I have recently been contacted by collection agencies from Bennett & DeLoney, attempting to collect a debt that I paid 10 months ago.
I kept the receipt to the moneygram for several months after I paid it, but then apparently threw it away later, as it became seemingly unnecessary to retain proof of payment. I had a bad year in 2005 (which is when I wrote the bad checks), and I think I was anxious to "erase" any remnants of history reminding me of a time I lost myself for a while to gambling. I've been happily reeping the rewards of recovery in the GA program ever since.
Now... Well after the debt was paid... Bennett & DeLoney has come back to haunt me. I first received a call from them in October, 8 months after the debt was paid, and over a year past the date the bad checks were written. I told the gentleman that these debts have long since been paid. He asked that I send a copy of the moneygram. I told him I wasnt' sure I could find it, but I would surely send it if I could locate a copy.
I looked all over at home, but I can't find it. I looked up the company on the internet and found all kinds of consumer complaints on them. My guess is that their record-keeping is just incredibly poor. I decided to ignore the guys request for repayment of the same debt that has already been paid.
Today I received another call from this agency, demanding payment again. I explained the whole story to the woman I was speaking to, and she said that in October I made promise of payment through a debit card. All I could tell her is that this wasn't possible, as I haven't had a checking account in over a year. Since it does happen that I spoke to the other gentleman from the company in October, I can only guess that he recorded some bogus response from me when I told him that I made payment in February and would look for the copy. I don't know who is lying, actually, the first guy on the records they keep, or the woman who told me today that this is what the record says.
I called Walmart today to see if I could possibly get a copy of the moneygram sent from their Customer Service department in February. I'm not sure I'm going to be successful. I'm not even sure the exact date I sent it. I can only hope they find it while I sit here and keep my fingers crossed so that I can prove to Bennett & DeLoney that the debt has been paid.
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