Report: BellSouth And CBCS Collections
Category: Telephone Companies
BellSouth And CBCS Collections Bogus collection account for service I was never billed for Atlanta Georgia
*Consumer Suggestion ..John Needs To Request Validation of Debt
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BellSouth And CBCS Collections
Fax:
Atlanta, Georgia, 30309
U.S.A.
Submitted: 1/18/2005 2:09:50 PM
Modified: 6/3/2008 6:09:18 PM
John
Louisville, KentuckyI got a credit card statement last month and hit the roof when I saw that they had jacked my interest rate up to 28.99%, even though I had never missed or been late on a payment for anything - EVER.
After contacting the CC company, they informed me that their action was the result of an undesirable entry on my credit report. After obtaining a copy of my credit report, it showed a collection account for the paultry amount of $74.56 from a collection angency named CBCS with the original entity being BellSouth. I called BellSouth and after jumping through many hoops was finally put in touch with their collection dept who told me that as far they are concerned, I do not exist and therefore could not owe them any money.
I contacted CBCS and explained to them that this was bogus, and that BellSouth has no record of me, but CBCS REFUSED to verify this bogus debt with BellSouth and basically accused me of being a liar when I told them that BellSouth has no record of my existance. I called BellSouth back and explained that CBCS was REFUSING to verify the debt and asked them to contact CBCS to clear this up, but they told me that since I do not exist in their system, there was nothing they could do on their end to help.
So - CBCS REFUSES to verify with BellSouth, and BellSouth says they cannot tell CBCS that I don't exist.
Meanwhile, I'm paying out the wazoo for an interest rate hike that is the direct result of this bogus $74.56 item on my credit report placed their by CBCS, who I am now convinced is a criminal organization. Unfortunately, if I were to simply pay the $74.56, it would still remain on my credit report as a nagative item.
I disputed this item with Experian, the only credit agency this appears on, and in less than 2 days I got a response saying that their 'investigation' resulted in no change of status for the item. That is impossible since BellSouth says I don;t exist. I think it is only going back to the collection agency, who is only interested in convincing me to send them $74.56 so they just tell the credit agency that it is not bogus and the 'investigation' ends there.
I refuse to pay something that I don't owe to people trying to steal money from me through what I see as Credit Report Hostage Taking. I am going to speak with a lawyer about the possibility of filing a class action lawsuit against BellSouth with CBCS's name plastered all over it.
These people will NOT be getting away with this crap!
John
Louisville, Kentucky
U.S.A.
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Updates & Rebuttals:
- Cease & Desist Jeremy [2/17/2005 5:12:47 PM]
- Dont Give Up! Allen [2/18/2005 4:34:14 PM]
- the FDCPA does state that an agency has to cease all written and verbal communications The [4/20/2005 8:52:28 PM]
- An incredibly nasty/fraudulent company that should be shut down immediately!! Bob [2/8/2006 3:27:08 PM]
- Bob, you need to do this>> Steve [2/9/2006 3:03:57 PM]
- File on them under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collections ACT Chris [10/21/2006 8:09:08 PM]
- oh gosh Natira [10/31/2006 4:46:49 PM]
- Letter of Validation Wright [2/2/2008 6:49:56 PM]
- Identy thief watch out William H [2/9/2008 10:44:23 AM]
- Identy thief watch out William H [2/9/2008 10:44:50 AM]
- John Needs To Request Validation of Debt Pdj [6/3/2008 4:58:39 PM]
Cease & Desist
The simple fact that many collection agencies don't want you to know as a consumer is that you do actually have rights! I have dealt with countless collection agencies effectively through not dealing with them at all. When a collection agency contacts me I simply send them a certified return receipt cease & desist letter on the basis of Public Law 95-109 and 99-361.
After which time if they continue to try to contact your or make any negative mark on your credit report after receipt of the C & D letter you have grounds to go after them corporately and individually. CBCS had also contacted me regarding a Bellsouth debt and I sent them the letter and that was the last I heard from them and no further negative credit reporting. In my case however there was a legitimate debt which was then cleared up dealing with Bellsouth directly.
I would imagine, can't make any guarantee as I'm not a lawyer or work for any CRA, that if you send a C&D letter to CBCS and then dispute with the CRAs that show the debt that it should hopefully get removed. In that case the CRA should have to go to Bellsouth to confirm and if there is no debt it should be removed.
Dont Give Up!
First I'd like to say I agree with Jeremy in CA.
One thing more you may want to do when you send CBCS the 'Drop Dead' letter (C & D). Demand CBCS provide proof, in writting, that there is in fact a debt in your name. If they can then go back to Bell South to resolve. As J said he did have one.
As far as what transpired with Experian, that is normal for them to confirm the no change in status BS. I have had several disputes with all three CRA's over the years and I was able to prevale in all of them. Sometimes it is best to call direct and talk to the reporting CRA, you should have been provided a phone nr when you received your copy, normally you have a 60 to 90 day window to call.
The next time you dispute, send copies of any paperwork you have from CBCS. Anytime you talk to anyone remember to back it up in writting, return receipt requested, this is a must.
One more thing to consider, when you dispute do it the old way with paper, one push of a button and a computer goes blank, the paper just stays there. You will have 'fun' the next few months, just dont give up.
the FDCPA does state that an agency has to cease all written and verbal communications
Simply to state, C&D Letters do not cease creti inquires... nor do they cease the original creditor from passing the account to another agency... simple... no... the FDCPA does state that an agency has to cease all written and verbal communications, but they do not cease collections...
An incredibly nasty/fraudulent company that should be shut down immediately!!
I recently started recieving phone calls from the scumbags at CBCS after I registered a new phone number with the local frontier company. At least several times a week I would receive a call stating that I should call 'jennifer', 'rachel' or some such back at 1-800-498-2223. I call back and get a phone bot that asks me to enter my name, phone number and SOCIAL SECURITY number.
If that doesn't send up about a thousand red flags, I don't know what should. So I continue to ignore the calls but they just keep coming. Finally I call back and someone actually answers without a 'hello' or anything but instead immediately ask me for 'my account #'. I tell them I don't have an account with you I don't even know who you are stop calling me.(I have no outstanding debts.) They are extremely unprofessional and rude and at this point I find McGath's website ( http://www.mcgath.com/cbcs.html ) outlining his experience which mirrors mine exactly and I am certain this is some kind of ripoff scam.
At this point I'm VERY close to reporting them to a national phone fraud investigation group. I call back yet again again and tell them to take my number off thier list one more time, tell them I have no idea who they are and what they are doing is equivalent to extortion. Finally, I eventually manage to convince the morons that I'm not who they think I am and they say they'll stop calling. (we'll see)
I feel bad for the above people who have actually had thier credit damaged by these jerks (I will certainly be keeping a close eye on mine!) and can only hope they get retribution in the end. I haven't had nearly as bad a situation as other people here seem to have had and still as far as I'm concerned these CBCS people are vile parasites and can rot in hell.
Bob, you need to do this>>
John,
CBCS obviously purchased the old debt from Bellsouth. Bellsouth is no longer involved if the debt was sold, that is why you do not exist to them.
You need to send a DEBT VALIDATION letter to them by certified mail, return reciept requested, and put the certified# on the letter itself.
THEN, if they fail to respond within 30 days with ACCEPTABLE proof that you owe THEM money, you now send your dispute to the credit bureau by the same means.
You also have the right to request the method of how they verified the debt, and to see proof.
Good luck!
Bob,
Under the FDCPA you have the right to stop the calls by sending a CEASE COMMUNICATIONS letter to the collector. And a DEBT VALIDATION request.
Jeremy,
The law you speak of is a CA law and only binds collectors operating in CA. AND, the terminology is CEASE COMMUNICATIONS, *not* Cease and Desist. Two very different things here
File on them under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collections ACT
If you dispute a debt in writing they have 30 days to provide proof of the debt. You can also file a distpute with the credit bureaus and the credit card compahy for jacking up your rate from buguscredit information. Then you can file suit against the collection agency in federal court for voilating boyh acts. Should not only get it off the credit report but Judges tend to award large damages for this kind of bahavior buy rogue collection agencies and inaccurate information at the credit bureaus. Looks like you in for some fighting but it can be worh 10's of thousads of dollars if you get the right attorney
oh gosh
you guys have too much time on your hands the reason bellsouth says he dont exsist because think of the debt as a piece of paper it is shipped from place to place it isnt in bellsouth anymore it is purged from the system to avoid them have to pay people from within the co to process old accts on a reg basis when they can just pay collection agy once a lump sum to do it in months if you stop getting angry a the reps and just listen things will go smooth you dont have to pay if you dont owe
but hanging up isnt going to convince them you dont owe it and they will continue to pursue it it could be id theft and beleive me we dont want to collect from some one who dont owe. on the phone we ask you to think back; if you never lived at the addy during the time the debt occured your free just send in two bills if you have them from that time showing another addy your cool if you dont have that, pull your credt it will show where and when you lived at another addy but dont blame the collection agy blame the book keeper at bellsouth there billing practices suck and even though cbcs name will be on the lawsuit dont waste your ink it wont matter the messenger wont be shot.
Letter of Validation
Send a 'Letter of Validation' to this CBCS company. Make sure you send it 'certified mail'. The company has 30 days to validate this debt they say you owe. If they do not complete the validation then it will automatically, by law, have to be removed from your credit file. If the company doesn't respond, then send a letter to the credit bureau stating you sent a 'Letter of Validation' to this company but got no response. Make sure you attach a copy of that letter when you send the statement to the credit bureau.
Hope this helps. It has worked for me.
Identy thief watch out
Below is web site we all need to consider it will do you good if everybody gets
this and use it to it's fullest they are there for you:
http://www.aclu.com
American civil liberty union they will help you
http://FTC.gov
Federal trade commission they will help you also
Identy thief watch out
Below is web site we all need to consider it will do you good if everybody gets
this and use it to it's fullest they are there for you:
http://www.aclu.com
American civil liberty union they will help you
http://FTC.gov
Federal trade commission they will help you also
John Needs To Request Validation of Debt
Dear John:
You are defaming a collection company. Your verbal request over the phone for validation in debt will not work. You must write your request to them in writing. The reason why SBC (I believe now AT&T) doesn't have records because it sounds like CBCS has bought the account and is now reporting now as SBC as original creditor. You should ask CBCS the details such as the service address, service date (service activation date and disconnect date), and phone number. If you had that phone number then obviously you didn't pay your final bill. You don't have the right to complain about something valid. And you don't have the right to defame a company since the debt is valid.
On the other hand, if you never lived at the service address or never had service with SBC then you need to talk to CBCS regarding fraudulent dispute. Have a nice day.
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