Cox Communications bogus collection for equipment they picked up Virginia Beach Virginia

My wife and I called to disconnect service due my military deployment. We had cox cable reconnect our service after a few months of system stoppage.

Reconnection of service was done on 6/10/03, when we bought our own cable moden. The technician came and picked up the modem COX had given us. The modem they picked up was P/U 3105271321 ISS 3105338551. 66 . I took this info. from the pink slip the technician gave us that day.

My wife and I are planning on buying a home and so we checked on our credit reports. My report shows a collection from Cox Communications of $598.00 reported 04/03. I called many times and I keep getting the recording for the colletions departmet. Today I waited for 48 minutes without response.

Also I called a different department to get less service, (because service is getting so expensive), and they told me I would have to pay for someone to come and do that. They never stated that I would have to pay everytime I wanted my service changed.

We can't buy a home for now, and we don't know what to do.

Manuel
Virginia
U.S.A.