I received an undated letter today from a Ken Hughes of Merchants' Credit Guide Co., from an address in Chicago, Illinois (as well as a post office box address in Hauppage, New York), representing the client NCO Financial Systems Incorporated, that I owe a debt that they say I accrued originally to AT&T Corporation.
I was told in the letter that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Had previously contacted me—which it had not. I was not given any information of a phone number, dates the debt was supposedly accrued, or account number with regard to AT&T at all, in the letter... Just that their client was NCO Financial Systems Inc., and that I owed them the money. I was given what Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Stated was the original account number that NCO Financial Systems gave them.
I called the number today trying to contact the person, Ken Hughes. I was transferred to a woman who started screaming at me and who hung up on me rather quickly when I started asking her specific information as to what the debt entailed.
I then immediately called AT&T billing. They had no record of any money I owe them, and I was told that if I owed them the amount of money that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Stated that I owed NCO Financial Systems Inc., that I would not be able to have phone service with AT&T.
I was then transferred to AT&T collections. I spoke with a person called 'Fancy.' She was foreign and we had some trouble communicating. She took my information and transferred me to an American.
She took my information and I was then told that their records go back several years and they have no record of my ever owing them any money; and that if I did, I would not have AT&T phone service at this time.
I was then given a phone number for an associate company, or division of AT&T, termed 'Legacy, ' which I assume delves into past due accounts from several years in the past. I gave them my information and they could not find any record of my having any past due amount of money that was outstanding. I was again assured that I would not have AT&T phone service, and would not have been allowed to use SBC Global/Yahoo! Internet service for three years from 2003 to 2006 if I did.
I then called Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Back. A lady talked to me and I was again only informed that the debt was in reference to a past due AT&T account. I asked what phone number the debt was in reference to. She could not tell me.
The only information she could give me was an address at which I lived in 1998. She could not give me a phone number or any other information—just that I owed them the money. I was asked several times how I wanted to pay the debt.
I told her that AT&T had assured me that they had no record that I ever owed them any unpaid debt.
Can anyone give me any advice as to what I do now? The lady at Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Told me that I could write an 'Appeal/Dispute' letter. I don't know what else to do.
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