The “Pay for Delete” (PFD) is not the only way to negotiate debt, but it should be. The PFD is a letter that is drawn up by the debtor to initiate settlement negotiation on a past due debt. The key phrase here is “drawn up by the debtor.”
The reason why this phrase is so critical is that as a debtor, your #1 goal is to be the negotiator of your own terms. The PFD letter allows you to negotiate repayment of your debt on your terms and not the bill collectors.
It is important to remember that you have what they want, and that’s money. That’s what it all comes down to. Debt collectors just want to be paid, and it is up to you to convince them that your offer of payment is better than no payment at all.
In creating the PFD letter, the goal is to offer to settle your debt on a lesser amount than the collection letters demand for payment. In exchange for your payment, the collection agent will agree in writing to remove all derogatory reporting of the debt from the 3 major credit bureaus.
Some collection agents will tell you that they cannot do this or that it is against company policy. They are lying. They can negotiate any debt that they choose to, they just want to keep the odds in their favor because they get paid on commission. The more they collect from the debtor, the more money they make.
How much should you offer?
Collection agents usually purchase old debts for pennies on the dollar, so any payment made is a major bonanza for them. Often times at over 1000% profit. Keeping this in mind, I suggest offering no more than 33% of the debt since most of it is overinflated interest and late penalties and is far more than your original debt. The maximum I would offer to pay is 50% on debts over $1000.
In the case of small debts around $100 or so, it is okay to offer to pay the entire balance in full, but ONLY in exchange for them agreeing to remove the negative reporting from your credit report. DO NOT send payment until you have received this agreement in writing!
When sending payment, be sure to send it via cashier’s check or money order. Never pay with a personal check or credit card as they can use this information to withdraw more money from your account than what was agreed upon. It is much better to be safe than sorry!
Be sure to always send your PFD letters from the post office via certified mail, return receipt requested. This typically costs just over $6 per letter. By doing this, you will have verification of delivery as well as confirmation of who signed for it.
Due to great demand, my highly successful PFD LETTER is now available to the public!
Simply make your request in the comments section below and receive an exact copy of the PFD letter that I have successfully used in the past to negotiate several outstanding debts. Follow-up advice, if needed, is included with your request.
**Although this PFD Letter has been mostly successful in my experience, your results may vary.