Here are my bad items from TrueCredit: W&A RECOVERY Creditor Name: W&A RECOVERY Account No.: 45390826001 Original Creditor: CENTURION CAPITAL CORP ASSIG Responsibility: Individual Condition: Derogatory Original Balance: $373 Balance: $373 Date Opened: 05/25/2005 Date Reported: 06/17/2005 Remarks: [TransUnion] Placed for collection [Experian] [Equifax] Creditor Name: CBCS CBCS Account No.: 36037555 36037555 36037555 Original Creditor: 10 BELLSOUTH SE FLORIDA BELLSOUTH - SE FLORIDA BELLSOUTH SE FL Responsibility: Individual Individual Individual Condition: Derogatory Derogatory Original Balance: $367 $367 $367 Balance: $367 $367 $367 Date Opened: 04/22/2005 04/2005 04/2005 Date Reported: 06/21/2006 06/21/2006 09/2006 Remarks: [TransUnion] Placed for collection [Experian] [Equifax] Checked ALLIEDINTNTL Creditor Name: ALLIEDINTNTL Account No.: 2738583 Original Creditor: 10 COMCAST CLEAN UP BROWARD Responsibility: Individual Condition: Derogatory Original Balance: $86 Balance: $86 Date Opened: 12/06/2004 Date Reported: 07/18/2005 Remarks: [TransUnion] Placed for collection [Experian] [Equifax] FRANKLIN COL Creditor Name: FRANKLIN COL Account No.: 1006644581 Original Creditor: BELLSOUTH FLORIDA Responsibility: Individual Condition: Derogatory Original Balance: $367 Balance: $367 Date Opened: 04/23/2004 Date Reported: 05/01/2004 Remarks: [TransUnion] Placed for collection [Experian] [Equifax] CRD PRT ASSO Creditor Name: CRD PRT ASSO Account No.: 826131652 Original Creditor: COMCAST Responsibility: Individual Condition: Derogatory Original Balance: $86 Balance: $86 Date Opened: 01/01/2003 Date Reported: 07/01/2003 Remarks: [TransUnion] Placed for collection [Experian] [Equifax] You'll see that Comcast and BellSouth are listed twice by two different CA's. Nothing from the OC's there. The BellSouth items are due to a dispute I had with them. I had DSL internet service with them and switched to another provider. I cancelled service (over the phone) and they continued to bill me for it. I called every time I got a bill and they said they were sorry about the mix up and would fix it. They just kept billing me every month. I ignored them and now you see what has happened. Should it actually be on there TWICE though? The Comcast collections, I have no idea what that's about. I did have service and it was in good standing when I moved away. I had my ex finish packing up my stuff and ship it to me, but she may not have returned the cablebox when she moved out. I don't know. It's only $86, but I don't want it on my CR so I won't pay without agreement to delete. Should that be listed TWICE as well? The W & A Recovery is a law firm (Wolpoff & Abramson) which is listed as the 2nd worst CA in the country by Bud Hibbs. I have NO IDEA what this is about. I've never heard of Centurion Capital or W & A before seeing this and I still can't figure it out. From what I've read about them, I'm afraid to even DV them in fear of stirring up a hornet's nest. The amount in question is suspiciously close the amount BellSouth is claiming I owe them. I'd be willing to pay all of these just to get them off my credit report. However, if they really want to screw up my credit, I'll fight them tooth and nail. I'm not going to pay them money so they can screw me. This is yesterday's report after I have already disputed over the phone with the CRA's back on 9/7/2006 for all of these items. I have not spoken to any of these CA's on the phone or in writing. I'm hoping that some fall off after the investigation, but what about any remaining? Any advice? Thanks.
"The BellSouth items are due to a dispute I had with them. I had DSL internet service with them and switched to another provider. I cancelled service (over the phone) and they continued to bill me for it. I called every time I got a bill and they said they were sorry about the mix up and would fix it. They just kept billing me every month. I ignored them and now you see what has happened. Should it actually be on there TWICE though?" It shouldn't be on there AT ALL. You cancelled, but they kept billing, and for services you were not even using anymore. They should not profit from their own errors, nor should they be claiming you failed to meet your responsibility to pay, when they actually failed to meet their responsibility to cancel. Send written complaints to your state public utilities commission. Document in your complaint when you cancelled, that you repeatedly called after they kept billing and each time they claimed they would fix it, and that they still sent these unauthorized charges to collection. Include dates, or approximate dates, you called, and people you talked to, if you have them. Send a copy of your complaint to Bell South executive offices, and request they fix this promptly, and remove all their negative credit reporting. Send a similar complaint thru BBB. Your statements from your new DSL provider document the date you switched over and were no longer using Bell South services. You might include a copy of that first statement to support the date you switched over. Sometimes a local newpaper, radio, or tv consumer reporter can get results in these cases, since they often have specific contacts to resolve consumer complaints with utilities. Send him a copy of your public utility commission complaint. Phone companies have an interest in appearing reasonable and competent, and resolving billing problems, to both consumer reporters, and the commissions that approve their rate increases. If the CA account is for the same Bell South account, once Bell South corrects their error, you should be able to get that removed.
The thing is that I live in another state now. This is from 4 years ago. I have no documentation. I didn't think it would ever come to something like this. All I can do is tell my story and who locally wants to help someone who lives across the country now except an attorney who would cost more than just paying the thing. My only concern is getting it deleted. I'll pay the stupid $367 if I have to. I just want it gone immediately. Thanks.
Write a letter to Bell telling your story. Show a bill summary from the ISP that you switched to, if you can find one. Try to think of any other kind of circumstancial evidence that points to you no longer using their service. Request that they check any activity logs to see that you were not using the service during the period in question. Did you have an email address with them? They should be able to check records of the last time you logged in to check it. Think inside the box. Deep inside. What other records might Bell have that merely suggest that you stopped using their service? As far as Comcrap goes, you should be able to request a detailed billing statement that shows exactly what the amount due is for. That should help you determine the best way to deal with the TL.
As far as ComCast goes, like I said, there are probably a lot of good reasons such as my ex not turning in the cable box or something. Quite honestly, it's only $86 and I'm quite happy to pay it as soon as the stupid CA will delete the TL. Comcast doesn't have a TL on my CR. Thanks.
Until you file complaints, in writing, they don't have to do a thing. As far as their records are concerned, they billed, you failed to pay, so they sent it to collection. The phone companies like to do everything by phone, but when it gets messed up, you do it in writing. You saw what happened with your repeated calls, and their repeated claims they would fix it. Nothing, and even if your request was once in their customer service records, they either purged them, archived them, or you couldn't get access to them short of suing them. For future reference, at the first erroneous billing statement, you call and follow up in writing. At the second, you send a complaint, in writing, CRRR, to them, and to a regulatory agency as well. At the point in a problem where they would have sent to collection, you send to your equivalent, a regulatory agency, or you already have a paper trail to support your claim of erroneous billing/collection/reporting/whatever. You cannot afford to be a naive consumer, dependent on the other guy's records, competence, and good faith. It is too expensive.
Yes, I've learned my lesson. I save EVERYTHING now and document everything as well. I treat billing statements and correspondence as though they were antiques or collectibles (some of them are going to be very valuable one day, count on it!)
