CompUSA, Retail Services Ripoff, delayed billing scam and didn't get the check for pay-off! Baltimore Maryland

I had purchased a computer from CompUSA and had delayed billing with their Reatil Services finance Group. I had a check sent over a month ahead to payoff the accountin order to not have to pay delayed interest. When I checked the account for payoff through their automated phone service a few days after I was told it was paid off from the pay off bank, their (Retail Services number: 800-365-0197) (from my home phone) stated the balance was zero. I took this as the account was payed off. Bizarre as it sounds, still, today Sept 26th, 2005, the phone message says the account is payed off.

After I thought the account was payed off, based on their message, I received a bill from Retail Services, 3 days before the account needed payed off announcing I owed money. As it was the weekend, no one was available to find out about how could I owe money on this account ?. Again, I explained to them, their automated accounting phone numeber said it was payed off?

I called the Monday, after the weekend only for them to tell me they never received the check. How convenient for them as I was now having to pay for the deferred interest and my account was now past due. Their immediate response was well, we'll only charge you for half the interest if I pay it all off by Sept 29 (10 days) I immediately called the bank of the payoff. They had to cancel the check and have re-issued to Retails Services. I am now worried if the check will get there soon enough(by the 29th). Will it get lost again????
I feel cheated and lied to all in one. Surprisingly, I had sent a check earlier to pay on the bill and it got there. But when I tied to pay it all off, a month ahead, the check gets lost, their automated phone systems says I owe nothing, but now I am liable for all this mess and more money. Now, I have to follow-up by this Friday to insure it gets paid off. I'd call this legal robbery.

This will be my last experience with Rerail Services and I will be calling CompUSA to let them know of this, convenient, legal robbery.

Paul
oakdale, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.