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Dealing with a Collection Agency

Collection Agencies have a bad reputation that they work hard to uphold.  Yup.

However I would always be extremely polite when dealing with them.  They have a tough job and often will be able to work with you if you are nice.

Contact the collection agency: 
Warning everything you say will be aggressively used against you.
The only thing I would admit to is my name and my mailing address.
From your Credit History call them.  Ask them for their address.

Send them a debt validation demand.
???

Before paying off the debt, reach out to the collection agency to verify that the debt is valid and negotiate the terms of payment. 
You can request a written validation of the debt to confirm its legitimacy.


Negotiate a payment plan with the Collection Agency:

You must get the agreement in writing before paying them any money.
If it is a large amount the maximum you should offer to pay is 50%.

Do not make a payment or agree to a plan that does not delete the collection from your credit report.

Make sure to get the agreement in writing.  

Keep a record of your payments with your agreement.

Pay off the debt: Once you have agreed on the payment terms, make sure to pay off the debt as soon as possible. 

Be sure to get a receipt from the collection agency.


Follow up: If the collection agency agrees to remove the collection from your credit report, make sure to follow up and ensure that they have done so. You can check your credit report to confirm that the collection has been removed.

Never make payments to a Collection Agency without following these directions

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