Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I’ll keep you posted, but this might take a bit.
So, I got a call from this place called Credit Collection Services (CCS). They asked for my name and then said they were collecting on a credit card from 2006. They claimed they tried to deliver a letter about a court summons and said I should call them with a file number for more info.
I called the number, and they said they were a law firm. They mentioned that a process server would deliver a letter for a court appearance, set for Nov. 29th but could change. They also said they’d call ahead when it’s coming, even on weekends.
They warned that if I don’t show up, I’ll owe around $9,000, even though the original limit was $2,500.
I haven’t received any kind of debt validation letter yet, and I’m assuming the letter should say when I last made a payment and the balance.
I’ve lived in just two places for the last 20 years. This credit card is 18 years old, and my credit score has been over 800 for a decade.
Is it even legal for them to try and collect this after 18 years? What should I do? Go to court and try to negotiate?
Nyx said:
It’s probably well past the statute of limitations, depending on your state. You should check that out.
Whatever you do, don’t send any money or agree to pay anything!
Adding to this—California has a 4-year statute of limitations, I think. That means if you go 4 years without paying, they can’t legally make you pay after that. Courts will usually dismiss these cases.
But if you make even a small payment or admit you owe the debt, the statute resets. It happened to me. Right before the time limit, they tried to get me to settle for a lower amount. Don’t fall for it. Ignore them completely. Your credit might already be hit, but paying won’t fix it now.
Yes, they can still sue you over the debt, but you’re protected by the statute of limitations as long as you show up in court and ask for a dismissal based on that. If you don’t show up or don’t assert that defense, you could end up stuck with a judgment against you.
Rowe said: @Aza
Quick question—does the 4 years start from the charge-off date or from the last reported payment? I’ve got a card in collections and not sure when the clock started.
It starts from the last missed payment date. Just be careful—if you make a payment, the clock resets.
It depends on the state, but I thought most debts were written off after 7 years. In my state, after 3 years, they can’t sue anymore. But if you make a payment, it resets. You should talk to a lawyer to see what your rights are where you live.
Be careful—if you agree to the debt in court, they can make you pay. I’d definitely get some legal advice before showing up.
@Kiran
Right, thanks for the clarification! I definitely mixed that up. There’s a big difference between what shows up on your credit report and what can be collected.
Just because it’s not on your credit report anymore doesn’t mean you don’t owe the money. If you borrowed it, you’re still responsible for paying it back.
That said, there’s probably a time limit for them to take legal action, which might have already passed.
A lot of times, you can settle for way less if you negotiate hard, like 10-70% of the balance.
But be careful. Don’t admit you owe it or make any payments unless you’ve been served court papers. That restarts the time limit they have to collect. If you’re not sure, it might be worth consulting a lawyer.
Aspen said:
Thanks for all the help, everyone. Starting to wonder if this might be a scam.
It probably is a scam. If there was a real debt, you can make things worse by making any payments. Don’t send a dime or respond until you know there’s an actual court date. If that happens, confirm with the court that it’s real. If it is, show up and bring proof that the debt is past the statute of limitations.
Toby said:
Check if it’s a scam before doing anything else…
The first number had my area code and came up as CCS and my state’s abbreviation. They gave me another number (888-746-0965) to call for more info. Could a scammer get a toll-free number?
@Aspen
It’s likely a scam or a shady company trying to collect old debts. They’ll never give you a real company name or address. They use offshore numbers and will disappear after a few months. Don’t let them trick you into restarting an old debt.
I’m in a similar spot with a 2008 collection. If it’s been this long, it’s probably past the statute of limitations. These calls are usually just attempts to scare you into paying. You won’t get any real letters, just phone calls trying to intimidate you. Don’t stress about it.
This happened to me about 10 years ago over a $10k debt. I had moved to another state and got court papers out of the blue. The creditor said a certified letter was sent and signed for at my old address, but I didn’t live there anymore.
I had to send proof of where I lived to both the court and the collection agency. They tried to pull a fast one, but I sent everything showing I didn’t live at the old address when they said they sent the letter.
I had a court date but the collection agency didn’t show up. The judge agreed with me, and when they missed a second hearing, the case was thrown out for good.
Don’t admit to anything, and make sure they prove they’ve been contacting you at the right address.