collection agencies

[riki-ann]

I received a letter from a collection agency that stated that I owed 5 creditors.
The accounts were owed by another party not myself but the agency took it upon themselves to try and bill me without verifing that I was the correct party.
One of the creditors has already contacted them to inform them that they had billed the wrong party and that the person they billed was not the name given to them as the debtor.
Do I have any legal recourse against this agency as they have most probably filed it with a credit reporting agency (which reflects on my credit) and has cost me not only emotional upset but time to get this mess straightened out.
Thank you.

 

[David J. Miller]

Well, I doubt you'll get anything for the emotional turmoil but you can send them a letter advising them that you are the wrong person and they need to make any necessary corrections to your credit report. Send the letter certified and request that they send you a copy of the same letter that is sent to the credit bureaus correcting their error.

If you do not receive a timely reply, have an attorney send a hammer letter.