Delenquent DirecTV bill sent to collections

[JM Aggie08]

Looking for advice on how best to handle this.

We cancelled our directtv service some months back. During that time, I received an email stating that we had a past due balance, and to click a link in the email to pay online. Upon entering my credentials, I get account information not found. Thinking maybe I forgot my login, I enter my account number and am told the account is not found. Try the same with the phone number on the account, and get the same results. I brush it off thinking it had to be a mistake, as the account clearly no longer existed.

During the last few months, I not once received wrritten correspondence or a phone call regarding a past due bill.

Fast fucking-forward to today, and I receive a letter from a collections agency on behalf of DirecTV, regarding this alleged delenquent (<$100) balance.

How the fuck should I handle this? I'm fuming right now. DirecTV's support lines are closed now, so I can't call to figure out what the fuck happened. I don't want this shit affecting my credit.

 

[Ketchup]

Call direct tv first. But be warned when you give them the account number they may immediately transfer you to the collections agency. See where you can get them them. Judging by your post, It's probably best you are unable to call right now. Not all collection agencies are full of jerks, at least not if you don't give them a reason to be, and It's a possible they have most of your account info, not just "pay this amount." So work with them and figure out what happened.

 

[Rumpltzer]

When I first left school and got my own place, I set up Verizon DSL to automatically charge my credit card every month. When I moved out of that place, I cancelled the Verizon service, sent their equipment back, etc., but they kept charging my credit card. I called them and asked them to stop, and they said they would and that they'd refund the charges to my card.

Instead of that being true, they charged me the next month as well.

I called the credit card company, told them what was happening, cancelled the card, etc.

Verizon sent me to collections. I responded to the collections people in writing to explain what happened. They ignored me and kept sending threatening stuff. So I ignored them. They sent threatening stuff for years, I think. I never responded, and it never showed up on my credit history, and life went on.

BTW, I had Verizon services when I moved to my next place, and I was with them on and off for years until they sold our FiOS to Frontier. It's not as if it would have been hard for Verizon to find me. They chose to sell off the debt. The debt collector didn't seem to care about explanations; they just want teh monies!

I've never set up automated payment on anything after that.

 

[olds]

.... and to click a link in the email ...

LOL

 

[JEDI]

Looking for advice on how best to handle this.

We cancelled our directtv service some months back. During that time, I received an email stating that we had a past due balance, and to click a link in the email to pay online. Upon entering my credentials, I get account information not found. Thinking maybe I forgot my login, I enter my account number and am told the account is not found. Try the same with the phone number on the account, and get the same results. I brush it off thinking it had to be a mistake, as the account clearly no longer existed.

During the last few months, I not once received wrritten correspondence or a phone call regarding a past due bill.

Fast fucking-forward to today, and I receive a letter from a collections agency on behalf of DirecTV, regarding this alleged delenquent (<$100) balance.

How the fuck should I handle this? I'm fuming right now. DirecTV's support lines are closed now, so I can't call to figure out what the fuck happened. I don't want this shit affecting my credit.

did they tact fees on top of the $100?
if not, pay it.

if so, call up direct TV, give them your explanation, and get the fees waived.

 

[nakedfrog]

Is it one of those letters that says that unless they hear from you in 30 days they will assume the debt is valid? If so, I'd dispute the validity of the debt, then they should have to provide some kind of evidence that you owe the money, or they'll just drop it.

 

[JimKiler]

Is it one of those letters that says that unless they hear from you in 30 days they will assume the debt is valid? If so, I'd dispute the validity of the debt, then they should have to provide some kind of evidence that you owe the money, or they'll just drop it.

There was a This American Life episode where a debtor went to court and when he asked the debt collection company to prove he owed the debt they could not and the case was dismissed. The collectors usually do not get anything but a spreadsheet of your personal info and an amount so if you have to get them to prove it is a valid charge you will win. I hope you do not have to take it to court however.

As was already stated, talk to DirecTV and state your case unless you cannot be calm in which case email them.

 

[JM Aggie08]

There was a This American Life episode where a debtor went to court and when he asked the debt collection company to prove he owed the debt they could not and the case was dismissed. The collectors usually do not get anything but a spreadsheet of your personal info and an amount so if you have to get them to prove it is a valid charge you will win. I hope you do not have to take it to court however.

As was already stated, talk to DirecTV and state your case unless you cannot be calm in which case email them.

A decent night's sleep helped calm me down Fixing to call in a moment and will report back.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Well, that was resolved much quicker than anticipated. Called DirecTv, explained the situation, was allowed to pay the outstanding balance after which they sent a communication directly to the collections agency. Called the agency and verified that the account was brought current/closed