Freaking out -- effect on my credit?

[BuckyBadger]

So a few months ago I ordered something from a online store in the UK. I had to fill out some forms and everything came via FedEx and I thought everything was fine and done. Then about a week ago I got a one month past-due bill from FedEx for $96 for some customs fees and stuff. I know that I never saw the first bill, but that doesn't mean that I didn't get it and it didn't get thrown away accidentally. I wasn't expecting a bill, so I wasn't looking for it, so it easily could have gotten tossed.

Anyway, I called FedEx and paid the bill on the phone right away.

A day or two later I got a letter from a collection agency about the bill. Now I'm freaking out about how that is going to affect my credit, and for how long. I was at about 810 last month when we refinanced.

The day I got the letter from the collections agency was the same day that we had to leave town on short notice for a family emergency, so I just shoved the letter in a drawer and tried not to freak out about it. But now I'm freaking out again.

Anyone know what this is going to do to me?

[BuckyBadger]

Also, is it normal that a bill one month in arrears be sent to collections? Maybe I should read that letter more carefully...

[herdjohnson]

Honestly man that kind of sounds like a scam.

Did you confirm that the number you called to pay the "fed ex" bill was actually a fed ex registered number?

Does the amount of customs on the item make sense given the value of the item you purchased?

[BuckyBadger]

Honestly man that kind of sounds like a scam.

Did you confirm that the number you called to pay the "fed ex" bill was actually a fed ex registered number?

Does the amount of customs on the item make sense given the value of the item you purchased?

Yeah, the FedEx bill was legit. I paid it through the official FedEx 1-800 number. They had copies of the import form I had filled out with the information about the item I purchased.

But maybe the collections agency thing was a scam...

[bjl584]

I would call Fedex and get to the bottom of it. You said that you paid them, so have them send you a receipt, and tell them to contact the collection agency and tell them that the bill has been settled.

[herdjohnson]

In that case, I would follow bjl's advice.

What was the name of the collection agency?

[hamburglar]

In that case, I would follow bjl's advice.

What was the name of the collection agency?

Second this.

I had this happened to me once in Canada. I asked for the collections agency's address so I can verify with the my phone company.

When I called my phone company in regards to the bill, they never had heard of the collection agency before.