Question
how long will dept collectors keep charging me for my unpaid cell bill?
almost 7 months ago i had ordered a cell phone from verizon over the internet. I also had a job at the time but i lost my job not long after i ordered my phone. i had a little savings to pay my bill so i was good for a month. but then i was unable to pay and thats when the bill started piling up. verizon turned me over to a collection agency and they sent me a letter stating i owe almost $1,000. I been trying my hardest to find a job since then but couldnt. Im also 6 months pregnant and besides not receiving help from anybody im already stressed .and to top it off i cant afford to pay them. hell thats why im living with my mom till i get myself together. So please let me know how long will these debt collectors keep harrassing me about my bill and keep piling on interest for my unpaid cell bill. will they sue me or just put it on my credit report? I live in texas if that helps any. Also i would love to hear any persoal experiances. please dont judge because i know i made a mistake and im trying my hardest to fix it
5 months ago - 3 answers
Best Answer
Chosen by Asker
The debt is yours and they can attempt to collect the debt forever. The negative account can be placed on your credit report for 7 years. It is up to the creditor if they want to sue or not, although Texas is a state that does not allow wage garnishment, the creditor could still take you to court and if they win get judgment and attach your bank account or personal property. Every debt does have a statute of limitation, meaning the time period in which legal action can be taken against you, in TX it is 4 years.
5 months ago
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Other Answers
They could sue you, yes. I don't know how often they do this in the state of Texas though. I'm pretty sure wages can't be garnished there, so maybe debt collectors aren't as sue-happy? I'm not sure. These fees they are tacking on may or may not be legal. In order to find out, you need to send them a debt validation request letter. Here is a sample: creditrepairanddebtsolutions ... That letter alone might be enough to make them go away completely, and it should definitely at least keep them from calling you on the phone in the future. If they comply with the requests in that letter, it will be established that you definitely owe them what they say you do...but if you can't pay, you can't pay. (And yes, they might sue you at that point.) Once you do get a job, you should contact Verizon, NOT the collection agency and arrange a payment plan. If the debt is being listed on your credit report, you can try to get them to delete it in exchange for payment. (See creditrepairanddebtsolutions ... )
by aplbtm83- 5 months ago
You may consider this a rude response, but how do you rack up a $1000 cell phone bill? Especially if you lost your job shortly after ordering the phone. If you had immediately cancelled the service, your bill would have been a whole lot less than $1000. The collector will continue to try to collect and the debt will be reported to the credit bureaus. The amount is large enough that they may very well actually take you to court. If they go to court, they will win a judgment which will further damage your credit. With the judgment, they can attach your bank account, garnish wages, and lien your property. If you don't have anything now, they can wait till you do have something. Judgments are good for a long time and can be renewed.
by bdancer222- 5 months ago