Good Morning all!
RE: Paid 2003 Alltel account sold to AFNI collections in 2007---
I just wanted to post this new info. My DB had a 2003 "paid and closed" Alltel account (fraudulently opened by his ex gf) that was sold to AFNI. Because of Alltel's failure to close the account even after 3 separate lengthy phone calls and followup letters including a police report, six months after the initial call to cancel, DB pays over $480.00 by credit card just to get Alltel off his back.
The first phone call to Alltel was made the day of the first receipt of the bill. Alltel supposedly reversed all charges and closed the account. 2 months later, DB receives a bill from Alltel?!?!? Another lengthy phone call and a followup letter supposedly corrected the problem and closed the account. 2 months after that DB gets another letter, OMG, this time collection department says in order to stop it once and for all -- pay the charges and the termination fee. DB gets confirmation number. Guess what?! DB gets another letter - again 2 months later, DB sends letter back saying this was closed and paid 2 months prior along with all other letters. Okay, finally resolved! Not!! Then, January 2007, 3-1/2 years later - FICO Alert, New Collection Account - AFNI has bought Alltel account. OMG!! So then we send all info to AFNI, and dispute with Credit Bureaus. AFNI just reages info. Credit Bureaus refuse to delete, alleged debt is verified. I DV'd and disputed, no answer from AFNI, just updates with CRAs.
I then contacted Alltel, they refused to do anything, said we had to deal with AFNI, I informed Alltel we shouldn't be the ones contacting AFNI, it was Alltels error. After 2 hours of nowhere, I contacted the BBB and the AG. No replies from either one. 4 months later, I joined the FicoForums and got a ton of info. November 19, 2007, I wrote a lengthy letter on PlanetFeedback explaining that the account was paid in full to Alltel and the history of how Alltel did not close the account when they said that they did and I requested that in order to get this resolved, I wanted Alltel to have AFNI delete the account from all reports and to send me a letter stating so to insure that they don't forward that alleged debt to another junk debt buyer. The PlanetFeedback letter was then forwarded to the BBB and to the AG.
Now the BBB gets involved. December 3, 2007, BBB contacts both Alltel and AFNI. Alltel reports back that they are investigating the claim. AFNI reports back that they will update the Credit Bureaus as "disputed". What? AFNI also writes that the Credit Bureau "verifies" that they have the account. Is this AFNI's answer to a verification? So, at this time, I start looking up lawsuits on AFNI and Alltel, thinking for sure that it was time for the ITS route.
December 22, 2007 DB gets letter from the BBB regarding Alltel and their research has found that it was paid and have requested to have it removed from the Credit Bureaus. However, they make no mention of AFNI in that letter. This morning January 3, 2007, I was about to reply to the BBB regarding the Alltel letter and after logging in, I received another BBB alert - this time regardng AFNI. AFNI was contacted by Alltel of the error and AFNI has contacted the bureaus to have the account deleted.
So, it looks like the best route to get results, is to go on PlanetFeedback first, send that letter to the BBB and to the Creditors.
Now, I will have to wait and see if they do what they say and how long it takes - hopefully, this is it! At least I have all the letters.
10/01/2017 myFico EQ-778 TU-793 EX-781
11/01/2017 myFico EX-799, Barclays 11-4 Reported: EQ-796 TU-826 EX-799
Terrible about your brother and I hope he's doing well. I can't stand situations like that where people start paying out of every other reason except the debt being valid. It happens a lot and thankfully, when you put in complaints to the proper people like you did... it cumulatively helps everyone else.