Can a company switch debt collectors while a debt is in dispute with the original collector?
The debt has been sold to a collection agency. When you disputed the debt, they just sold it to another collection agency. You have to dispute it again. Unfortunately, they will probably sell to yet another colelction agency. Hopefully you have some documentation that proves you do not owe the debt. Dispute the item on your credit file — the collection agencies have undoubtedly reported it. If that doesn’t get the item removed from your credit file, send the collection agency a certified, return reciept letter requesting validation of the debt to include copies of contracts and documentation proving you owe the debt. Give them 30 days. If they fail to respond, send another dispute to the credit bureau with a copy of your validation request, indicating that they failed to validate. That should get it removed. However, it may still come back to haunt you thru yet another collection agency. Somewhere along the line you might even consider a delete for pay — you pay $x and they delete. G
