This has got to be a new one for the books, or at least mine, since nothing surprises me any more when it comes to my credit file. I'm not sure who is telling me the truth about this one, but I've tangoed with Bell South over this several times over the same ITEM and it keeps getting routed back out to another collection agency.
Long story short, Bell South telphone bill $87.28 from Nov. 2001. Charge accrued when I had told Bell South to disconnect when I moved in August. They left phone on another two months. Six months later, I get a collection letter from NCO Financial. Contacted Bell South. Got it cleared up with them. Should have been end of story. NCO didn't want to let it go.
Here we are four years later duking it out over another phone bill I legitimately never owed. I've been routed through I can't count how many agencies (80% of which are mysteriously connected to NCO Financial but with different names until I search the Secretary of State's database on them). Only this time, there's an $8,728.00 BOO BOO!!! Which has destroyed my credit rating. The $87.28 bill has now grown to a whopping $8,728.00 entry on our credit and we can't find anyone who can remove the * (*#@$@# thing.
I've contacted Bell South who is in stitches about this one (pardon me that I didn't think this was one bit funny). Even though they say we don't exist in their database, the real kicker is that Reliable Adjustment Bureau closed their doors on June 30 and they are the ONLY ones who can remove this from our record. Bell South says they can't do it.
Can you sue a company that closed their doors when they have ruined your credit? Sure, contact C T Corporation System, who is listed as agent for Reliable (and many other predatory collection agencies practicing in state of California!) and they'll tell you they will forward your mail to the company IF you are suing them, but you won't get any contact info.
All but one of the erroneous entries on our credit record show C T Corporation Systems as their agent in California. Has anyone ever heard of them? If so, how did you handle them?
Oh, and get this, Bell South told me that they have had numerous complaints because somehow the decimal points got moved on ALL of their Reliable accounts. Bell South wasn't aware the company was closing until two weeks ago. (I'm thinking to myself, YEAH, RIGHT!) I asked why they weren't in closer contact, since they'd been closed for almost three months and didn't get a reply. I wonder why?
I'm wondering just how irate the people who lost their jobs at Reliable were (esp. When they had no notice either... Ummm, just a guess there) and then took it out on us, knowing we couldn't change the listings on our credit reports without taking legal action. Orrr, did Bell South just report it wrong and won't take responsibility.
Alas, I'm wondering if my once beautiful credit score will ever be restored now. Two phone companies (See NCO, AT&T ripoff report) have brought me down to the lowest score I've ever seen.in fact, I didn't know it could go that low!
All I know is I'm not sure where to start. Bell South? Reliable? Nco? C T Corporation? Gag me with a spoon! I'm still reeling from 8 hours on the phone today trying to find someone to clear this up.
By the way, do you know of ANYone, EVER who was allowed to run up an $8,728.00 phone bill? Go figure.
I'm not even sure how to categorize this one. Like I said, it's one for the books.
Carol
Chickamauga, Georgia
U.S.A.
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