What is the name of your state?Pennsylvania
I received a letter from a collection agency a few weeks ago saying that I owed $100.00 from an account with At&t Wireless. I immediately called the collection agency, and they told me that it was an account from 1999, and that it hadn't been reported to the credit bureau. They said that if I paid $87.00 immediately, it wouldn't be reported to the credit bureau. So I paid the money with a check over the phone.
Here's the problem. In 1999, my CellOne account was bought out by AT&T, and AT&T offered me a comparable plan. I was unhappy with the comparable plan, and AT&T told me that I could cancel my contract with no termination fee. I immediately canceled my account. I received a final bill of $9 and some change, and paid it, thinking that was the end of it.
I think that the flat $100.00 that AT&T says I owe is a termination fee that I shouldn't have to pay. However, the collection agency says that they don't have any information on what the $100 is owed for, and AT&T will not talk to me about the account because they sold it to the collection agency.
As far as I'm concerned, it's blackmail; you give us $100 (or $87!), or we'll report you to the credit bureau. I know this isn't a huge amount of money, but it makes me angry. It's enraging to receive something like this from so long ago, and just have to give up the money based on pretty much nothing but a threat to blacken your credit. Did I get ripped off? Does the collection agency or AT&T have to prove what the money is owed for, or do I need to prove I don't owe it?
I received a letter from a collection agency a few weeks ago saying that I owed $100.00 from an account with At&t Wireless. I immediately called the collection agency, and they told me that it was an account from 1999, and that it hadn't been reported to the credit bureau. They said that if I paid $87.00 immediately, it wouldn't be reported to the credit bureau. So I paid the money with a check over the phone.
Here's the problem. In 1999, my CellOne account was bought out by AT&T, and AT&T offered me a comparable plan. I was unhappy with the comparable plan, and AT&T told me that I could cancel my contract with no termination fee. I immediately canceled my account. I received a final bill of $9 and some change, and paid it, thinking that was the end of it.
I think that the flat $100.00 that AT&T says I owe is a termination fee that I shouldn't have to pay. However, the collection agency says that they don't have any information on what the $100 is owed for, and AT&T will not talk to me about the account because they sold it to the collection agency.
As far as I'm concerned, it's blackmail; you give us $100 (or $87!), or we'll report you to the credit bureau. I know this isn't a huge amount of money, but it makes me angry. It's enraging to receive something like this from so long ago, and just have to give up the money based on pretty much nothing but a threat to blacken your credit. Did I get ripped off? Does the collection agency or AT&T have to prove what the money is owed for, or do I need to prove I don't owe it?
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