I Paid Two Collection Agencies for the Same Credit Card Debt

Reader Question: How can I get reimbursed for paying the same credit card debt with two different collection agencies?

If two different agencies were truly collecting on the same account, then one of them was in the wrong. It's common for these companies to sell accounts to others in their industry. But for obvious reasons, only one agency can collect on a debt at any given time. So the first thing you should do is research the history of that particular account.

If I were you, I would contact both of those agencies as well as the credit card company. I would want to know (A) which agency first get the account from the card issuer, and (B) which agency ultimately ended up with the account. If you can put this picture together, you should be able to determine which one was rightfully collecting on the debt, and which one was wrongfully collecting. The burden of proof is on you at this point, so you'll have to do this kind of research.

Once you know the history of the collection item, you can dispute the payment with one of the agencies and request reimbursement. If they refuse to reimburse you, then you can file a Better Business Bureau complaint (for free) and consider legal action (for a fee).

Here's a similar question answered at AllExperts.com. The guy who answered this question works for a collection agency. He offers some great advice on how to proceed, in a way that's likely to get results! It's certainly worth a read.

Here's a thread on a legal forum you might want to check out:
http://www.expertlaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11064

And another one from a debt consolidation forum:
http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/two-agencies.html

I hope that helps you out some. Good luck.