AboutDavid Expertise I can help answer questions on how to raise credit scores. I can educate you on all areas of credit scoring. My specialty is helping people recover from Bankruptcy and low credit scores quickly.
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Education/Credentials My background is in Financial planning.
Question About three years ago I had a cell phone with a well-known phone company. After a few months I decided to cancel it. It took several months to disconnect the phone after I paid the disconnect fee and I had to spend lots of time over the next four months going back and forth with them because they were still charging me for the phone. I finally got that cleared up. During the process of talking to them about the disconnect that they were not doing after I paid the hefty fee, a couple of times a representative would mention that I had another cell phone in service with them. I would answer "No, I do not" and always after further checking they would say that it was someone else with the same name but with a different address in another city in Texas and they would agree that I did not have another phone in service. About three years later, I received a letter from a collection agency stating that I owe about $1100 from this same company for a cell phone bill that I did not pay. I have told the phone company and the collection agency repeatedly and in writing that I did not have that cell phone and that I disconnected mine about paying the disconnect fee. The collection agency is still harassing me and just sent a letter to me stating that they would settle for half of the bill ($529).
I am a senior in college and almost ready to begin graduate school. When I finish graduate school, I don't want this erroneous charge ruining my credit. Should I beg my parents for the $529 that I do not owe to settle the debt or should I continue to fight? How do I continue to fight this? (I believe that someone used my social security number to open the second account, but I have no proof of it since no one else has opened anything else in my name.) The second phone account was opened shortly after I began phone service with the company and I am wondering if one of the store workers used my social security number to open a cell phone account for one of their friends.
Answer Brenda,
No easy way out here. Paying the debt will stop them bugging you but won't help your credit at all.
You can request in writing that proof of the debt be provided. Once you get that you can dispute it with the collection agency. You can dispute the record of the debt with the credit agencies.
Just google sample debt dispute letters and you'll get plenty.
