Posted: 12/7/2009 1:23:06 PM EDT
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So I get a letter stating that I owe AT&T Mobility $426, but this nice collection agency will settle the account for $213. Problem is, I've never had an account with AT&T (nor Cingular). First I've heard of it, yet it seems to be in "collections". I google up the name of the company and find a bunch of people out there saying the same thing I am - "never even had an account with that company". Apparently this company has been doing this crap for years. WTF? |
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Quoted: Call your state's Attorney General's office. I can do that. Looking at this letter, it doesn't give an account number, mobile number used, date, nothing. Scam. I wonder how many people just pay these things off to get them off their backs, and it off their credit report?
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I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them.
PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. |
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Quoted: I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? |
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Scam.
Either 1: They are fishing and hoping a few people will pay up or 2: You do have an old debt that is about to reach its old age where it can be touched (a zombie debt) and they are hoping you will react thus resetting the collection clock. Best to pull your own credit report and see what is on it. Quoted:
How can they go back to 2000 legally? Google:Zombie debt |
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I got one just last week like that, only the collection agency called itself "EOS/CCA" and the supposed account was with Verizon. Two little problems: (1) It had the wrong middle initial for the addressee, and (2) the only account I have ever had with Verizon is my current account (they are my current provider) and it has never been delinquent a day, let alone "sent for collection."  |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? In some places, they can't. It depends on statute of limitations in your state. |
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By law they have to give you a copy of the original bill. I had this problem when I was still married to my ex-wife. She roomed with some guy and left. The guy then skipped town owing his landlord rent and damage money. The debt agency tried to get the money from her because her name was on the application, but she wasn't approved due to credit reasons. So the lease was in her roommate's name, but the debt collector tried to pass off the application as a bill. I told him unless he could give us a bill with her name on it we weren't paying a dime.
He didn't have a bill with her name on it, so it went no where. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? AFNI is a legit debt collection company. I would give them a call. The debt came from somewhere, either someone activated an account under your name or they are reporting it to the wrong persons name if you are sure it isnt yours. Unless it is illegal in your state there is no limitation on how old debt is as far as I know. If it is not your debt and you can prove it there is no reason AFNI won't help you. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? AFNI is a legit debt collection company. I would give them a call. The debt came from somewhere, either someone activated an account under your name or they are reporting it to the wrong persons name if you are sure it isnt yours. Unless it is illegal in your state there is no limitation on how old debt is as far as I know. If it is not your debt and you can prove it there is no reason AFNI won't help you. / Never, EVER, call up a debt collector. EVER! Statute of limitation, determine yours. Head to Creditboards.com forums for step by steps. That's a fuckload of fail above. I do NOT have to prove a debt isn't mine.  And that'll be the goddamn day I ask a scumsucking debt collector to help me. With advice like this you don't need fucking enemies. |
A couple of years ago my ex-wife was getting harrasing calls about some debt that I supposedly owed. Turns-out the company is from Minnesota and had several judgements against them for fraud filed by the MN DA. They just call people out of the blue and demand to be paid. Unfortunately, many people pay them out of fear –– even though they don't own them a dime! That's what they tried with me (or my ex), I told her to tell them to FOAD and mention the fact that we'd found-out about their fraudulent activities. Haven't heard a peep from them since. But I wonder how many poor saps paid them? 
Wish we could go back to the "old west" regarding fraud like that. Introduce them to the rope and the tree...
ETA: Also had a company call me directly and harass me about a large debt that I owed. Trouble is, the guy who actually owed it had the same name, but a different SSN and lived in a different state. Sometimes I think they just google a name and call anyone who comes up. 
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After 7 years they can't do anything. There's more details to it than that and the people are creditboards.com could supply the certain nuances.
Basically if in 2003 they had contacted you and you said you'd pay then the 7 years resets from 2003 and it's valid. Since no contact has been made since 2000 it's invalid and can not be collected on. At each contact (contact with acknowledgment the debt is yours), or payment made, the 7 year term resets. Monitor your credit report. Unless you're planning on getting a loan you don't have to do it today. Make a note on the calendar to check your credit report in 2 months and see if it pops up. If the debt is there then you can dispute it through the 3 credit agencies. Once the credit agencies investigate they'll see the debt is false. If you plan on taking out a loan in the near future then this is something you'll want to take care of faster. With old debt taking time is on your side. It's a lot like delaying a court appearance to beat a traffic ticket by not having the cop show up. If whoever claims you owe them money can't prove it then the debt is gone. It's to your advantage to give them time to lose the info they think they have. |
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Quoted:
2: You do have an old debt that is about to reach its old age where it can be touched (a zombie debt) and they are hoping you will react thus resetting the collection clock. I think the UCC has something about that...I forget, but yes, reacknowledging a debt restarts it. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
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I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? AFNI is a legit debt collection company. I would give them a call. The debt came from somewhere, either someone activated an account under your name or they are reporting it to the wrong persons name if you are sure it isnt yours. Unless it is illegal in your state there is no limitation on how old debt is as far as I know. If it is not your debt and you can prove it there is no reason AFNI won't help you. Let me guess, you work for them?
OP- do not call them. If anything send a debt validation letter and make them prove it. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I am willing to bet that around 2000 or so you had an account with some company that was bought by AT&T. They may have bought the debt and then just recently sold it to AFNI. If you file a complaint with the AG, do it against AFNI and not AT&T, because AT&T can't do anything with that account. AFNI purchased that debt from AT&T and they now own that account and the debt associated with it. So all complaints and disputes need to go to them. PM me if you have more questions on how I know this about AFNI. Far as I know this isn't the case. As as far as I know there is no outstanding debt from any mobile/phone/cellular company. How can they go back to 2000 legally? AFNI is a legit debt collection company. I would give them a call. The debt came from somewhere, either someone activated an account under your name or they are reporting it to the wrong persons name if you are sure it isnt yours. Unless it is illegal in your state there is no limitation on how old debt is as far as I know. If it is not your debt and you can prove it there is no reason AFNI won't help you. Let me guess, you work for them?
OP- do not call them. If anything send a debt validation letter and make them prove it. Exactly. Google search for a form letter than requires them to prove the debt is yours. I think they have 30 days to prove the debt is yours or it's gone for eternity and cannot be collected upon even if it's sold to another company. If they can't prove the debt is yours and they report the debt to the credit agencies then it's a false debt and when you dispute the info the company won't be able to prove to the credit agencies that the debt is valid. The credit agencies will wipe the debt off your record. I went through this with my wife's credit record. Just send the proper letters, only do things through the mail using signature delivery required. It will take some time but the BS will be sorted out. The credit agencies do a pretty decent job. When dealing with the credit agencies you have to remember they are not the ones putting the debt there. They are just being told a debt should be there. Don't get mad at the $10/hr person on the phone at the credit agencies. They can help you out as long as you keep your cool with them. |
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Happened to me. I sent a letter.
They tried to get me for a ring I bought, then returned in '88. Most states have a certain time frame they can collect. Mine was either 4 or 5. I stated it with the code, and told them if they dared to try it again. They are in violation of state and federal laws but they'll try to do anything to collect if they can. |
| Annoying as hell, isn't it. They can call as much as they want, but it does not make a debt more or less collectible. They might trip up and violate your state law, but it is questionable if you will get a prosecution (one threatened to have my wife thrown in Jail - so I called the county DA and they said bullshit - at most it was a civil issue not criminal, and given the time it was noncollectable. |
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Maybe they are a lazy collection agency and have an account of someone who's name is the same as yours and they just shotgun out a letter to every address they can find with your name on it, hoping one of them will hit the right guy? I'm sad that I've never been contacted by a collection agency, cause I'd love to screw with them. |
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My wife received that kind of letter from a collection agency. In the letter it says that you have to contest the debt (within so many days) or they'll assume that you have agreed to it and their right to collect.
LOL. So..........I wrote back and asked that they provide proof within the same amnount of days that they gave me to contest. They never wrote back that year. So, the next year comes and they send another letter. I send my copy of the first letter and my new response letter. In it I tell them that I've concluded that they are a scam. Because, my first letter was not responded to within the time I had alotted them. Hey, I figure that a "legitimate company" would have responded.............don't you? In 2010 I might (or not) see another letter from them. But, l will probably be divorced by Jan 2010. So, guess what my response will be...........if I get another letter? Aloha, Mark |