Complaint Review: Capital Acquisitions & Management Company Camco

In 1990 I purchased a washer from Campo Appliances and paid it off in 1992. On 3/31/2003 I received a collection letter from Camco stating I owed $1550.77 for this paid off debt. They were willing to take a payoff of $372.71 IF I paid by 4/28/2003. I called Camco and explained that I had paid this debt off in 1992. The person I was talking with was nice and said to send proof of it, and I said I did not keep records for that length of time as it was 11 years ago. I was then told that since I had no proof I had to pay it AGAIN!

I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor said her name was Rebecca Grant. I again explained the situation and was told that I had to contact the company to get the necessary proof. This company closed it's stores in Jackson, MS in 1993. I asked where Campo Appliances was headquartered so I could make an attempt to resolve this.

Rebecca told me it was not their responsibility to give out that information and it was up to me to find it out. She said if I had paid it they would not have the debt to collect and I had to pay my debts to get any consideration. At this point she was not speaking nicely and was sarcastic and rude. I tried to find out any information to resolve this and she told me if I didn't pay it, it would go onto my credit and would never come off.

My response was that I was under the impression that if a debt was over 7 years old it could not be placed on my credit. She said that since they had purchased this, it was considered a new debt and could be put on my credit, and when the time was close that it would go off they would pass it to another collection agency and put it back on. Her words were, so you might as well pay it because it is going to follow you the rest of your life.
Whenever I tried to say anything she only talked louder and remained very sarcastic. She told me to check my credit in a week and when I told her that I would dispute it she stated I wasnt fast enough to get to the credit agencies to keep it off my credit report. I told her I would report the company to the Fair Trade Commission, the Mississippi State Attorney Generals Office Department of Consumer Protection, as well as other agencies as necessary. She said to do what I had to do but to be prepared to pay this because she KNEW I had not paid it.
Then she hung up on me.

I immediately called her back, and told her that I was aware of my rights and was not going to allow her to violate them in this manner. She said if I paid my debts (which I have), I would not have to worry about collection agencies. Then proceeded to hang up on me again.

I again called Rebecca Grant, but was put through to someone else who refused to give her name (I thought collection agencies employees were required to give their names, oh well another thing to report to the Fair Trade Commission during business hours tomorrow). I did manage to get the fax number, but all attempts to fax a letter of complaint and dispute, were met with a busy signal.
Now comes the good part (as if that was not good enough). I finally located a Campo Appliances Store in New Orleans, LA, and called long distance to find out a number for the corporate office. The phone at this store was answered with another name, when I asked if it was Campo Appliances, I was told that they had gone bankrupt in 1998 and there was no longer a corporate office. I asked to speak to a manager.

The Manager at this store very nice, I explained the situation, he said over the past year he had heard the same problem over 20 times. He made some suggestions as to how to find some way to resolve it, such as contacting their credit agency. Thus far I have had no luck in tracing where this might be.

I am frustrated, but I know one thing I am NOT paying these rude obnoxious rip-offs, and I am going to pursue all legal recourses possible to stop them! Even if it means I have to get an attorney and PAY him to protect me and other consumers.

Sandra
Braxton,