Call center debt collector promised me a settlement that never existed

Last month I called a collection agency about an old $1,200 credit card bill from 2021. The guy on the phone said they'd settle for $600 if I paid that day, so I did. Then this week I get a letter saying the balance is still $1,200 and they have no record of any deal. Turns out that call center agent had no authority to offer that. Now I'm out $600 and the debt is still sitting there on my credit report. Has anyone else had a collector pull this bait and switch on them?

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2 Comments

claire_ramirez225mo ago

I'd take that "it was authorized" claim with a huge grain of salt. In my experience, call center agents at those places are often under a ton of pressure to take payments any way they can, but they don't have the real authority to bind the actual debt owner. Your mileage may vary, but I've seen people get stuck in the exact same spot, where the agent promises a lower amount, the debtor pays, and then the original creditor says "nope, that guy had no power to do that." You might want to check if the agency itself has a complaint board or a manager who can look up the recorded call, because if you have proof of that agreement, that can change the whole thing.

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jesse845mo ago

Claire nailed it @claire_ramirez22. I've seen people pay a settlement to some random phone agent only to have the original lender come back and say the debt is still unpaid. The recorded call is your best bet if you got one. If that agent said "this settles the whole thing" and you got proof, push it up to a supervisor or file a complaint with the state AG. Without that recording though, you're basically stuck hoping someone's boss gives a damn.

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