My wife has been getting grief from BellSouth for over two years - for a bill that was paid IN FULL and ON TIME!! Here's a brief (rough) timeline: Jun 2002 phone service cancelled at our request Jul 2002 Final bill for $45.05 received Jul 2002 Payment made by check for full amount Jul 2002 Check for payment to BellSouth clears 2003: BellSouth informs us that our bill for $45.05 was never paid. We inform BellSouth that the bill was paid in full on time and we have a cancelled check to prove it. A CSR theorizes that our payment may have been credited to someone else's account. BellSouth states we must provide a transaction number from the back of the cancelled the cancelled check so they can trace the transaction. The number on the back of the check is partially illegible. BellSouth states that we must get a transaction id from the bank to "prove" that we paid the bill. Bank of America informs us there is nothing they can do to find an id for the transacton and to send a copy of the check to BellSouth. We send copies of both sides of the cancelled check to BellSouth and inform them that the bill has been paid and to leave us alone. Months pass and we think BellSouth straightened things out with the info we provided. Mar 2005: We get a letter from a collection agency trying to collect the $45.05. We send back a dispute letter along with copies of the documentation sent to BellSouth. That's where we are to date. My concern is that, due to their own internal bookkeeping error, BellSouth will "validate" the debt. We spoke with BellSouth again and they go straight back to being stuck in a loop of the same song and dance requesting the illegible transaction id from the back of the cancelled check. So, my question for you folks: What can we do to put an end to this multi-year hassle and assure that we won't be dealing with it again?
First, since they continued to try to collect an erroneous debt after you provided copies of the check, file a complaint with your state public utilities commission against Bell South. Include copies of your final bill, and your cleared check. Also file a complaint with your BBB. Has anything shown up on your credit report, either from the CA, or the OC?
Your processed check to Bell South, made in payment of your final bill, shows they were paid, and that they received that amount. They may have credited some other account, but that was their error, made by their employees or subcontractors. They also clearly knew that you had a processed check for that payment when they sent it to the CA. (Their request for information from the check acknowledges that.) If you were a CA, and an alleged debtor sent you a copy of the check for the bill you are trying to collect (for only $45), would you: 1) Sue 2) Keep demanding payment, based on the OC's claim. 3) Send the account back to the OC, or sell it, agreeing to remove all negative tradelines. Would a judge, looking at your check, say "This ink on the back is a bit smudged. You probably paid someone elses bill, so, I guess you never paid your bill."
Raise the level of visibility until someone with both the responsibility and discretion to do the right thing does it.
Re: Re: Unending BellSouth headache Unfortunately easier said than done. Anybody have executive phone #'s for BellSouth? I'd love to give them a call. Regarding the other comments, I'm not so concerned about getting sued over $45 as the proverbial "death of a thousand cuts" in which we end up dealing with this over and over to the point that this has cost us far more in time and aggrivation than the amount of the bill in question.
Look, you have proof teh debt is paid. If Bell South erifies the debt to the CRA, file suit against Bell South - they owe you $1000 for reporting a disputed debt as undisputed and another $1000 for verifying it to teh CRA as undisputed. I guarantee when they get the summons they will be more willing to be reasonable. If not, you collect $2000.
Re: Re: Unending BellSouth headache I wasn't aware that was an option. It sounds like a good option to me.
Re: Re: Unending BellSouth headache Whether or not you take legal action, file a complaint against Bell South with your public utilities commission. They sold an account with $0 balance claiming it was a legitimate debt, even after receiving copies of the payment check. No-one with a brain would do this over $45. This deserves public visibility.
Re: Re: Unending BellSouth headache You might want to contact you local district attorney. This appears blatant and willful enough, with enough documentation to back it up, to qualify as fraud.
