If it is helpful, I am in my early twenties. A few months ago, I received a bill for $208 in the mail about a test that had been done on me in a doctor’s office earlier. I thought this was a mistake or a scam because I had already paid $150 in advance for the test and had been told that if any extra payment was required, they would ask me to pay directly at the office. Furthermore, after I had the test done, I was told that I would get test results over the phone and in the mail. I never received the results through either means, and my multiple calls to the office have gone ignored. I eventually got the test redone at a different office. So, I ignored the letter.
Then I received another letter some time later, saying that the $208 had been sent to a debt collection agency and that I had 30 days to verify it. I didn’t find the letter until after 30 days after it was time stamped, but now it is on my credit report and I am wondering what my options are. I know now that I shouldn’t have ignored the first bill, but I’m new to this and I guess hindsight is 20/20. Is it too late to dispute or verify the claim? I have no written trail of my communications with the doctor’s office, as well as no trail of my difficulties reaching them and never getting my test results. Can I go back to the original doctor’s office (by phone or in person) and, if I can get a hold of them this time, can I ask them to investigate? Or is my only option to pay the $208 and take the hit to my credit? Will a pay-to-delete request help? I have made 100% of all other payments on time.
Submitted December 21, 2020 at 04:50AM by throwaway_doctordebt https://ift.tt/3nDt4Nf
