How much do collection agencies actually pay for your debt? I found out and I'm shocked.
I had a collection agency hounding me non-stop for a $4,200 medical bill. Constant calls, threats, the whole nine yards. I was stressed out of my mind thinking I owed this huge amount.
I finally started doing some digging into how this industry works because something felt off. What I learned honestly blew my mind.
It turns out these agencies don't pay the full amount. They buy the debt in bulk for pennies on the dollar. From what I've read, medical debt like mine can sell for as little as 1% to 5% of what you owe. So a $4,200 bill might have been bought by the agency for like $100 or $200.
The article I found explained it pretty clearly. It said most debt sells for 4% to 50% of its face value, with credit card debt often going for 3% to 10%. That means a $5,000 credit card balance might only cost them $150 to $500.
This changed everything for me. It made me realize I had way more room to negotiate than they wanted me to believe. Their first "settlement offer" of 70% was a joke.
Has anyone else been through this? Did knowing what they actually paid help you settle for less? I'm trying to figure out my next move without getting taken advantage of.
https://protectionforconsumers.com/how-much-does-collection-agency-pay-for-debt-all-you-need-to-know/