Superior Asset Management ripoff ATT Cingular Ft. Walton Beach Florida
I had left AT & T after nearly 15 years as their client (1st in my area with an ATT phone) due to very poor service. I went to Verizon and committed to their 2 year conract. Approx 2 months after leaving ATT they call me at home (during dinner) to beg me to come back to ATT. I said no due to the Verizon contract and their poor service. ATT committed to pay me for the cancellation fee and give me two Bluetooth phones. I switched back.to ATT. Needless to say ATT never credited me the $200.00 termination fee and never supplied me my free bluetooth capable phones. They had the gall to bill me full price when I reminded them of their offer. I quit ATT within their free termination period. For all my efforts I received a bill for over $400.00 dollars. I complained and have spent over 250 HOURS trying to get my money back. I went to the FCC and filed a complaint where it sits now.
In November of last year Superior asset management claims to have sent me a letter stating that I still owed ATT $97.32 and if I paid one half I would be absolved of the debt. I received this letter in mid February. Unfortunately my office manager had opened the letter and destroyed the envelope with the post mark. I called Superior AM and spoke to a lady who stated that if I sent the $48.66 in immediately they would allow the payment as payment in full. I even endorsed the check and "payment in full for ATT debt". The check was sent and cashed by Superior on February 24, 2006. They admit getting the amount.
Today July 10th 2006 I received another similar letter offering me 75% off the remaining balance of $48.66. I called an spoke to a "Sam" who said they often get reports of late arriving mail and they often accept such payments. He referred me to an Ann Ingram, supervisor for Cingular and AT accounts.
Ann Ingram is , in my opinion the most brain dead and rudest person I have ever deal with. She claimed that I had never called in (not even 15minutes before the last call, she refused to let me speak to her supervisor, she denied that I had spoken with "Sam" earlier today, she denied I had called in in Feruary to report that I had just received their November letter.
I have notified the Attorney Generals offie in Flordia and here in Oregon as well as the Federal Postal inspectors for fraud. I have tried to get through to ATT but tye hold yyou on line for hours.
I know that there is a need for collection services but people like this give them all a rotten name. Cingular/ATT don't realize how much this company is hurting them.
Don
Hood River, Oregon
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Steve
Bradenton,Florida,
U.S.A.
Don...Here's the scam..
#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, July 11, 2006
Don,
These are worse than debt collectors, they are JUNK DEBT BUYERS. They buy debts of this age and type for far less than a penny on the dollar in large portfolios.
Most of these debts are not even legally collectable, and those that are, they cannot prove as they do not have the documents to verify them in court.
This is why they twist your arm for a reduced payment. Under the law when you make a payment or an agreement to pay, you just validated the debt. Not only did you validate it, you restarted the SOL for collections, and restarted the 7 year negative reporting period on your credit report.
Thats right. I said NEGATIVE reporting. Paying an old collections account hurts your credit more than just letting it go. And paying it does not remove it from your credit report, but keeps it there 7 more years from date of payment as a paid collection!
The basic rules for dealing with a debt collector are to never speak to them on the phone, and never pay them anything. Always make them sue you. 99% of them won't. The 1% that will, has a about a 1% chance of winning and they know it. Thats why they use trickery, fraud and lies.
By paying them a partial payment, they can legally now collect the rest. You might as well pay it now as you have re-affirmed it already. But wait until they send you a bill. Stay off the phone! Remember the last deal you made with them on the phone? You would not be in this situation if you would have done everything in writing.
It's a small amount, and the damage is already done. Just pay it and look at it as an investment in knowledge.