[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Damages info in FCRA..can't find what I need, can I sue MCI and their collectors for knowingly selling an illegal debt?

[ideagirl]

Long story short, we were slammed by MCI back in 2002. I found out when we recieved a bill for $11. Three months and numerous letters later (including an offer to compromise for $1 per california law, on th4 advice of an attorney, just to shut them up), we stopped hearing from them. It was right about the time they were fined by the state here for that practice. Pulled our credit reports last year, nothing. Pulled them last week, there is a derog from a collection agency for this stupid $11 bill I never signed up for. Amazingly, I still have all the documentation, because they lied to us so many times when we were trying to make them go away. I would like to file a small claims suit against them for knowingly selling a false debt (not sure of the verbiage here), and maybe against the collection agency as well. Have already filed a dispute with Equifax, the only cra reporting this non-debt. However, in the FCRA I don't see any punitive damage awards for this kind of behavior. Am I missing something?

[Christine]

Appreciate your comments, I try .... And just to clarify, the FDCPA only applies to the collectors, and that's most important right now because the collector is on your credit.