Complaint Review: AFNI - Bloomington Illinois

The statement that the debt didn't go away is simply untrue. When the original creditor wrote off the account, they were given credit for that bad debt by the I.R.S. The debt at that point is considerd "forgiven." To attempt to collect debt past the statute of limitations is a clear violation of Federal Uniform Commercial Code Section UCC 2-725 and UCC 2a-506, as well as state statutes, not to mention violations of the FDCPA, and if reported to the credit reporting agencies a violation of the FCRA. To make such statements only show you have little or no training in business law, and are willing to place yourself in a position to be sued, if not criminal charges as well. The unscrupulous and illegal activities of credit collection agenecies is something many states as well as Congress have begun to awake to, and I feel a class action should be brought against those like AFNI who willingly, knowingly and unlawfully continue to pursue time barred debt.

The statement that the debt didn't go away is simply untrue. When the original creditor wrote off the account, they were given credit for that bad debt by the I.R.S. The debt at that point is considerd "forgiven." To attempt to collect debt past the statute of limitations is a clear violation of Federal Uniform Commercial Code Section UCC 2-725 and UCC 2a-506, as well as state statutes, not to mention violations of the FDCPA, and if reported to the credit reporting agencies a violation of the FCRA. To make such statements only show you have little or no training in business law, and are willing to place yourself in a position to be sued, if not criminal charges as well. The unscrupulous and illegal activities of credit collection agenecies is something many states as well as Congress have begun to awake to, and I feel a class action should be brought against those like AFNI who willingly, knowingly and unlawfully continue to pursue time barred debt.

The statement that the debt didn't go away is simply untrue. When the original creditor wrote off the account, they were given credit for that bad debt by the I.R.S. The debt at that point is considerd "forgiven." To attempt to collect debt past the statute of limitations is a clear violation of Federal Uniform Commercial Code Section UCC 2-725 and UCC 2a-506, as well as state statutes, not to mention violations of the FDCPA, and if reported to the credit reporting agencies a violation of the FCRA. To make such statements only show you have little or no training in business law, and are willing to place yourself in a position to be sued, if not criminal charges as well. The unscrupulous and illegal activities of credit collection agenecies is something many states as well as Congress have begun to awake to, and I feel a class action should be brought against those like AFNI who willingly, knowingly and unlawfully continue to pursue time barred debt.

The statement that the debt didn't go away is simply untrue. When the original creditor wrote off the account, they were given credit for that bad debt by the I.R.S. The debt at that point is considerd "forgiven." To attempt to collect debt past the statute of limitations is a clear violation of Federal Uniform Commercial Code Section UCC 2-725 and UCC 2a-506, as well as state statutes, not to mention violations of the FDCPA, and if reported to the credit reporting agencies a violation of the FCRA. To make such statements only show you have little or no training in business law, and are willing to place yourself in a position to be sued, if not criminal charges as well. The unscrupulous and illegal activities of credit collection agenecies is something many states as well as Congress have begun to awake to, and I feel a class action should be brought against those like AFNI who willingly, knowingly and unlawfully continue to pursue time barred debt.

I apologize for being a little vague. You were all billed at the time, final bill, past due notice, and collection notice, and chose not to pay it or were not able to, whatever the case may be. The point i was making is that though you haven't heard about it or been billed for it in the previous ten years, it did not go away.

I guess I am surprised to learn that Afni is collecting on unbilled accounts. The "Employee" above is claiming that these hundreds of complaints are being generated by the millions of deadbeat out their that will not pay their bills yet, it is stated in the rebuttal, "if verizon or any other telecommunications company has a portfolio of old unpaid debts that the consumer has mistakenly not been billed for" So if the customer was not billed in the first place who has the burden? Isn't the company that never billed for the debt in the first place accountable for its errors? Why would a person working for collection agency defend a debt that a person truly has no idea exists? How can you accuse hundreds of people of being deadbeat liars when through no fault of their own THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR NEVER BILLED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! How can you condemn hundreds of individuals when you know for a fact the debt is news to them?

I guess I am surprised to learn that Afni is collecting on unbilled accounts. The "Employee" above is claiming that these hundreds of complaints are being generated by the millions of deadbeat out their that will not pay their bills yet, it is stated in the rebuttal, "if verizon or any other telecommunications company has a portfolio of old unpaid debts that the consumer has mistakenly not been billed for" So if the customer was not billed in the first place who has the burden? Isn't the company that never billed for the debt in the first place accountable for its errors? Why would a person working for collection agency defend a debt that a person truly has no idea exists? How can you accuse hundreds of people of being deadbeat liars when through no fault of their own THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR NEVER BILLED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! How can you condemn hundreds of individuals when you know for a fact the debt is news to them?

I guess I am surprised to learn that Afni is collecting on unbilled accounts. The "Employee" above is claiming that these hundreds of complaints are being generated by the millions of deadbeat out their that will not pay their bills yet, it is stated in the rebuttal, "if verizon or any other telecommunications company has a portfolio of old unpaid debts that the consumer has mistakenly not been billed for" So if the customer was not billed in the first place who has the burden? Isn't the company that never billed for the debt in the first place accountable for its errors? Why would a person working for collection agency defend a debt that a person truly has no idea exists? How can you accuse hundreds of people of being deadbeat liars when through no fault of their own THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR NEVER BILLED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! How can you condemn hundreds of individuals when you know for a fact the debt is news to them?

I guess I am surprised to learn that Afni is collecting on unbilled accounts. The "Employee" above is claiming that these hundreds of complaints are being generated by the millions of deadbeat out their that will not pay their bills yet, it is stated in the rebuttal, "if verizon or any other telecommunications company has a portfolio of old unpaid debts that the consumer has mistakenly not been billed for" So if the customer was not billed in the first place who has the burden? Isn't the company that never billed for the debt in the first place accountable for its errors? Why would a person working for collection agency defend a debt that a person truly has no idea exists? How can you accuse hundreds of people of being deadbeat liars when through no fault of their own THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR NEVER BILLED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! How can you condemn hundreds of individuals when you know for a fact the debt is news to them?

The lot of you are ridiculous. I work for AFNI and have heard it all. If you feel upset having to send proof that you are innocent, like the other 99 percent of debtors that the evil creditor and collection agency have supposedly conspired against to extort a whopping 100 dollars, then perhaps you should look around and blame the dishonest masses for their outlandish fabrications and never ending need to avoid responsibility for their actions. The collector is surprisingly powerless to read the minds of others, and if every account was closed the minute someone uttered "not me," there would be no collection industry because of course, as we all know, the vast majority of those with credit card, phone, or any other account listed on their credit are in fact, victims of cruel, twisted fate in the form of some freak billing error. Oh yes and while on the subject, why forget that according to 60 minutes and the rest of the fear mongering drivel the media fills the minds of americans with these days, identity theft actually happens more often then customers legitimately get phones. If you can't remember your phone number from 10 years ago, then what most certainly occured was someone had got hold of you personal information, followed you to work in order to obtain your current employer, requested your phone number in order to list it as the can be reached number on the account, then had the phone installed in your house (since the service address of the phone was your home), and lastly with precise timing every month snuck into your mailbox (the billing address on the account) to pay that bill in order to keep that phone on for 2 years. (That would be sarcasm for the less quick out there.) It may not be pretty, but if verizon or any other telecommunications company has a portfolio of old undpaid debts that the consumer has mistakenly not been billed for in the meantime, someone has to collect upon them. Everyone, per law, is given the oppurtunity (30 days) to resolve the debt before any collection activity including credit reporting is taken. Computers don't forget about money owed, apparently much like the infallible human beings that have posted in this topic thus far. There are laws in place to protect consumers, you may send in a letter of dispute, along with any supporting documenation if you feel inclined, it will be reviewed and the agency will validate the bill:if it is still correct, you will be mailed that validation, if not you will be sent a release of responsibility letter. I'm not accusing anyone of trying to get out of something they know they owe, in fact it's quite the opposite. I have no doubt that everyone here honestly believes they don't owe the bill, unfortunately deeply believing something does not change the situation in this particular case. In short, try thinking before speaking, learn the laws (there is no statute of limitations on collecting a debt, only on credit reporting and litigation), and spare the semantics and threats of lawsuits; these are two multi-million dollar companies, with detailed account information and no reason to put themselves at risk by making up false charges vs. a debtor whose only "documentation" is attempting to remember a 3 minute conversation that took place 5 years ago in which they think/hope that someone told them this bill was all a big mistake and they don't owe any money. I will conclude with responses to the most frequent objections that I have seen: The phone was on for 6 months after i moved out- The terms of service state the customer is responsible to make sure phone is disconnected or taken out of there name when leaving an address, and if it is not the customer is liable. I've never had Verizon- You're absolutely correct, they didn't exist for most of the 90's, you had GTE, Bell, or a number of other companies that were bought out. The original creditor said they have no record of this- On most accounts, AFNI is not acting as a 3rd party collection agency but has rather bought the acct from the creditor who cannot even look up the account in their computer let alone discuss it with you, not to mention the fact that unless you specifically mention the fact that it is a sold account, they will not be able to find it thinking you have a current account with them. They are phishing for my personal information- AFNI already has your information because you gave it to the telephone companies and they in turn sent it to us. If asked it is for the purposes of verifying your identity due to privacy laws or making sure we have the correct john smith, jane doe, etc. as per the social security number, it is not an attempt to connect you to the bill. And now I thank you all for your time, and this certainly doesn't apply to everyone. Hats off to those with enough integrity to accept their responsibilities and satisfy their debts, without immediately firing off excuses and looking for loopholes or a quick buck in this sue-happy country of ours.

DO NOT TALK TO COLLECTORS ON THE PHONE Corporate Headquarters 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702-3097 800.767-2364 Afni, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702 USA Contact: Jim Hess, Director, Business Development Phone: 800-767-2364, ext. 3321 Fax: 309-820-2632 Email: [email protected] Afni, Inc. IL 309-663-4510 Jim Hess Website: afninet.com President and COO: RONALD L GREENE 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON 61701 Secretary: GREGORY J DONOVAN same address Bruce F. Griffin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald L. Greene President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Donovan, CPA Vice President of Employee Services Stenia Dziadiw Vice President of Sales & Business Development Michael D. Garner Vice President of Call Center Services John Mobley, Jr. Vice President, Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John O'Donnell Vice President of Credit & Collections Services Organization Number 0491821 Name AFNI, INC. Profit or Non-Profit P - Profit Company Type FCO - Foreign Corporation ***** Status A - Active Standing G - Good State IL File Date 3/27/2000 Authority Date 3/27/2000 Last Annual Report 5/1/2006 Principal Office 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701 Registered Agent C T CORPORATION SYSTEM KENTUCKY HOME LIFE BLDG LOUISVILLE, KY 40202 Current Officers President Ronald L. Greene Vice President Gregory J. Donovan Secretary Gregory J. Donovan Treasurer V. Curtis Oyer Director Bruce F. Griffin Director Ronald L. Greene This organization has no assumed names Previous Names previous company names: 06/24/1986 - CREDIT CHECK INC. 06/29/2000 - ANDERSON FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. For collection-related inquiries, contact our Recovery Team at 1.800.371.3645, by mail at Afni, Inc. PO Box 3517, Bloomington, IL 61701 or email at: [email protected]. To handle your collections account on the internet, visit the collections website at AfniCollections.com Important Note Regarding Collection-Related Inquiries: If you choose to communicate via email, please remember that no matter how many measures Afni takes to ensure the confidentiality of your email, the Internet may be a non-secure medium for communication. If you choose to communicate your collection-related inquiry via email, Afni cannot be responsible for any possible disclosure of an account to a third party COLLECTIONS PORTION OF THE COMPANY URL APPEARS TO BE AFNINET.COM Anderson Financial Network, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 Administrative Contact: Girard, Chris [email protected] Afni 404 Brock Dr Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 828-5226 fax: (309) 820-2610 Technical Contact: Anderson Financial Network, Inc. [email protected] 404 BROCK DR BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701-2654 US 309.828.5226 fax: 123 123 1234 GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S Tell them to validate by . What the money you say I owe is for; Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; Identify the original creditor; Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent 1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period. 2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon. 3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER TYPE YOUR NAME 4. Keep a copy of every letter you send. 5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest. 6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out ..

DO NOT TALK TO COLLECTORS ON THE PHONE Corporate Headquarters 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702-3097 800.767-2364 Afni, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702 USA Contact: Jim Hess, Director, Business Development Phone: 800-767-2364, ext. 3321 Fax: 309-820-2632 Email: [email protected] Afni, Inc. IL 309-663-4510 Jim Hess Website: afninet.com President and COO: RONALD L GREENE 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON 61701 Secretary: GREGORY J DONOVAN same address Bruce F. Griffin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald L. Greene President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Donovan, CPA Vice President of Employee Services Stenia Dziadiw Vice President of Sales & Business Development Michael D. Garner Vice President of Call Center Services John Mobley, Jr. Vice President, Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John O'Donnell Vice President of Credit & Collections Services Organization Number 0491821 Name AFNI, INC. Profit or Non-Profit P - Profit Company Type FCO - Foreign Corporation ***** Status A - Active Standing G - Good State IL File Date 3/27/2000 Authority Date 3/27/2000 Last Annual Report 5/1/2006 Principal Office 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701 Registered Agent C T CORPORATION SYSTEM KENTUCKY HOME LIFE BLDG LOUISVILLE, KY 40202 Current Officers President Ronald L. Greene Vice President Gregory J. Donovan Secretary Gregory J. Donovan Treasurer V. Curtis Oyer Director Bruce F. Griffin Director Ronald L. Greene This organization has no assumed names Previous Names previous company names: 06/24/1986 - CREDIT CHECK INC. 06/29/2000 - ANDERSON FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. For collection-related inquiries, contact our Recovery Team at 1.800.371.3645, by mail at Afni, Inc. PO Box 3517, Bloomington, IL 61701 or email at: [email protected]. To handle your collections account on the internet, visit the collections website at AfniCollections.com Important Note Regarding Collection-Related Inquiries: If you choose to communicate via email, please remember that no matter how many measures Afni takes to ensure the confidentiality of your email, the Internet may be a non-secure medium for communication. If you choose to communicate your collection-related inquiry via email, Afni cannot be responsible for any possible disclosure of an account to a third party COLLECTIONS PORTION OF THE COMPANY URL APPEARS TO BE AFNINET.COM Anderson Financial Network, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 Administrative Contact: Girard, Chris [email protected] Afni 404 Brock Dr Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 828-5226 fax: (309) 820-2610 Technical Contact: Anderson Financial Network, Inc. [email protected] 404 BROCK DR BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701-2654 US 309.828.5226 fax: 123 123 1234 GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S Tell them to validate by . What the money you say I owe is for; Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; Identify the original creditor; Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent 1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period. 2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon. 3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER TYPE YOUR NAME 4. Keep a copy of every letter you send. 5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest. 6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out ..

DO NOT TALK TO COLLECTORS ON THE PHONE Corporate Headquarters 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702-3097 800.767-2364 Afni, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702 USA Contact: Jim Hess, Director, Business Development Phone: 800-767-2364, ext. 3321 Fax: 309-820-2632 Email: [email protected] Afni, Inc. IL 309-663-4510 Jim Hess Website: afninet.com President and COO: RONALD L GREENE 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON 61701 Secretary: GREGORY J DONOVAN same address Bruce F. Griffin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald L. Greene President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Donovan, CPA Vice President of Employee Services Stenia Dziadiw Vice President of Sales & Business Development Michael D. Garner Vice President of Call Center Services John Mobley, Jr. Vice President, Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John O'Donnell Vice President of Credit & Collections Services Organization Number 0491821 Name AFNI, INC. Profit or Non-Profit P - Profit Company Type FCO - Foreign Corporation ***** Status A - Active Standing G - Good State IL File Date 3/27/2000 Authority Date 3/27/2000 Last Annual Report 5/1/2006 Principal Office 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701 Registered Agent C T CORPORATION SYSTEM KENTUCKY HOME LIFE BLDG LOUISVILLE, KY 40202 Current Officers President Ronald L. Greene Vice President Gregory J. Donovan Secretary Gregory J. Donovan Treasurer V. Curtis Oyer Director Bruce F. Griffin Director Ronald L. Greene This organization has no assumed names Previous Names previous company names: 06/24/1986 - CREDIT CHECK INC. 06/29/2000 - ANDERSON FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. For collection-related inquiries, contact our Recovery Team at 1.800.371.3645, by mail at Afni, Inc. PO Box 3517, Bloomington, IL 61701 or email at: [email protected]. To handle your collections account on the internet, visit the collections website at AfniCollections.com Important Note Regarding Collection-Related Inquiries: If you choose to communicate via email, please remember that no matter how many measures Afni takes to ensure the confidentiality of your email, the Internet may be a non-secure medium for communication. If you choose to communicate your collection-related inquiry via email, Afni cannot be responsible for any possible disclosure of an account to a third party COLLECTIONS PORTION OF THE COMPANY URL APPEARS TO BE AFNINET.COM Anderson Financial Network, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 Administrative Contact: Girard, Chris [email protected] Afni 404 Brock Dr Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 828-5226 fax: (309) 820-2610 Technical Contact: Anderson Financial Network, Inc. [email protected] 404 BROCK DR BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701-2654 US 309.828.5226 fax: 123 123 1234 GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S Tell them to validate by . What the money you say I owe is for; Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; Identify the original creditor; Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent 1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period. 2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon. 3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER TYPE YOUR NAME 4. Keep a copy of every letter you send. 5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest. 6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out ..

DO NOT TALK TO COLLECTORS ON THE PHONE Corporate Headquarters 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702-3097 800.767-2364 Afni, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61702 USA Contact: Jim Hess, Director, Business Development Phone: 800-767-2364, ext. 3321 Fax: 309-820-2632 Email: [email protected] Afni, Inc. IL 309-663-4510 Jim Hess Website: afninet.com President and COO: RONALD L GREENE 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON 61701 Secretary: GREGORY J DONOVAN same address Bruce F. Griffin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald L. Greene President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Donovan, CPA Vice President of Employee Services Stenia Dziadiw Vice President of Sales & Business Development Michael D. Garner Vice President of Call Center Services John Mobley, Jr. Vice President, Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John O'Donnell Vice President of Credit & Collections Services Organization Number 0491821 Name AFNI, INC. Profit or Non-Profit P - Profit Company Type FCO - Foreign Corporation ***** Status A - Active Standing G - Good State IL File Date 3/27/2000 Authority Date 3/27/2000 Last Annual Report 5/1/2006 Principal Office 404 BROCK DRIVE BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701 Registered Agent C T CORPORATION SYSTEM KENTUCKY HOME LIFE BLDG LOUISVILLE, KY 40202 Current Officers President Ronald L. Greene Vice President Gregory J. Donovan Secretary Gregory J. Donovan Treasurer V. Curtis Oyer Director Bruce F. Griffin Director Ronald L. Greene This organization has no assumed names Previous Names previous company names: 06/24/1986 - CREDIT CHECK INC. 06/29/2000 - ANDERSON FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. For collection-related inquiries, contact our Recovery Team at 1.800.371.3645, by mail at Afni, Inc. PO Box 3517, Bloomington, IL 61701 or email at: [email protected]. To handle your collections account on the internet, visit the collections website at AfniCollections.com Important Note Regarding Collection-Related Inquiries: If you choose to communicate via email, please remember that no matter how many measures Afni takes to ensure the confidentiality of your email, the Internet may be a non-secure medium for communication. If you choose to communicate your collection-related inquiry via email, Afni cannot be responsible for any possible disclosure of an account to a third party COLLECTIONS PORTION OF THE COMPANY URL APPEARS TO BE AFNINET.COM Anderson Financial Network, Inc. 404 Brock Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 Administrative Contact: Girard, Chris [email protected] Afni 404 Brock Dr Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 828-5226 fax: (309) 820-2610 Technical Contact: Anderson Financial Network, Inc. [email protected] 404 BROCK DR BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701-2654 US 309.828.5226 fax: 123 123 1234 GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S Tell them to validate by . What the money you say I owe is for; Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; Identify the original creditor; Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent 1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period. 2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon. 3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER TYPE YOUR NAME 4. Keep a copy of every letter you send. 5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest. 6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out ..