Happy February!

Someone tried to SCAM me yesterday. So I had this debt from a cell phone I had a few years ago. I made payments on it, but soon stopped, and there was a balance that remained that I’ve been unable to pay until recently. I sent them a check in full in mid-December, and paid off another much heftier debt along with it, making me free from all negative debt! So I jumped for joy! But I noticed a few weeks ago that the cell phone people had not cashed my check, so I called them and worked it out and paid over the phone. She was very nice, gave me a reference # and her name along with an employee ID number if I had any problems. She said my records would be updated soon 🙂
AND THEN… I got this letter on Friday from said collection agency saying I had yet to pay. They said I had agreed to pay on the 22nd of January and was in default of this arrangement. So I call. This guy told me that they had no record of any such payment, was very rude, I tried to give him the confirmation # and he said it didn’t matter. He said I needed to fax over a copy of my bank statement and whatnot to “prove” my case. I said that was crazy and he hung up on me.
So my heart is pounding, my throat is thick, and I call again wishful for someone who isn’t having such a bad day. I enter my account number and follow it with a pound sign. Woman answers. She said basically the same thing, but also said that I had agreed to pay and I wasn’t paying so I’m the one with the problem. I said “but you took money out of my account so I don’t understand” – she continued to yell at me- yes YELL- about how I was a LIAR. I asked for her manager and she said no. I asked why not, she said it was not a “managerial issue.” I said I believed it was, and that I had never been so mistreated. I asked for her name, she said “I said it at the beginning of this call and if you missed it that’s YOUR problem.” I said I needed it again. So on and so forth. I stayed calm the whole time, except for a little crying at the end from frustration, but she proceeded to tell me that I was a waste of her time. That i was. She also told me they don’t have reference numbers “like that” and that there isn’t even an option to pay over the phone. I was so upset.

And then I examined the letters further. First of all, on the in the original letter (on the right) there is a website, a phone number and alternative 1800 #, a barcode, a seal from the ACA International, a privacy statement on the back, and a perforated bottom portion that you can return with payment.
The second letter, aside from it being plain white, had a phone number (one digit off from the original), a fax number, and no obvious way to pay other than to call or just blindly send it in to the address provided. The logo is also just slightly different, and at the bottom there is a statement from the first letter, only this time it’s strangely in quotes.
Anyway, I’m sure I paid the right people now. I’m going to confirm with them on Monday that I’m all paid up. As for these other people, they should either go away, get busted, or learn how to properly scam someone. Yelling at me and telling me I’m a liar and a waste of your time and also to fax you my personal information is NOT a good way to do it. Maybe they could get ahold of a training manual as well if they’re so talented.
It makes me think of the movie Matchstick Men. They were so nice to everyone all the time. And they got away with it. Besides, it’s ridiculous to tell people that you can’t pay over the phone when you’re representing SPRINT for god’s sake. Like all you have is this fax machine in the middle of the room. Uh huh. Anyway, i hope they leave me alone. And everyone else for that matter.
So we’re going to get a shredder, not because I’m paranoid that I’ll get scammed, but because I don’t want to be bothered with this crap- and it really does happen. People have tried with me before. It’s also good for compost 🙂