closing accounts

What is the name of your state? CALIFORNIA

When a consumer closes an account, should it be closed immediately, or can they "claim" that it takes 30 days to close?

The result of you having to pay another month?

I was current when I closed two seperate accounts to be effective immediately, (meaning no more service available), and one of them claims it takes 30 days to process, though my service was stopped, and then they sent me to a collection agency for one month, plus enormous late charges.

The other is just plain wrong as is obvious by my statements, but they have reported the erroneous info to the credit reporting agencies and those agencies believe the information is accurate so it remains on the credit report.

I am more concerned about the first problem, but the question I am asking should help me with both.
That is:
When a consumer closes an account, should it be closed immediately, or can they "claim" that it takes 30 days to close?

[Ladynred]

Actually, if the account has any balance on it at all, its not really closed, you just can't use the account for new charges. That doesn't stop them from adding interest and late fees !!

Now, if you zero it out and close it, it should remain closed. However, I've seen too many stories where people thought the accounts were closed and new charges were added when they forgot to cancel automatic transactions.

You also need to close the account IN WRITING.

on one of these the cancel was not in writing, but the balance was zero at the time that I canceled by phone and the service was stopped. There were no contracual penalties for cancelling or anything like prepayment fees. My obligations were all met, except the month after.

The other one, did have an auto payment involved but the balance was zero also, so the autopayment should have never been attempted, right? Especially for three months in a row?
I requested "ALL my accounts with that bank be closed and collected receipts showing payoffs and zero balances. Three months later...

[Ladynred]

Unfortunately, with automatic payments, 'closed' doesn't mean closed to these damn banks. They WILL process the payment anyway !! Its total bull, but they are getting away with it, and its up to US to make sure all automatic payments are stopped immediately. I would certainly take them to task for anything that was NOT some kind of forgotten auto-pay deal if more than 30 days passed after the account was closed.

Check your agreement. You may have committed to a monthly fee or a conditional fee if your balance is below a certain amount (that would effectively leave your stuck with monthly fees if they decided to conveniently lose your request to close the account.
Send everything in writing, as has already been stressed