I recently received a letter in the mail from Afni Collection Agency regarding a supposed debt to a bank for a whopping $731.89. My eyes glanced down to the bottom of the statement and saw that they were willing to settle for half the amount.I thought to myself...the settlement amount was even outrageuos. I was really busy at the time, so I put it away for a later date when I could call them and find out what was going on.
I called Afni Collection Agency and "Eric" answered the phone. I kindly told him my account number on the bill, and the reason why I do not owe this insane amount of money. I went on to explain to him that I had a checking account with Charter One bank a year or so ago, and I had over-drawn my account by $7.00 and some change, and that I had another account that I frequented more often, so by the time I was aware that I had over-drawn the account, they had already incurred 4 fees of $35.00 that they charged each day the account was over.
I then went on to explain how when I called their customer service line to dispute this matter, they were very nasty, and non-relenting. I said that I would pay a few of those charges, but there was no way I was going to pay $182.00 for $7.00 over-drawn. Then, I told them to just close my account, and they said they were going to let it add up day by day until it was paid. Boy, was I angry! I guess I need to write a rip-off report for Charter One Bank as well, but in case I do not get around to it...(do not open an account there).
Furthermore, I went on to tell Eric that I was willing to pay what I was willing to pay before, but that I did not think it was fair to have to pay $731.89, or even the $365.95 quoted in the statement they sent me for something I did not do! What was his response you ask?... "Well it is what you owe, and what you will have to pay! There is no negoiation whatsoever on the matter." He said that it is on my credit report, and "you will have to pay it eventually, one way or the other, so I may as well do it now!"
I told him that he could not do that, and that it is illegal to report inaccurate information on people, especially if you know that the charges in question are not fair or accurate! And it became a shouting match at this point. I told him that he will hear from my lawyer, because that it not the way to treat people , or do business...he said bring it on! I will call him myself!
So I say all this to ask these questions currently turning over in my mind:
What is the world coming to with this whole credit system?, and why do we consumers have to stand for getting bullied around by big business? How come there are not laws in place that really protect the consumer from false accusations from so called debtors? Sure I know that you can make a dispute against things put on your credit, but how often are these charges actually taken off? Not very often, if ever in my experience.
So where does that leave us????
