Many companies featured on Money advertise with us. Opinions are our own, but compensation and
in-depth research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more about how we make money.

  1. Credit
  2. Collections

Help! A Bill Collector Is Coming After Me

Published: Nov 21, 2013 2 min read
An American tank moves past another gun carriage which slid off an icy road in the Ardennes Forest, 1945.
An American tank moves past another gun carriage which slid off an icy road in the Ardennes Forest, 1945.
George Silk—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Q: Must I pay a bill collector $134 for a shipping charge? A (now-closed) store I shopped at was to pay it. -- Elizabeth, Carlisle, Mass.

A: You have 30 days after a collection agency has contacted you in writing to ask for proof of the debt, says John Ulzheimer, a contributor to CreditSesame.com.

Should that month have passed, try negotiating with the shipper.

No luck? Your best choice (albeit unfair) is to give in. If the company still owns the debt, paying it may keep the claim off your credit report. If the shipper has sold the debt, though, the claim will stay even if you pay.

Why worry about a collections claim? Having one could ding an 800-plus FICO score by 200 points, raising rates with lenders and maybe insurance premiums too.

Your score will start to recover after a year, but Ulzheimer says it is not likely to exceed the mid-700s for the seven years the claim is listed.