What to do about an alleged $121 debt from6 years ago?
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What to do about an alleged $121 debt from6 years ago?
I received a call this morning from a collection agencyclaiming that I owe money for some on-line DVD’s that I received in 2005. I did sign up with a company to receive their product but I know that I paid them in full and fulfilled my part of the obligation. I did not hear from them; I did not get any letters, statements, etc. I also check my credit report from all 3 bureaus and have never seen either the DVD company or the collection agency listed. Now, they called my home phone (I moved in 2007) and claim that I owe money. I dispute this. What should I do?
Asked on February 11, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, Oregon
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Check the date of the sale, if you can. From what I can tell the statute of limitations for debt collection in Oregon is 6 years, so they may be trying to collect on something that is noncollectable at this point or scrambling to collect in time. Ask for debt validation, which they are required to provide. It should be a copy of the original contract between you, a history of the account and proof of their right to collect on behalf of the DVD company. Then try and find your record of payment (I know, it was a long time ago). See what the above turns up and go from there. Good luck to you.
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