How Do I Get Verizon To Fix Their Error

[Anonymous]

I had a phone in Maryland with Verizon then moved to Virginia and got a new phone number with Verizon. 1-2 years after my move I got a credit report. On this report was a bill "in collections" from Verizon for $90.64. I immediately called Verizon and inquired about this bill. I agreed I owed it and paid it immediately.

My problem: I never received any bill from Verizon or a credit agency for this bill. I only learned about the balance after I ran a credit report. On all reports this bill shows as "Paid in Full after Collections/Write-Off" (or something like that). Verizon will not remove this baddie from my report and states that since they have my current address, I must have receieved a bill for this; therefore, they are not at fault and I must prove them to be at fault for them to remove this from my reports. They also stated, "We hear this all the time that people did not receive a bill and that is not good enough."

Please give me some advice on what I should do. I want this removed from my reports!

[RobertEG]

Hi, Happy...

Verizon either charged off the account, or placed it into collection.  Since Verizon accepted payment of the bill in satisfaction of the account, it was probably a CO without referral to a CA.

Regardless, you paid it.  That, IMHO, is a tacit admission of your acceptance of the debt.

So I see no error on the part of Verizon in making a legitimate CRA posting, and no grounds for disputing it.

[Anonymous]

The only thing I can suggest is filing complaints with the BBB and any regulatory agency for Verizon.

Will the complaints do any good? Maybe or maybe not. But it will give you a chance to maybe get in contact with someone other than the average rep that answers the phone and that somebody might listen to you.

If you explain how long you've been a customer with no trouble paying and you are still a customer in good standing, they might decide to remove.

Do you have any other choice for phone service?

[Anonymous]

Robert,

I never disputed owing this money - although I did not know this until I ran a credit report. I am disputing the fact Verizon never sent me a bill and yet reported it as a "write off/collection"! How can I pay a bill if I do not know about it? I did not find out about it until a ran a credit report stating I had a bill in collections. It was then I paid it and did not dispute it - because I did owe it.

[Anonymous]

My Husband and I actually had the same problem with Verizon. They didnt want to hear it though. The only reason I noticed is because my husband and I are rebuilding and it was on his CR as a a "write off/collection.

Verizon was no help at all. So I contacted the FCC. 2 weeks later a rep from verizon not collections, Verzion rep called and said she got the FCC complaint and was forwarding to her supervisor and they would get back to me in 2 days.

He did get back to me sent me over the bill we paid it and 1 week later it was off his report.

It worked for us

Thanks

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone - I have a very similar situation with Verizon, it is on my Experian report, but I too have never received a bill.  I disputed with Experian, but I haven't paid yet. Would a PFD be the best approach for me at this point?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Robert,

I never disputed owing this money - although I did not know this until I ran a credit report. I am disputing the fact Verizon never sent me a bill and yet reported it as a "write off/collection"! How can I pay a bill if I do not know about it? I did not find out about it until a ran a credit report stating I had a bill in collections. It was then I paid it and did not dispute it - because I did owe it.

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Let me play devils advocate here. How can you not know you owe money when you are paying every month and when you stop your service or transfer it you know you still have a final bill. If you didn't get it when you should have, then you should have made some effort to followup. Mistakes were made, the report is accurate and unless you can get someone to remove it as a favor, you are stuck with it. More diligence next time.