Complaint Review: American Agencies - Torrance California

In May 2000, my PacBell home phone service was changed by PacBell without my knowledge. I eventually noticed that my bill was higher and that my international rate was a lot higher. When I questioned the long distance carrier, they said that PacBell had cancelled my service in May 2000. I contacted PacBell and they asked if I was a certain business and I told them no and that this was a home account. They said that I would be issued a credit for an amount larger then my bill, so I didn't pay the bill.

The next month I owed for two months and there was no mention of a credit. Again I called PacBell and because they can't give out there name or number, I had to explain to another person the credit due. They again say that they would submit a request for credit. So because the bill was still less then the credit, I didn't pay.

By the fourth month I called and asked for an address to write a letter of complaint and still did not pay the bill. In January 2001, I sent a registered letter to PacBell and a letter including a copy of the PacBell letter to Michael Finney at ABC Ch7 in SF.

In January 2001 I received a phone call from PacBell stating that I owed on my account and that if restitution weren't made that they would turn off my service. When I tried to talk to this woman about the credit due, she wouldn't listen and asked when I would make restitution. I told her that I would when they gave me my due credit. She told me that they would be turning off my service, and they did.

Meanwhile I never heard from PacBell, but I did get back the signed card from when they received the letter. I never heard any acknowledgement from Michael Finney at ABC Ch 7 SF; I did call them, but they said that he doesn't handle complaints about the phone company. But in March 2001, I started getting bills from American Agencies. I called their phone number on the bill and left them my new phone number; same name as on their bill; their reference number and a brief message. American Agencies did not respond to the phone call, but sent more bills. In May 2001, American Agencies asked for the name of my lawyer on the bill. I don't have a lawyer, however unlike them I responded. This time I write them a letter on May 21,2001, to their address and send them a copy of the letter that I had sent to PacBell.

Schwoooooooooosh,everyone goes away.

But then on Friday, August 13, 2004, American Agencies calls and demands money. Horrified I call SBC and their Customer Service is as helpless as PacBells. They eventually give me a phone number of who handles the old accounts and it's American Agencies. I continued to call SBC, but got nowhere. I also contacted by phone Michael Finney at ABC Ch 7 in SF and was issued a number and was told to send a registered letter to American Agencies and ask why they have waited this long. So I wrote a letter to American Agencies and they did not reply.

Finally I decided that I'm going to bug everyone at SBC until I get this resolved. I called an executive office and they connected me with a woman who not only listens, but also gave me her phone number and full name. She said that she would call me back in two days.

She calls back in three days and apologizes for the delay. She then says that she will resolve the problem. She also says that she will send me a letter of exoneration and she does in September 2004. In the letter of exoneration she states "...We have contacted the Buyer, American Agencies and requested that any entries associated to this debt be deleted from your credit file."

Around December 2, 2004, I received a letter dated 11-17-04 from Jack Snow, Collection Mgr. at American Agencies stating that I still owe Principal and Late Payment.

Within 24 hours of receiving Mr Snow's letter I called numerous lawyers and have found one that is interested. I then got my free Credit Bureau Reports from Experian, Transunion and Equifax. Experian listed two claims from American Agencies for the same thing. Transunion listed one claim.

So I wrote to Experian and Transunion disputing the claims. I wrote the BBB; the Federal Trade Commission; The State Attorney for the State of California and I wrote to Michael Finney at ABC Ch 7 in SF.

As of January 2005, I have heard from the Federal Trade Commission, the BBB, Experian; the State Attorney's office and Michael Finney's group. Most of them are still investigating. Experian did delete one of the claims. Michael Finney at ABC Ch 7 in San Francisco, have not been helpful at all, so I have stopped seeking their lack of help.

The issue with American Agencies is not over, but it will be.

I do however recommend that anyone else with a problem with American Agencies contact the Federal Trade Commission, because at the least they will send you the guidelines that collection agencies have to follow. American Agencies is in violation of a lot of these laws.

Barbara

South San Francisco, California
U.S.A.

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