to add that you should keep a log of the calls both with the dentist and the collection agency.

Not sure if someone mentioned it (I read through all the posts after mine - man lots of haters) but also, collections agents are paid based on the number (or amount?) of payments they are able to get. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you. Talk to them and tell them that you are in contact wtih the dentist office and ask them to call you back on xxday and xxtime. They deal with axewads all day.

I hope you have some good advice here.

There is no way you need to claim bankruptcy over $300!

the person was right, I had to go check, but CreditKarma is TransUnion and Vantage scores. Apparently Vantage is a combination of the 3 top Credit Bureas (sp) - TransUnion, Experion, Equifax.

PM me if you have any questions.

just_Jennie1

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?

How many times a day are they calling you?

Between what hours are they calling you?

There are laws out there that dictate how many times they can contact you a day (I believe one) and the hours they can call. Any violation of this is borderline harassment.

This site can help you out:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

MissingMyOldSelf

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.

This. It cracks me up that she is expecting something to be turned into her insurance company. Insurance pays for you to go to the dentist, not sit on your *kitten* when you are supposed to be at the dentist.

Um... can you read?? Where did I ever say that I expected my insurance to pay this????????? All I mentioned was that I contacted my insurance asking if there was additional charges made after my last appointment that were NOT for me.

Wow. The amount of decent people on MFP is astonishing, however, the people that can't read, or the ones to jump to conclusions without reading the thread don't surprise me.

MissingMyOldSelf

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?

How many times a day are they calling you?

Between what hours are they calling you?

There are laws out there that dictate how many times they can contact you a day (I believe one) and the hours they can call. Any violation of this is borderline harassment.

This site can help you out:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

I'm getting about 3-4 calls a day, but one voicemail. They call around 12-5.

dbanks80

I just pay my bills so they don't call.

This ^ :indifferent: