Hi, some years ago, my husband and I needed a phone and we got a phone through TelCom AKA USA Datanet. (DON'T do it!) After about a year we switched to Verizon and later we were sent a bill from TelCom stating we owed for two months SINCE we SWITCHED to Verizon.
My husband stated that we had switched and that Verizon was our carrier, this was all confirmed through the 3rd party auditor when the switch was made. Yad, yada, yada. Telcom says, "Well, it is up to you to contact us directly." My husband says, "No. It is the 3rd party auditors confirmation of the transaction which makes it legal for Verizon to take over our phone account. Our account is now with Verizon. We owe you NOTHING. Good day."
Jump ahead some years. Out of the blue, NCO financial begins to call us. I explain that if they want to discuss a bill, it is with me or not at all. My husband is NEVER home and no I won't give them his work number. I have six kids, one with extensive medical problems and my husband is always working to pay the bills. I am happy to discuss it and come up with an arrangement. They are agreeable. Then they say the bill they are calling about is US TelCom. I said, "OH! I am sorry but this is not a valid debt" and I explained why. NCO says it is OUR responsibility to deal with TelCom and have TelCom straighten it out.
DUH! Obviously, Telcom had either long ago agreed that we were not responsible therefore it took 5 years for some freak to happen across an invalid debt hidden deep in some file OR TelCom could give a shit if it's legal or not. (Personally, I think it is fishy to change company names on a regular basis.)
I said, "It seems to me that it is something that you will need to validate before we pay it." So, they sent me a statement! Oh, yeah! True validation! Boy, I must owe this money.
So, we refused to pay since we knew we did not owe it anyway.
Flash forward 1.5 years. We are now both working full time. Child is doing well. Moving ahead and want to catch up on bills. Take a look at our credit reports and pay it all YES, EVEN the Telcom bill with NCO financial. Why? For a couple of hundred dollars it just makes sense to get rid of it and be done with it.
The day after I made our payments on everything (which was 9/2/05), I got a voice recording phone call. Did not recognize because they had never called us before. I am thinking "Oh, this must be something we are unaware of." I called back. A woman says to me, "Is Mr. Blahblah there?" I said "No, this is his wife. I am not sure what bill this is in regards to but there will never be a time when my husband is going to be able to call you. He works all day and is home quite late. I am the check writer so, I'll be happy to help."
She says, Give me your husbands work number." I said, "No. I almost never call my husband at work. I will not give out his number." She says, "Where does he work?" I said, "Lady, you don't get it. I am aware of the laws that you have to follow. But, if you don't speak to me, you speak to nobody." She relented enough to say this is regarding USTelcom.
So, at this moment, I had her willing to share with me and take money from me. But alas, I told her that I just paid that bill via a check over the phone to NCO Financial systems. She said, "You know what? I really can't discuss this with you any further." I said, "you already went so far as tell me what the bill is. So, what is the problem now?"
She said, "You know what Mrs. Blahblah? This is none of your business. You better have your husband call me the second he gets home or the calls will continue." (really she was almost yelling) So, I snappily said, "Oh I get it, we paid NCO and you will get no commission for collecting this debt and you're feeling pissy?" She hung up.
I waited a while, called to ask for a supervisor, was put through to her. She said, "Mr. Blah blah?" I said, "No. I would like to speak to your supervisor." She YELLED, "Good byyyyy, Mrs. Blah blah." I yelled an expletive.
Today almost a month later, I have ignored many, many recorded messages who have called my house and I finally gave in today.
Course, I called back and got a VOICE mail! I was annoyed and said, "I am a busy person too. I don't appreciate responding to your recording to get a voice mail. I would appreciate it if you would research the debt that I have been called about AND THEN call me back. This debt is paid. I have already told you that. I have the payoff letter IN MY HAND. Please research this before calling."
10 minutes later, she calls. "Is Mr. Blah blah there?" "No, this is his wife. He will not be home. You can't have his work number, give me a fax number and I'll fax a copy of this payoff letter from NCO financial." She says, "I can't talk to you. He better call me." Hangs up.
I am pissed, and I called back and I tried to ask for a supervisor but never even had the chance. She saw my # come onto her line and as soon as she answered she yelled, "Mrs. Blah blah, Don't you call here again! Don't call! Noone will talk to you!" I finally lost it and screamed at her a very nasty word, unlike my previous explative a month ago. Much worse.
Course, I feel guilty. I hate losing my cool and I never lose my cool with debt collectors. Most are fairly reasonable. This Bit*h at JBC is unbelievable!
I don't know what to do. So, I call NCO and tell them what is happening. They happily give me the number to JBC and I said, "Are you listening? The woman over there is a nut. I can't even call without being screamed at. I want a fax number to fax this document or I want YOU to call them and tell them this is satisfied." She says, "well, we don't do that. You'll have to straighten it out." And according to her NO FAX number!
Anyways, I feel better venting!
Amy
Warwick, Rhode Island
U.S.A.
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