Who is AT&T Collections Agency?
AT&T’s Collections Department is a debt collection agency headquartered in Dallas, Texas. You may see them listed on your credit report as a collections account. This can happen if you forgot to pay a bill and your account was sent to a debt collector.
Removing AT&T Collections from Your Credit Report
Collections can hurt your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to 7 years regardless of whether you pay it or not. Unfortunately, paying the collection could even lower your credit score.
However, it is possible to have it removed before 7 years, and you may not even have to pay it.
(Debt collectors prefer that we didn’t tell you this, but it’s something you should know.)
Lexington Law is a credit repair company that helps people fix their credit. As a result, you may not even have to pay any of the debts on your credit report.
In addition to collections, Lexington Law will help you challenge (and possibly remove) other inaccurate information from your credit report. These items include inquiries, late payments, charge-offs, foreclosures, repossessions, judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies.
Call Lexington Law now to learn more: (800) 220-0084
Should I contact or pay AT&T Collections Agency?
Nothing good can come from contacting a collection agency. And making payments on the collection account will reset the clock. So not only will it not help your credit, but it could actually make it worse.
The best way to go about handling this is to contact a professional credit repair service. They have deleted millions of negative items from companies like AT&T Collections Agency for millions of clients nationwide.
And they can help you too.
Will AT&T Collections Department sue me or garnish my wages?
It’s possible, but if you work with a law firm like Lexington Law, you have nothing to worry about. They will help you dispute the collection account and possibly get it removed from your credit report. It’s also quite possible that you will never hear from or have to deal with AT&T Collections Agency again.
Call Lexington Law to learn how they can help you avoid lawsuits and remove negative items from your credit report that will significantly improve your credit scores.
Wage Garnishment
Some states allow wage garnishment, while others do not. It is important to note that if you are in a state that does not allow wage garnishment, it is illegal for them to threaten to garnish your wages.
It is also illegal for AT&T Collections Department to make any claims they cannot or will not follow through on – this includes threatening to sue you or to foreclose on your home.
AT&T Collections Agency Complaints
Most collection agencies have numerous complaints filed against them with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Most complaints are about inaccurate reporting, harassment, or failure to verify a debt. If you find yourself facing any of these situations with a debt collection agency, you should also consider filing a complaint.
You have many consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Lexington Law knows that you have rights, and AT&T Collections Agency does too.
How Collections Affect Your Credit
Missed payments over several months will cause a hit to your credit score. Couple that with a collection account on your credit report, and it can definitely impact your ability to qualify for new credit.
Debt collectors often buy and sell debt from one another, so this can lead to multiple collections showing on your credit reports for the same account.
When this happens, if you don’t dispute the accounts, they will definitely have a negative impact on your credit score.
Your Rights When Dealing with AT&T Collections Department
There are strict regulations about what a debt collector can and cannot do in the United States. For example, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prevents the use of abusive or deceptive tactics to collect any debt, whether or not you actually owe it. In addition, the FDCPA provides you with many rights to ensure that collection agencies don’t take advantage of you. In particular:
- Debt validation. Under the FDCPA, you have the right to validate a debt. The collection agency reporting the information must prove to you, within 30 days, that the account is really your responsibility and the amount of money you owe is accurate.
- All personal debts are covered, including personal credit cards, auto loans, household bills, and mortgage payments.
- AT&T Collections may not threaten or harass you, call you repeatedly, swear at you, or publicly publish a list of debtors.
- AT&T Collections must be honest about who they are and what they are trying to do. They must notify you that they are a collection agency both orally and in writing.
- AT&T Collections cannot threaten to have you arrested, and they are not allowed to threaten to take legal action if they have no intention of doing so.
More Tips on Dealing with AT&T Collections Department
Avoid the phone. NEVER talk to a debt collector on the phone. Nothing good can come of it. The less they know about you, the better.
Politely tell them it’s your policy to deal with everything in writing and then hang up. If they keep calling, send them a cease & desist letter.
Record their calls. If you must deal with a debt collection agency on the phone, record them. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia allow you to record your phone conversations secretly.
In the other 15 states, you can record with the other party’s permission. If you tell the debt collector you are going to record, and they keep talking, that’s considered giving permission. They will usually hang up.
Don’t believe what they say. Debt collectors are known to make false threats, lie, and tell you whatever they need to tell you to try to get you to pay the debt.
Don’t try to hide money. It’s considered fraudulent to hide money or assets from a legitimate debt collector if you owe them. However, it’s also best to avoid giving access to your bank account or credit card information.
Don’t apply for new lines of credit. It’s also considered fraudulent to apply for new lines of credit if you are unable to pay your current creditors.
Don’t ignore them. You can do things on your terms, but ignoring the situation will not make AT&T Collections go away. Ignoring them sets you up for a possible lawsuit.
Know Your State’s Statute of Limitations. Each state has a statute of limitations on debt. Once your debt reaches a certain age, it is considered “zombie debt,” and you are no longer legally obligated to pay it. The age limit varies from state to state, but usually, it’s around 4-6 years.
A collection agency is still allowed to contact you about these debts, but they can no longer sue you for them, and you are not required to pay them.
Can AT&T collections be removed from my credit report?
Lexington Law specializes in disputing AT&T collection accounts. They have over 28 years of experience and have removed over 10 million negative items for their clients in 2018 alone.
Get Your Collections Removed Today!
If you’re looking for a reputable credit repair company to help you with collection accounts and repair your credit, we HIGHLY recommend Lexington Law.
Call them at (800) 220-0084 for a free credit consultation. They have helped many people in your situation and have paralegals standing by waiting to take your call.