A new twist on collection communications?

[Dawn]

DS received a recorded message on the answering machine yesterday stating:

• Please be advised this is not a telemarketing call
• This is a personal business message for FirstName/LastName
• If the intended party cannot be reached at this number please call 877-289-0302 and we will cease further attempts to this number
• If you are the intended party, please remain on the line for a personal business message
• By remaining on the line you have effectively acknowledged that you are the intended recipient (WHAT?!? ... they can claim that they made that determination by leaving a message on an answering machine?)
• For your privacy protection please visit our secure website at www. certified notice . com to access your personal account information. (WHAT?!?  What "privacy?"  If you were to actually obtain any account information ... there is no privacy ... ANYONE who received that message could access that "private" account information.
• Your file number is XXXXXXXXXX. 
• Thank you

A re-dial of 877-289-0302 results in reaching a recorded message at CCS ... at that point, I hung up and Googled the phone number and confirmed that others receive calls from CCS in relation to collection attempts. Although we did visit the web-site to see what we could find out, DS did NOT enter the "file number" on that site.

One of the companies represented by CCS is Hollywood Video and this must be in relation to a mistake by an employee of Hollywood Video.  We called HV and found that when DS tried to pay his account off on April 10, he wasn't given the entire balance.  Then Hollywood Video sent it to collections on April 15.  Hollywood Video has reassured him that it will be pulled back from the CA.  Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

What is the real purpose of the CCS site?   And ... what are the implications in the "flow" the CA is supposed to follow if they consider having left a message on an answering machine as acknowledgement that the person has been reached?  An unintended recipient of that message can enter the file number on the web-site ... so what does CCS  gain by someone visiting the web-site? 

Message Edited by Dawn on 04-21-2008 05:22 AM

[ozgirl]

A number of months back, I received a similar "message" from my mortgage company when THEY screwed up the crediting of my payment. It really upset me--especially the implication that listening to a message on your machine constitutes communication with them (which is ludicrous) I resolved my issue and wrote a really terse letter to the company. I was really appalled because I have a GREAT record with them and it was their error. Oh well...

[llecs]

CCS is a pain in the butt too. I have a $30 oustanding debt with Geico after I changed policies. So CCS sent a dunning letter and I sent out a DV I hopes they validate so I can offer a PFD. Now they never responded to the DV. About two months later they sent a second dunning letter exactly as the first for the same debt and again I send a dunning letter, with no response. This was about 9 months ago and they never reported.

First National Collection Bureau is trying to collect on an old (settled with a prior CA) debt. It is past the 7 yr mark and way past SOL and they too aren't reporting. We have a phone setup just for CAs. They religiously call everyday and they too leave nearly the exact same message as your DS.

Message Edited by llecs on 04-21-2008 07:08 AM

[Dawn]

Dawn wrote:

Hollywood Video has reassured him that it will be pulled back from the CA.  Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

Well ... the person at Hollywood Video he spoke with last night said that the manager could handle contacting CCS.  However, the manager told me today that DS must call CCS directly and provide them with the receipt number showing payment.  CCS in turn says they won't accept just the receipt number ... he has to mail a copy to them.

Now ... CCS' automated voice system says the balance is $49.99.  However, Hollywood Video adjusted the amount to $27.05.

How do we deal with the discrepancy? We can send a copy of the receipt in, but how does that clear his account with CCS if the amounts are different?