- Report: #259703
Complaint Review: Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Ken Hughes Collection Agency Representative - Chicago Illinois
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Merchants' Credit Guide Co. Ken Hughes Collection Agency Representative
223 W Jackson Blvd Ste 900 Chicago, 6066-6993 Illinois, U.S.A.
Phone:
888-249-1033
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Merchants' Credit Guide Co., Ken Hughes Collection Agency Representative NCO Financial Systems Inc. through Merchants' Credit Guide Co., through Ken Hughes, say I owe them money concerning a past debt I do not owe. Ripoff Chicago Illinois
I received an undated letter today from a Ken Hughes of Merchants' Credit Guide Co., from an address in Chicago, Illinois (as well as a post office box address in Hauppage, New York), representing the client NCO Financial Systems Incorporated, that I owe a debt that they say I accrued originally to AT&T Corporation.
I was told in the letter that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. had previously contacted me--which it had not. I was not given any information of a phone number, dates the debt was supposedly accrued, or account number with regard to AT&T at all, in the letter...just that their client was NCO Financial Systems Inc., and that I owed them the money. I was given what Merchants' Credit Guide Co. stated was the original account number that NCO Financial Systems gave them.
I called the number today trying to contact the person, Ken Hughes. I was transferred to a woman who started screaming at me and who hung up on me rather quickly when I started asking her specific information as to what the debt entailed.
I then immediately called AT&T billing. They had no record of any money I owe them, and I was told that if I owed them the amount of money that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. stated that I owed NCO Financial Systems Inc., that I would not be able to have phone service with AT&T.
I was then transferred to AT&T collections. I spoke with a person called 'Fancy.' She was foreign and we had some trouble communicating. She took my information and transferred me to an American.
She took my information and I was then told that their records go back several years and they have no record of my ever owing them any money; and that if I did, I would not have AT&T phone service at this time.
I was then given a phone number for an associate company, or division of AT&T, termed 'Legacy,' which I assume delves into past due accounts from several years in the past. I gave them my information and they could not find any record of my having any past due amount of money that was outstanding. I was again assured that I would not have AT&T phone service, and would not have been allowed to use SBC Global/Yahoo! internet service for three years from 2003 to 2006 if I did.
I then called Merchants' Credit Guide Co. back. A lady talked to me and I was again only informed that the debt was in reference to a past due AT&T account. I asked what phone number the debt was in reference to. She could not tell me.
The only information she could give me was an address at which I lived in 1998. She could not give me a phone number or any other information--just that I owed them the money. I was asked several times how I wanted to pay the debt.
I told her that AT&T had assured me that they had no record that I ever owed them any unpaid debt.
Can anyone give me any advice as to what I do now? The lady at Merchants' Credit Guide Co. told me that I could write an 'Appeal/Dispute' letter. I don't know what else to do.
Teddy
Kansas City, Missouri
U.S.A.
I was told in the letter that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. had previously contacted me--which it had not. I was not given any information of a phone number, dates the debt was supposedly accrued, or account number with regard to AT&T at all, in the letter...just that their client was NCO Financial Systems Inc., and that I owed them the money. I was given what Merchants' Credit Guide Co. stated was the original account number that NCO Financial Systems gave them.
I called the number today trying to contact the person, Ken Hughes. I was transferred to a woman who started screaming at me and who hung up on me rather quickly when I started asking her specific information as to what the debt entailed.
I then immediately called AT&T billing. They had no record of any money I owe them, and I was told that if I owed them the amount of money that Merchants' Credit Guide Co. stated that I owed NCO Financial Systems Inc., that I would not be able to have phone service with AT&T.
I was then transferred to AT&T collections. I spoke with a person called 'Fancy.' She was foreign and we had some trouble communicating. She took my information and transferred me to an American.
She took my information and I was then told that their records go back several years and they have no record of my ever owing them any money; and that if I did, I would not have AT&T phone service at this time.
I was then given a phone number for an associate company, or division of AT&T, termed 'Legacy,' which I assume delves into past due accounts from several years in the past. I gave them my information and they could not find any record of my having any past due amount of money that was outstanding. I was again assured that I would not have AT&T phone service, and would not have been allowed to use SBC Global/Yahoo! internet service for three years from 2003 to 2006 if I did.
I then called Merchants' Credit Guide Co. back. A lady talked to me and I was again only informed that the debt was in reference to a past due AT&T account. I asked what phone number the debt was in reference to. She could not tell me.
The only information she could give me was an address at which I lived in 1998. She could not give me a phone number or any other information--just that I owed them the money. I was asked several times how I wanted to pay the debt.
I told her that AT&T had assured me that they had no record that I ever owed them any unpaid debt.
Can anyone give me any advice as to what I do now? The lady at Merchants' Credit Guide Co. told me that I could write an 'Appeal/Dispute' letter. I don't know what else to do.
Teddy
Kansas City, Missouri
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Don
Belleville,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Send a letter of dispute
#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, July 10, 2007
I think that the best course of action is to send a letter of dispute. Someone like Steve from Bradenton will probably post where you can get a sample letter, or you could try Bud Hibbs site. NCO is the largest debt buyer in the country, and much of what they purchase is old debt. As for what AT&T is telling you, I don't know. Depending on the age of the account (which you don't know either), their records may not go back that far. I believe (I may be wrong) that companies have to keep their records for 7 years. If the account in question is older than that, they would not have records of that. Also, I disagree with the notion that becuase you allegedly had a delinquent account that you could not have gotten service. I have seen enough cases of people who were given another credit card from the same company that I am collecting for. Also seen many cases of this previously working for a wireless phone company.
