AT&T- If You Cancel, They Send You To A Collection Agency! I canceled AT&T DSL internet services after 3 months because it didn't work and they sent me to collections. Internet

Last November, after having AT&T's DSL internet service for 3 months, I decided to cancel because even when I would sit next to the internet modem my Mac could barely pick up a single. I was sick of paying $46.00 a month for internet that didn't work.

I called to cancel and ended up talking to a relatively nice guy. I didn't tell him all of my problems with the connection because I had told everyone else. I simply told him I wanted to rid myself of AT&T and the problems I've had. He said okay. I asked him if I owed ANYTHING on the account and he said "Since we haven't had another billing cycle and you just paid your bill, there is nothing left on the account..." That sound strange to me so I told him to send me a bill or have whoever else send me a bill if there is anything I owe on the account. He agreed and we hung up.

Exactly one-two weeks later I received a bill from a collection agency stating that I owe them $46.00 and they were collecting for AT&T. I immediately called AT&T and asked them why they forwarded my account to a collection agency when they hadn't even sent me a bill. She said they sent me a bill but when she told me the date I told her that my collection notice date was 3 days prior to when they sent me a bill. How was I suppose to get the bill from AT&T and pay it before they send it to collections when AT&T didn't send my bill out until after I got my collection notice? She said it wasn't her problem and hung up on me. I was outraged!

So I called the collection agency and told her what happened. She was actually very nice and told me just pay the collection agency and they would report it to AT&T and nothing would go on my credit report if I paid it right away. I agreed and hung up and sent out a check for the $46.00 the next day thinking it was all over with.

I thought wrong. Two weeks ago I received a letter from a different collection agency, West End Management (horribly rude I might add) It was $47.00 from AT&T.
I called AT&T and they said they had never received my payment. I told them I paid the first collection agency. They said I they had no record of it. I called the first collection agency and she said "We don't do business with AT&T anymore and that's why they were never notified." She agreed to send me a proof of payment to send to AT&T and the new collection agency.

Meanwhile, I call the new collection agency and the lady that I talked to told me that if I didn't set up a payment plan while waiting for my proof of payment letter that she was going to report it on my credit report. I got really upset when she told me this because I have to get student loans for college and cannot afford to have anything like this on my credit report. I agreed to give her my credit card number and that she was not allowed to take anything out of my banking account until I called her back. She told me nothing would be taken out and I had until Friday to tell her what was going on. So she has my credit card number at this point, which I never should have done.
I called back the first collection agency and she said that she has my proof of payment letter and she is sending them to me to send to the collection agency and AT&T.

I call back the West End Management and tell the agent to remove my credit card number from my account and I am not authorizing her to take funds out of my account because I am sending the letter right when I receive it. She tells me that I can't take my credit card number off my account and once I give it to them they can do what they want with it. I told her that I just talked to her 10 minutes ago and she had told me that she would not charge my credit card if I called her back by Friday... She said she knows she said that but when I give my credit card number I entered into a legal binding contract with her company and they can charge my account when they want to.

I told her I wanted to speak to a supervisor. She said NO. I said yes, she said NO and hung up on me.
At this point, I'm crying. She totally conned me and I don't know what to do... So I call my bank and cancel my debit card with them and tell them to watch my account for unauthorized charges. They canceled my account immediately.

I called back the collection agency and talked to a supervisor. He told me I had 10 days to send him proof of payment or he would report it on my credit report. I told him the letter they sent me said I have 30 days to contact them and dispute it so he cannot tell me I have to have it to them in 10 days... He hangs up on me.

So, I wait almost a week for this proof of payment statement. I sent the one to the collection agency on Monday the 21st of July and the one to AT&T because they gave me the wrong fax number twice on Wednesday the 23rd of July. Both keep telling me they haven't received it. I also sent the collection agency one in the mail but AT&T won't let me send them mail, I have to fax it.

This entire situation is a whole mess. From AT&T sending my bill to collection before even sending me a bill and not even giving me time to pay the bill to the first collection agency taking my money and not telling AT&T that I paid them to the second collection agency trying to con me and being so rude and coming up with all these rules that I've never even heard of.
There has got to be something illegal in this situation. If not I'm so surprised.
Any advice would be appreciated but I also just wanted to warn everyone of what AT&T does when you cancel with them.

Leslee
Cleveland, Ohio
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on AT&T