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Company trying to collect on phone service I never had

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J

Jbrew

Guest
What is the name of your state?Indiana

I now live in Indiana but used to live in Ohio. Years ago I called to setup a home office line in my apt but I already had a regular home phone line. I had voicemail setup and was given a voicemail number all over the phone that day. I had business cards made that day with my new number and started gining the number out. When they came by to hook up the line I was told they couldn't do it without running more lines to the neighborhood and that it would be two weeks or so until they could. I wasn't happy but I accepted it. Two weeks came and went and nothing. When I called I was told I wouldn't be charged unless the line was hooked up. It never was and I never got a bill. I did receive something shortly after my first call to hook up telling me how much my service was and what I was getting and a how-to on voicemail. Months went by with nothing while I used a seperate phone to check my voicemail everyday to see if I was getting calls and decided it was ok since I wasn't being charged. Eventually I decided to move after at the end of september and I called to have my service disconnected. After checking my credit report about a year ago when I bought a house I had something for Ameritech of Ohio for almost $500. I sent a letter to have it removed as it couldn't have been mine. It was for my business line I never had hooked up. The collection agency that has the debt now refuses to research it and all they do when I ask for proof that I owe a bill is send a copy of the last bill I supposedly received, which I never got but it dosn't explain what it is for. SBC bought Ameritech and now I am told there is no way to research it. The collection agency has been relentless to get the debt paid and it is driving me mad and they refuse to listen to reason. How do I get this debt resolved without paying it. I absolutely refuse to based on principle alone.

Thanx for any advice
 


cmorris

Member
Send a letter, certified mail return receipt requested (CMRRR), asking for validation. Proper validation is NOT a copy of a bill (include this). Go to creditboards.com and search for "proper validation." Refer to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), found at ftc.gov. Mention to only contact you by mail.

They cannot continue collection activity until they provide proper validation. They have to mark this as "in dispute" with all credit reporting agencies until they do so. They don't have to validate; but they can't try to collect! The purpose of the CMRRR is for a paper trail and proof they received your letter. If they continue collection activities w/o providing proper validation, they are in violation of the FDCPA.
 

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