Looking for "Beyonders legal advice." :)

[old&slow]

I'm having a dispute about my cell bill with koodo and want to close it out. I am wanting to pay the portion that I feel I owe as they kinda screwed me around with a couple bogus charges. They are now threatening collection agencies over $133. about $90 of which I'm willing to pay.

It's not a yearly contract. Just a monthly bill which they suspended service on 2 months ago but they keep sending me bills with each bill going up by $28. Yet I have no service...?

How do I close this out...I ended up hanging up on the billing guy as he was getting real annoying saying how I had to pay it or else!

[spikerS]

lol. pay your bill. do you want to be hasseled by creditors day and night for $40?

oh wait, it is the principal of the thing.

[Thaco]

call them and tell them you're moving out of the country, you're willing to pay $90, they can either take that an be happy, or never see a dime

[canuckcarguy]

The big question is whether it's worth hurting your credit over $40. And by the way, it might be affected already.

[VWEvo]

I agree, even if you are in the right, its obviously not even worth screwing yourself over, you'll regret it badly!!!! Pay the $40, and put "Screw Koodoo" in your sig, it'll make you feel a tiny bit better

[old&slow]

Originally posted by canuckcarguy
The big question is whether it's worth hurting your credit over $40. And by the way, it might be affected already.

Then there would be no point to pay it...

[CokerRat]

Doubtful they'd hire a collection agency over the $40 difference.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by spikers
lol. pay your bill. do you want to be hasseled by creditors day and night for $40?

oh wait, it is the principal of the thing.

Just pay the $40, get your revenge another way; get a part time job with them and permanently borrow $40 worth of their stationaries, office chairs, computers, etc...

[Schwa]

Collection agencies seem to be pretty powerless here. Once they realize you aren't responding they will send one final letter saying "we are now going to recommend our client take legal action".

It usually dies here cuz nobody is gonna come after you for such a small amount, unless they have time to waste.

If in fact you get sued, then just settle before it goes any further.

I'm posting this based on my experiences with UPS. They stopped trying to get paid and have threatened to sue me. I'm seeing whether or not they'll do it over $34.

[canuckcarguy]

It's true you probably won't end up in court over $40, but you will one day have to pay this bill if you're looking for a reasonable mortgage or car loan. You will have an "unpaid collection" on your credit bureau, and you'll almost certainly have to pay it to get the loan. Plus, it will sit and stink up your credit bureau even after it's been paid.

If you've already got brutal credit, then don't worry about it. But I'd deal directly with koodoo mobile, negotiate an amount to pay (even if it's the full amount), in turn for them removing any negative information from your credit.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR




Just pay the $40, get your revenge another way; get a part time job with them and permanently borrow $40 worth of their stationaries, office chairs, computers, etc...

[max_boost]

No man. Don't pay them.

I ported over from Telus to Shaw back in March and Telus is still sending me phone bills. I think it's over $500 now, I ain't paying that shit! Fuck them!

[max_boost]

Those of you who are saying it'll show up on your credit bureau under "unpaid collection"

How will this affect your score?

If you already have a good score i.e. 750+, proven history of repaying all loans and debts, I can't see them rejecting you over one $40 unpaid debt. I also don't see it going to collections over $40.

[canuckcarguy]

Small collections still show up on your bureau, and they make lenders nervous. Sure, if you've got a perfect beacon score (750) and a long history of paying every bill on time, it likely won't change your ability to get a good mortgage or a good car loan. Might mean you have to pay a security deposit on a cell phone or utility account, though.

But really, I'd say it's incredibly rare to have somebody with perfect credit ignore an outstanding dispute. If you have a legitimate beef, then pay only what you owe, and then file a dispute with Equifax over whatever reporting they make to the credit bureau.

As far as having a bill with Telus up in the $500 range, you can ignore it for a little while, but eventually they'll hammer your credit and send you to collections. And unless you have a well-documented and legitimate reason to get out of your contract, good luck either winning, or having that big ole 7-year collection record removed from your bureau. That pain can last a long time...

[old&slow]

We never miss payments of any kind.

But they won't negotiate anything.
As a matter of fact I was taken aback by the tone and attitude that I received from what I thought was a retention guy. Albeit I was quite sure he knew my intentions were to cancel...
He did try to hold my phone number ransom...I thought that was funny.

If I thought they would cancel the thing and not keep putting it up I'd laugh at them. I don't like the idea that they just keep upping it!

[bignerd]

Yes they will send $40 to collections-I have seen collections added onto a bureau for an additional $2 (added on top of another small collection).

And yes you will have to pay it eventually-when you go to get a mortgage or refinance and your lender pulls your credit-they don't care if the collection is $40 or $4000-they want it gone before they will lend to you. It will hurt your credit score marginally.

I understand that it is the principal of the whole deal but in the end it is not worth it. Call them and ask if you pay most of it (the 90$ if they will waive some of the penalties). You might not of had service but perhaps they are charging you penalties on the outstanding balance each month?

[canuckcarguy]

You could try sending them a cheque for the $90 you're prepared to pay, an explanation as to why that's all they deserve, a demand that they stop charging you a monthly fee, and an explicit phrase telling them that by cashing the cheque, they are accepting payment in full, closing your account, and removing any and all reference to this dispute from your credit bureau. This avoids talking to them on the phone, if they're impossible to reason with, and also gives you the credibility of paying the outstanding portion that you acknowledge you actually owe.

[FilthyMcNasty]

The only way this can lower your credit score is when the collection agencies keep checking your credit. when a company checks your credit or even when you apply for credit. your score goes down, but only a little bit.

Dont pay. fuck it. my buddy has collection agencies calling and agencies that keep checking his credit score. But he goes out and finances a new car no problem. Some lenders may be a bitch about it though.

The only way they can make you pay is by taking you to court. and its not worth it for $40 bucks so they won't do it.