AFNI Attempting to collect an 8-10 year old Verizon Bell Atlantic bill already paid Bloomington Illinois

I received a collection letter from AFNI Inc. claiming that I owed "Bell Atlantic" (now Verizon) the paltry sum of $45.60. From 1996-January, 2005, I did live in New York and I did have the phone number listed in the collection letter. That information is correct;however, any and all debts and billing issues with Bell Atlantic (and later Verizon) were always resolved by dealing directly with Bell Atlantic and Verizon. I was never turned over to collections for any sum, and I never (as AFNI associates have claimed on the phone to me) made a partial payment to restore "minimum services".

After speaking with 3 different AFNI associates (and recording two of these conversations), I have discovered the following:

1. They allege this bill is from November 1999.
2. An AFNI associate told me they can provide no copy of a bill or billing history because "that was available to you in 1999, and that information no longer exsists" and that I "need to send my receipts for payments" to prove I no longer owe anything.


I kid you not. I have recordings to prove it. Based on what little research I have done, this is what I think is going on here:

AFNI purchased old billing records from Verizon (Bell Atlantic) pre-dating their MCI merger when Bell Atlantic became Verizon.

Large numbers of people living in the area of New York where I lived back then (I am a Tennessee resident since 2005) who also paid all their bills got similiar collection notices (http://www.9wsyr.com/content/news/your_stories/story.aspx?content_id=c2fd654e-ef16-49c1-8a0e-87f622d8502a).

I have concluded that either due to sloppy record keeping on Verizon's part or due to dilliberate fraud on AFNI's part, AFNI Inc is attempting to collect on many debts that have already been paid and which are well beyond the Statute of Limitations.

I am very angry, and it's not the money. $45 is a paltry sum. It's the idea that this company is falsely trying to collect on debts already paid, and it is doing this with debts that are well beyond the statute of limitations hoping that because few people keep records (like phone bills) that long and they will pay.

Greg
Arlington, Tennessee
U.S.A.