I applied for an apartment this year and was turned down (for the FIRST time ever) because of something that had just showed up on my credit report. When I inquired what in the world it was the leasing agent told me it appeared that I owed some collections agency for a problem with a former rental company, and that she could not rent to me because of that.
In all my years of leasing/renting apartments I've never been turned down, even for the 3 years AFTER renting from this company I supposedly owe money to. So I called them immediately, they said they had no idea who I was so the account must have been turned over to a local collection agency, called NCC Business Services and she gave me the number.
I was already suspicious, knowing if I somehow owed these people money for three years, chances are I would have heard from them (the rental agency that is) They had my address and phone number as well as my mother's address and phone number. When I got someone on the line he asked me for my social and seemed to have no idea what the collection was for, said they didn't have any phone number for me and there were no notes on my account but that I owed $3,000.00. He couldn't explain to me what for, just had the name of the rental company. I gave him my phone number, as I was trying to be helpful and figure things out. But when he couldn't help me further I asked to speak to his supervisor.
When his "Supervisor" got on the phone he was rude and tried to make up stuff the charges were for, which were absolutely impossible. Then when I said that I didn't understand how this was JUST now showing up on my credit, if it supposedly happened back in '08 and then they sent me to collections in 4/09 and why had NO ONE contacted me in the last three years? He tried to tell me that they had called me many many times attempting to collect the debt, which I immediately called him on because I had JUST given them my number which they didn't have before. So he had to admit he was lying through his teeth. I told him I would look into it further and if I was able to verify the information I would then find a way to pay the debt.
During our first and second phone calls, his quote of how much I owed changed at least three times, then went from one collection, to two. So I was very skeptical to say the least, and questioned him about this. From that point on he was hostile, threatening to take me to court if I didn't "pay up" even though I explained to him I would absolutely pay if it was in fact something I owed. I told him I would call him the next day when I got off work, and even gave him a time. An hour before I got off work he started calling, and wanted to know if I was ready to pay. (They even claimed to have have cut this "debt" in half reducing it to just over $1,000.00, but when I check my credit, it's still two separate accounts from them that total over $3,000.00.)
The days and weeks that followed I received dozens of threatening harassing phone calls, I was called names, screamed at, threatened with court, destruction of my credit etc., all because I wanted some kind of proof that this wasn't a fraudulent charge. They eventually quit calling when I reused to answer the phone any longer. I do not owe this money, the rental company has zero proof or record that I owe it, and this so called collection agency cannot provide me with any type of invoice for the charges, or whatever it is they say I owe them. These people are awful and I am having trouble even getting an apartment now.
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