Cable scam? What do you think?

preciousjeni · #1 03-01-2006, 09:04 AM

Let me share with you the insanity that took hold yesterday...

I used to live in Athens, GA. I now live in Nyack, NY. The final move-out date from Athens (after which I never lived there again) was July 2004.

When I moved, I cut off all utilities and such and paid off any balances.

Yesterday, my father checked my "billing address" which is a P.O. Box in Georgia that I use as my mail headquarters (he checks it daily) and found a collections notice associated with a cable account I had in Athens. The company is "Charter Communications."

This collections notice states that I owe $104.03 and that the account is negatively affecting my credit.

Here's the kicker...

The account was sent to the collections agency at the end of 2005. And the home address for the account??? It was a location where I have NEVER LIVED.

Account Info (each one has a separate account number):

ACCOUNT 1
-------------------------------------------------------------
280 XX Drive (Athens, GA)
*This is my real account and real address.

Start Date: 8/3/03
End Date: 7/27/04

Status: Voluntary Disconnect by customer; good standing
-------------------------------------------------------------

ACCOUNT 2
-------------------------------------------------------------
260 XX Drive (Athens, GA)
*This is the account they pinned on me where I never lived.

Start Date: 8/1/2003
End Date: 9/17/2003

(YES, that's SIX WEEKS)

Status: Cut-off by company; delinquent ($104.03)
-------------------------------------------------------------

Both accounts are listed under my social security number and my name. So, I spent the majority of yesterday on the phone with the cable company and the collections agency. I had to get my father involved since he's actually IN Georgia and I'm not.

They told me all kinds of crazy stuff. Near the end of the day, I finally got to talk to a woman at the cable company who actually listened to me and saw what I was talking about. She's the one who gave me all the above information about dates and such (no one else would release that info to me!)

My father is going into the local Athens cable office today to set them straight. I had to send a note with my signature giving him permission to access my account - the note has all my info including phone number in case they have an issue.

Here's what I think happened:

The people in 260 XX Drive had a delinquent account for a couple years. The cable company wanted its money. So, they made a little typographical "mistake" and put the account under the name of a customer who never missed a payment and paid in full at the end of the service. It's easy to see how similar "260" and "280" are. They could just say it was a mistake.

And, I'm thinking that they figured after the two years (Mind you, they don't "keep accounting records" past six months! So, I couldn't do any investigating even if I wanted to!) they could harass me to the point that I would just give them some money to leave me alone.

I suppose they didn't expect that I would cause such a ruckus! Best believe I WILL be going to my landlord (who owns both 260 and 280) and getting evidence that I never lived at 260. For heaven's sake, I never SET FOOT on that address!

So, tell me, what do y'all think?

pinkiebell1001 · #2 03-01-2006, 09:15 AM

yeah...that's completely ridiculous! If your father isn't able to straighten it out, DEFINETELY contact your old landlord and get proof that you didn't live there! I don't know if it's nessecarily a "scam", alot of people are just underqualified for their jobs i think, so it's possible they just really F*d up(and think, you may not be the only one!) but I would keep on fighting (especially since you can get actual "proof").

AlphaFrog · #3 03-01-2006, 09:25 AM

I think I'm sticking with Satalite...

Seriously though...if they don't have acct records past 6 months as they CLAIM (Which I know is BS - all accting records must be kept for a min. of 5 years - unless your my company - I've found faxes in this office from 1980) then how can THEY prove you owe them? The burden of proof is on them. Pull a credit report, and if they have reported it, send a certified letter to the credit bueraus, and since the cable company has no proof you owe them the money, they will have to take it off your credit report.

preciousjeni · #4 03-01-2006, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
I think I'm sticking with Satalite...

Seriously though...if they don't have acct records past 6 months as they CLAIM (Which I know is BS - all accting records must be kept for a min. of 5 years - unless your my company - I've found faxes in this office from 1980) then how can THEY prove you owe them?

Ah, reaaaaaally? Thanks for the information!! I will use it wisely.

AOIIBrandi · #5 03-01-2006, 09:34 AM

I'm sorry this is happening to you. This is going to sound geeky, but Clark Howard talks about this stuff all the time. His website will have plenty of information on how to fight this and win: www.clarkhoward.com .

By the way, I know the one thing he definitely always says is to deal with it with the company itself (Charter), do not deal with the collection agencies as they have a tendency to circumvent the law if you don't know your rights.

AlphaFrog · #6 03-01-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AOIIBrandi
deal with it with the company itself (Charter), do not deal with the collection agencies as they have a tendency to circumvent the law if you don't know your rights.

I don't know how people who work as collections agents sleep at night. I worked at a Credit Counseling Agency as a temp. assignment once, and some of the things our clients told us the collection agents said are just crazy!! Plus, the collections agencies would call us and try to bully us into sending money (like it's our problem or something).

I had a problem with Cap1 and they had a collection agent call me and he said right off...I need you to get your checkbook and give me the # so I can debit it from your acct. I asked him to send me a statement in writing showing that they have my account (which they legally must do if requested - otherwise they have no right to continue to harrass you) and he said that they couldn't do that. I told him that I couldn't help him then, and hung up.

valkyrie · #7 03-01-2006, 12:33 PM

Why is your mail sent to daddy in Georgia if you live in New York? If you're an adult, you should be getting your own mail.

AlphaFrog · #8 03-01-2006, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Why is your mail sent to daddy in Georgia if you live in New York? If you're an adult, you should be getting your own mail.

Because if she got her own mail, the cable company wouldn't have made the mistake of sending her someone else's bill, right?

preciousjeni · #9 03-01-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Why is your mail sent to daddy in Georgia if you live in New York? If you're an adult, you should be getting your own mail.

Good gracious! I maintain a Georgia P.O. box that he checks for me, as he IS my family. It's easier than changing all my mailing information every time I move. I used to check it when I lived there. I've had the P.O. Box for years.

I appreciate your concern though.

PM_Mama00 · #10 03-01-2006, 12:45 PM

Sounds very similar to what AT&T did to me 3-4 years after I had shut off my phone. Except the harassment got so bad that my mom started threatening to sue them if it didn't stop and the collections guy got really really unprofessionally rude with my mom so she actually talked to a lawyer and they finally left us alone. I'm glad you got things taken care of before it got out of hand!

valkyrie · #11 03-01-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
Because if she got her own mail, the cable company wouldn't have made the mistake of sending her someone else's bill, right?

That makes no sense.

preciousjeni · #12 03-01-2006, 02:08 PM

I get so weary of people who just post to say something obnoxious, cruel or otherwise unnecessary. What's the point?

valkyrie, what joy did you get out of the posts you made in this thread? Did I provoke you, personally, in some way? If so, perhaps the adult thing to do would be to contact me over PM instead of putting your disdain in writing for all to see.

Normally, I would do this over PM myself, but it's gotten to the point with some people that I'd like for you to explain it in public, so we can all understand.

And to the counterpoint that this is just an internet forum and shouldn't be taken seriously, such a statement shows a lack of respect for the human being on the other side of the screen. I will respect everyone, online or otherwise, because I value people.

wrigley · #13 03-01-2006, 02:19 PM

preciousjeni if you haven't already you should get a copy of your credit report to check and see if everything is okay. I'd be concerned that the people who got a free ride of cable didn't get anything else.

AlphaFrog · #14 03-01-2006, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
That makes no sense.

It made as much sense as your comment given that the topic of this thread was about her needing help with her cable bill, not jeni's choice of mail reception. My point was what difference does it make if her mail goes to Georgia or Italy? She's looking for help with a problem she has, not snide comments about things that are no one else's business.

PiKA2001 · #15 03-01-2006, 06:51 PM

Here's my cable story,

I have comcast cable and decided to get the high speed internet that they offer. I talked to the lady over the phone and she asked me if I needed to have someone install it for me. I told her no because I know how to do it, and I dont want to pay them $40 to do something I can do in five minutes. The day before my cable modem came in the mail I got a call from an installer from comcast saying that he had to come over to my place to install my internet for me, I told him that I was quite able to do it myself, which I did. A few weeks later I got my cable bill and low and behold was a $40 installation fee.