Problems with Telecheck

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by kstanford, Aug 11, 2003.

  1. kstanford

    kstanford New Member

    I tried to write a check at my local grocery store two weeks ago and it was declined. I was totally surprised because I have written several checks to this grocery store (Martin's) in the last few months and none had bounced. When I asked what the problem was, they handed me a slip of paper with Telecheck's number on it. After calling Telecheck, I was told that I had a bad check debt listed with CF Data, who is trying to collect a debt owed to Country Bank National Money Service, a company I had never heard of and definitely never written a check to. The bad check was written in 2000, over three years ago, and has suddenly started to appear on Telecheck's file.

    I wrote letters to Telecheck and CF Data, requesting that they investigate this debt and stating that it was not mine, and that they provide me with evidence that this was my debt. On Saturday, I received a form letter back from Telecheck which stated the following:

    "Please be advised that a reinvestigation of the disputed debt attributed to the above-referenced individual has been completed, and it has been determined that information received from the original furnisher of information by Telecheck is:

    X Accurate. Therefore, Telecheck will retain this information in its records.

    No information was provided as to how they went about investigating this entry, and no copies of anything (original check, etc.). I am really frustrated, because this means I can no longer write a check at any establishment that uses Telecheck as a check validation service, and THIS IS NOT MY DEBT! Has anyone had a similar experience with Telecheck, and/or does anyone know how I should proceed with this? I am going to follow up with a second letter to both CF Data and Telecheck, requesting again that they provide me with supporting documentation of this bad check, but I'm afraid that I will just get another form letter back with the same results. BTW, CF Data, who I think is a collection agency, has not responded to my first letter at all. I need to know what kind of verbiage to put in my letters to persuade them to either provide me with documentation of this bad check debt, or remove the entry.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    I NEED MORE THAN YOUR STATEMENT THAT IT IS ACCURATE

    I need a copy of the check

    If it is my debt, I also need the original check presented to me upon payment

    I CAN NOT TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT THAT IT IS ACCURATE WITH-OUT ANY PROOF!!!
     
  3. BrettS

    BrettS Well-Known Member

    I'm not an expert on this, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but here's my take...

    Telecheck is basically a CRA in this case like TransUnion or Equifax. They're just reporting information from their subscribers, in this case, CF Data. Just like you can't contact Equifax and ask them to provide you with a copy of your signed contract for a credit card you won't be able to get validation of the debt or a copy of the check from Telecheck. If you dispute with them it would be just like disputing with a CRA... all they do is go to the original source and ask them to verify the information. Since CF Data has already indicated to Telecheck that they believe the information is correct I don't think you'll be able to get much further with Telecheck at this point.

    What you need to do is get in touch with CF Data and see what they have to say. Personally I would suggest contacting them by phone first to see what you can learn. Some people here would recommend against that saying that you need to have a paper trail, but I think this may be able to be resolved quickly over the phone... just call them and ask what's going on here. If you don't get anywhere on the phone, or you'd rather leave a paper trail then start with a letter. The standard validation letter for CA's here is probably a good start, but you might have to modify it slightly. Send it CRRR and if you don't get a response in 30 days then send another.

    If you still get no response after two letters, then you might want to go back to Telecheck and tell them that you've been trying to get in touch with CF data and they're ignoring you letters. Tell them that because of this you can only assume that you have no obligation to CF Data and ask telecheck to remove the information from your file.

    HTH and good luck,
    Brett
     
  4. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    CF DATA never responded to the consumer...I "THOUGHT" that was a good reason to work with TELECHECK...

    I'm not a BOUNCED CHECK EXPERT...

    I would NOT know if I had anything on TELECHECK since I don't use checks at ANY BUSINESS!!!

    Although a PIZZA store when my wife called for PIZZA said they told her she could NOT write a check...LIKE WE WOULD WRITE A CHECK ANYWAY!!!

    I called some CHECK SECURITY for the PIZZA JOINT...they asked for my phone number...name etc...I said I couldn't write a bad check for pizza...I USE CREDIT CARDS!!!
    She asked how long I had this phone number...since 1989!!!

    She said "sorry...we will remove it"...I SAID I DON'T REALLY CARE SINCE I ONLY USE CREDIT CARDS...BUT I THINK YOU BETTER DO A BETTER JOB WITH CONFIRMING THAT SOMEBODY AT AN ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER REALLY DID BOUNCE A CHECK!!!
     
  5. BrettS

    BrettS Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    I'm not an expert either, but like I said, I think that requesting validation from Telecheck would be the same as requesting validation from Equifax... it's just not gonna happen because they don't have that information. I think that in this case he has to treat CF Data just like a CA that didn't respond to a validation letter.

    Brett
     
  6. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    THEN send another letter to CF DATA (CERTIFIED R/R)...if they don't respond in 30 days...then I guess go back to TELECHECK and DEMAND REMOVAL AGAIN since they obviously have no proof to respond with...

    "IF" you have a phone number for CF DATA that might help too...
     
  7. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    C F Data Systems Incorporated
    220 Libbey Industrial Park
    Weymouth, MA 02189
    781-337-9900

    C F Data
    1330 River Bend Drive
    Dallas, TX 75247
    214-879-0514

    214-879-0519


    www.usa.com
     
  8. kstanford

    kstanford New Member

    I just got off the phone with CF Data and now I'm really confused. They say they have no record of ever reporting this entry to Telecheck. I called the 713-403-6789 (you only get this number after spending 15 mins in voice mail jail on Telecheck's toll free number), which is the Collections Division of Telecheck. I did speak with a live rep and after explaining that I have spoken (and written to CF Data) and that they show no record of this bad check debt in my name. She puts me on hold for 5 minutes and comes back and says that she phoned CF Data directly and they say that this is my debt, and therefore Telecheck will not reinvestigate or remove this entry. So, I think I will use George's wording above, write to CF Data CRRR, and demand that they send me some proof that this bad check debt was truly mine. This is a nightmare, much worse than dealing with any of the other CRAs (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian), I don't hold out much hope that I will ever receive any verification from this collection agency (CF Data), because they claim they have nothing on file with my name on it.

    Anyway, thanks for the good advice above. I guess I'm just venting because I'm so frustrated (and humiliated I might add).
     
  9. BrettS

    BrettS Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    At this point, I think that's probably your best option. The only other thing I might try is to get back on the phone with CF Data and see if they can fax and/or mail something to you on their company letter head confirming the fact that you have no debt with them. Theoretically, you could then fax this to Telecheck and maybe they would delete the information then.

    Good luck,
    Brett
     
  10. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    **CRA's DON'T ACCEPT PROOF FROM CONSUMERS...even though it is REQUIRED BY LAW THAT THEY DO...so you may have to try MORE THAN ONCE!!!


    **IF TELECHECK IS "LIKE" A CRA
     
  11. ithinkican

    ithinkican Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    I had a similar situationw/Telecheck...wrote a check at Dominicks Food Store that was declined, got the telecheck card, called, they said I bounced a check to WalMart, which I knew I didn't! I called Safeway, which owns Dominicks, and the man I spoke with said I DIDN'T BOUNCE a check and he cleared me in their system, but I was still on w/Telecheck, who made me bad in SCAN. I had Telecheck investigate, and it wasn't my check, it was 1 digit off from my account # and their computer put it as a bounced check into my account, but I had to call Telecheck about 12 times (no 800 number, either..they have one, but I had to speak w/a manager at another number!)...so I had racked up long distance fees Telecheck wouldn't repay me for, even though they admitted fault! It took me 29 days to get out of Scan after speaking with supervisors at Telecheck to prove it wasn't my account #.

    Intresting...the guy at Safeway said, "Confidentially, Telecheck is really bad. We are trying to drop them, but we have a long contract!" Good luck!
     
  12. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    I think that in this case he has to treat CF Data just like a CA that didn't respond to a validation letter.
    Brett
    =============
    YES CF Data is the CA

    THE END ** *** ** LB 59
    """"```--~~~~~~~~~--```'""'''
     
  13. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    in this case he has to treat CF Data just like a CA that didn't respond to a validation letter.

    """"```--~~~~~~~~~--```'""'''
     
  14. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    Re: Problems with TelecheckRe:

    1*I don't hold out much hope that I will ever receive any verification from this collection agency (CF Data),
    2*because they claim they have nothing on file with my name on it.
    kstanford
    ===================
    1*Why in the world would you want it anyhow?
    2*So is this good or bad?

    THE END ** *** ** LB 59
    """"```--~~~~~~~~~--```'""'''
     
  15. kstanford

    kstanford New Member

    "1*Why in the world would you want it anyhow?
    2*So is this good or bad?"

    1 In order to get the entry cleared from Telecheck, I think I will need verification from CFData that this is not my debt. Obviously, Telecheck will continue to maintain this entry in their files as long as they continue to receive negative info from CFData associated with my name.

    2 I don't know. Good, in the sense that this CA has no collection file for me. Bad in the sense that Telecheck claims that this entry is coming from CFData. How I do remove something that supposedly doesn't exist.
     
  16. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    When you send the validation letter they gave to prove or remove or get sued it's as simple as that.
     
  17. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

     
  18. marci

    marci Well-Known Member

    When you get the confirmation of no account with CF DATA, you sue TeleCheck for defamation of character. That's how.

    It's time for you to file a complaint with the FTC and research some of their opinions on Telecheck verification responsibilities.
     
  19. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    1*-The standard validation letter for CA's here is probably a good start,
    2* you might have to modify it slightly.
    3*Send it CRRR and if you don't get a response in 30 days then send another.
    4*If you still get no response after two letters, then you might want to go back to Telecheck
    5 and tell them that you've been trying to get in touch with CF data and they're ignoring you letters.
    BrettS
    1*Yep.And after they get it dispute in writing CRRR with *Telecheck.
    2*Translation screw it up.
    3*NO:don't send another V.L.Send the estoppel instead.
    4*No: If you don't get proper validation from the estoppel you send the CA an ITS.
    5*see No.1*
    THE END ** *** ** LB 59
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  20. lbrown59

    lbrown59 Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Problems with Telecheck

    1*CF Data, who I think is a collection agency, has not responded to my first letter at all.
    2*I need to know what kind of verbiage to put in my letters to persuade them to either provide me with documentation of this bad check debt, or remove the entry.
    kstanford
    ===============
    1*Wonderful
    2*It's all ready in the letters. No changes nessary as it don't need screwed up.



    THE END ** *** ** LB 59
    """"```--~~~~~~~~~--```'""'''
     

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