Are collections agencies required to contact you by PHONE before sending your account to the credit bureaus?

Question

There is an unpaid medical bill on my credit report for ONLY $6. I have no idea where it's from and there is no contact information with it. I was just wondering are you supposed to be contacted by phone before delinquent accounts are reflected on your credit report?

Answer 1

No, they have no requirement to call you.  

Contact the credit reporting agencies to dispute it.  (Note that you are entitled to another free report to assure you that it has been removed from your report.)  

Answer 2

No, collection agencies do not need to make telephone contact before reporting your account.  I'll tell you though, a $6 account is ridiculous to report. I would contact the client ( original creditor ) and let them know. Believe it or not some clients frown upon their selected collection agencies for such practices, especially hospitals which have 20 page contracts with collection agencies. In these contracts it states how much they will report.. The client may not even know that the agency is reporting those type of balances.. Call the client and raise h**l about it. You'll probably see the account come off your credit report within a month.  

Answer 3

I do know of a great website that has everything to do with the real estate industry, mortgage lending and credit repair, try: http://www.mortgageball.com

This site can answer any questions regarding anything to do with debt, credit and collection.

Let me know if it helped.

Answer 4

No. That's why it's good to check your credit once or twice a year. This allows you to dispute anything that may not belong to you.  

Answer 5

6 dollars?  That's absurd!

But, alas!  They are not required to tell us that we owe anything.

Dispute it.

Answer 6

No they don't. What you should do now is send the credit bureaus an "Attempt to validate debt" letter. Here is a sample letter...

Answer 7

Request your free credit report from annualcreditreport. or call them toll free @ 1-877-322-8228 for all 3 free reports. If there is any derogatory info on the reports, it should give the name who the debt is owed to. If it's clear, do not worry about it.