trinigal -
I had a situation with Cingular when I moved from NY to GA a few years ago. The total debt was something like $85. When I moved to GA, I switched my phone number to a local number with Cingular Atlanta.
Alas during the move things got lost in the shuffle and once I realized that I owed the money, I was about 90 days late. I paid the bill in full along with my current balance right through my phone and thought nothing else of it.
About six months later, I started getting letters from some collection agency (neither of the ones you are dealing with) demanding that I pay the $85 bill. Boy was I PO'd. So I called Cingular GA and they said I had to call Cingular NY. I called Cingular NY and they said I needed to take this up with the collection agency. I called the collection agency and they said it was Cingular's problem and they just wanted to collect the money.
Eventually, Cingular NY said they would take care of it and I let it drop after weeks of this back and forth nonsense. Then nearly a year later, I started getting collection letter from yet ANOTHER agency regarding the same bill. I continued to argue with them, submitted things in writing, etc. They eventually agreed to settle the account for 50% of the original bill.
In the end, I agreed to that arrangement on the condition that the collection agency mail me a certified mail letter indication that the debt was paid in full and that both the agency and Cingular were satisfied and wouldn't come after me at a later date.
They sent the letter (which I still have, just in case) and the collection was pulled from my credit reports and is not showing up anywhere.
I am still kinda burned because I know I paid the bill, but feel lucky that I escaped as lightly as I did. My problem was in not realizing that Cingular did not have a unified billing system and was handled regionally, so paying my past due to Cingular GA meant it got lost in the system.
Guess who won't be making that mistake again?
David
I had a situation with Cingular when I moved from NY to GA a few years ago. The total debt was something like $85. When I moved to GA, I switched my phone number to a local number with Cingular Atlanta.
Alas during the move things got lost in the shuffle and once I realized that I owed the money, I was about 90 days late. I paid the bill in full along with my current balance right through my phone and thought nothing else of it.
About six months later, I started getting letters from some collection agency (neither of the ones you are dealing with) demanding that I pay the $85 bill. Boy was I PO'd. So I called Cingular GA and they said I had to call Cingular NY. I called Cingular NY and they said I needed to take this up with the collection agency. I called the collection agency and they said it was Cingular's problem and they just wanted to collect the money.
Eventually, Cingular NY said they would take care of it and I let it drop after weeks of this back and forth nonsense. Then nearly a year later, I started getting collection letter from yet ANOTHER agency regarding the same bill. I continued to argue with them, submitted things in writing, etc. They eventually agreed to settle the account for 50% of the original bill.
In the end, I agreed to that arrangement on the condition that the collection agency mail me a certified mail letter indication that the debt was paid in full and that both the agency and Cingular were satisfied and wouldn't come after me at a later date.
They sent the letter (which I still have, just in case) and the collection was pulled from my credit reports and is not showing up anywhere.
I am still kinda burned because I know I paid the bill, but feel lucky that I escaped as lightly as I did. My problem was in not realizing that Cingular did not have a unified billing system and was handled regionally, so paying my past due to Cingular GA meant it got lost in the system.
Guess who won't be making that mistake again?
David
Success!!! Well sort of. Either way, your matter is settled. I'm sitting up here scared to call the CA. I'm not the most forceful person, I'm more of a jokster (although how effective that is, is still open for debate) and a laid back kinda gal, I'm from the Caribbean after all.
I know I messed up, I'm willing to pay, I just want it off my report. I'm going to work up the nerve to call. I guess I'm just trying to gauge from other people's experiences what to expect when I do.
But I appreciate you sharing your experience. I'm going to pray hard that I get a real nice man on the phone with both those CAs that appreciates my island accent
Message Edited by trinigal on 06-21-2007 08:13 AM