Collection agency after me - what can I do?

03/16/2007 11:06:43 AM · #1

Canada.

We stopped our Cogeco cable services about a year ago. A guy came by and collected our DVR and cable modem.

Cogeco says we didn't return it and now wants $900+. A collection agency just phoned, threatening our credit rating.

A year ago we went back & forth with Cogeco about this until they lead us to believe it was resolved.

What can we do? We've never been in this situation before.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 11:07:01.

Jammur

Nikon D300

03/16/2007 11:09:24 AM · #2

Can you say non-extradition country?

nsoroma79

Nikon Coolpix P7000

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/16/2007 11:10:36 AM · #3

You can call Cogeco back and tell them that you thought this was resolved and apparently it's not. See what they are willing to do about it. If they want to be asses about it, you can request a credit report and dispute it that way.

Otherwise... it will remain on your credit for I think 7 years... then it goes away. :)

We are dealing with this with a credit card right now. We filed bankruptcy(yeah.. I can't spell!) in 2002, and all of our credit cards were closed and paid off. We still have one that says we owe them $16,000!!! Even though they were included when we filed. It's leaving a nasty mark on our credit... but for us, it's even worse! The company no longer exsists and we don't know who we can call to fix it!

Bastads!

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D

03/16/2007 11:11:14 AM · #4

Stupid question, but did they give you any kind of receipt when you gave it back to them?

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/16/2007 11:26:54 AM · #5

Fak. My wife's on the phone with Cogeco right now. It turns out they found the equipment we returned long, long ago, but never filed the paperwork all the way through, so the bill went on to the collection agency. I wonder if we're out of the woods though. I can hear her on the phone with Cogeco and it sounds like they don't want to cooperate anyway.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

03/16/2007 11:34:13 AM · #6

This is so typical of many (not all) cable companies. They're operating on a shoestring, understaffed, and with minimally-trained staff, and, well, this is what we get.
Tell them that you'll contact whatever authority is responsible for consumer protection if they don't get it straightened out, including notifying the collection agency and making sure your credit report is cleaned up. That usually gets them off 1st base.

Jammur

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

03/16/2007 11:34:17 AM · #7

Now for a serious reply, stay on the cable company and the collection company until you get a certified copy of your corrected credit report.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

03/16/2007 11:35:28 AM · #8

What a pain in the ass.

I remember when we got our mortgage. Our credit rating is about as perfect as it can possibly be (we've never been late on any kind of payment -- ever), yet they questioned me about an incident on my Montgomery Ward charge card from 1991.

I had taken an amplifier there to be repaired (it would shut itself off randomly), and they "repaired" it, but it still did the same thing. I complained about paying the repair bill for something they didn't fix, and they said they'd take the charge off the card.

Well, they didn't actually take the charge off the card (which I ignored when the bill came, figuring the removal hadn't shown up on the statement yet). Long after the bill was due, they sent me a check for the repair amount instead of removing it from the card.

So THAT incident came up for questioning when we were buying a house. I feel your pain...

Rebecca

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

03/16/2007 11:43:24 AM · #9

Call the three credit bureaus and ask them to put a note on your file that this particular item is under dispute. Then call one of those credit cleanup places and ask them how they recommend going about disputing it. Then make sure both the collection agency and the cable company know you and your financial advisor are disputing the amount - that'll let them know you're serious - and that they either need to provide definitive proof that you never returned the equipment or drop the charge lest you start talking to your lawyer about a harrassment suit. Even if you don't intend to go that far, the vehemence of your dispute and the mere mention of a lawyer might be enough to get them to drop the issue altogether.

One more idea: If you're truly at an impasse with these guys, point out that $900 is excessive for a piece of equipment that retails at $____. The only ones I saw for $900 in a quick Froogle search were 16-channel DVRs with internet access, and I seriously doubt that's what cable companies are renting out these days. An entry level DVR costs about $75. Offer to settle for the retail cost of an equivalent model.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 12:02:43.

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

03/16/2007 11:46:14 AM · #10

Move to Mexico. ;)

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

03/16/2007 12:25:37 PM · #11

FWIW, I've waged a personal war with our local cable company.... I positively HATE them and the monopoly they have in this area. It's so bad that when I have to call them, I have direct lines to their upper level support system and cell phone numbers for their on-call supervisors. They keep a running log of all phone conversations so when I call them and/or they call me and they are offering "extended" or "improved" services, I tell them to go jump in a lake... when they ask why I feel so strongly, I tell them to pull up my phone record with them... After a 5-10 minutes of reading (not exaggerating), they simply say... "Oh... uhm... well, I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with us" To which I reply I've NEVER had a POSITIVE experience with you. We've received months and months of free credits because we raised hell when they didn't provide services offered, they had a technician intentionally CUT our cable at the main box and then tell us that there was no service to the house we just purchased and never had been... He simply didn't want to hook up our cable during a storm on a Friday (did I mention he was 1 day LATE)!!!! Little did he know I'm no idiot and I ran a line tracer on the freshly cut cable in the box and it lead directly to MY HOUSE!!!! I had a supervisor at my house at midnight after much complaining and yelling patching the damage so we could have temporary service.... They then requested that I sign a waiver just in case they cut my sprinkler system when they ran the new line that was required because THEY cut the ORIGINAL!!!! I refused to sign and they ran it anyway!!! I HATE CABLE COMPANIES I HATE THEM... HATE THEM I TELL YOU... HATE HATE HATE!!!!! They are the anti-christ!!!!! Down with cable companies and their cursed monopolies!!!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Thanks for dragging up THOSE memories Slippy!!!! Now I must go to lunch and run a cable company van off the road!!!!!

ralph

Nikon Z9

03/16/2007 12:31:08 PM · #12

we use Rabbit ears ;)

Louis

Nikon D800

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

03/16/2007 12:44:41 PM · #13

Cogeco usually gives paperwork when you return equipment (at least they did when I returned a cable box at the Harvester Rd. office). If they didn't give you anything when they collected the equipment, that would likely be the source of the trouble.

Edit: the collection agency thing isn't going to influence your credit rating immediately. You can still resolve this before your credit is affected. The agency is just the corporation's bulldog before they actually do any damage to your credit.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 12:46:25.

scarbrd

Leica M10

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

03/16/2007 12:49:34 PM · #14

Originally posted by DowseDesigns:

I HATE CABLE COMPANIES I HATE THEM... HATE THEM I TELL YOU... HATE HATE HATE!!!!! They are the anti-christ!!!!! Down with cable companies and their cursed monopolies!!!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Thanks for dragging up THOSE memories Slippy!!!! Now I must go to lunch and run a cable company van off the road!!!!!

How do you REALLY feel?

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

03/16/2007 12:53:08 PM · #15

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Originally posted by DowseDesigns:
I HATE CABLE COMPANIES I HATE THEM... HATE THEM I TELL YOU... HATE HATE HATE!!!!! They are the anti-christ!!!!! Down with cable companies and their cursed monopolies!!!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Thanks for dragging up THOSE memories Slippy!!!! Now I must go to lunch and run a cable company van off the road!!!!!

How do you REALLY feel?

Sorry, I had to censor my true feelings.... this is a family site!

;-P

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

03/16/2007 01:14:31 PM · #16

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

Hi as a former cable technician and sales representative I can tell you what can be done in the US and hope it helps in Canada.

When the cable companies issue a digital box such as a DVR they have an internal "serial number" (like a cell phones ESN#) that is addressed to everyones account. If that number does not send a signal every "x" number of seconds to the head-end at the cable station the box will not work.

First write a letter to all three major credit agencies about the situation and that you are working with the collection and cable company to solve the situation. (only if it hits your credit)

Now that you have that done contact the cable company and have them to check their accounts for your "serial number" to see if it is on anyone else's account. They don't like doing leg-work like that but if you inform them that you received a call from collections and you have informed all credit reporting agencies then they will look into it for you.

Some times the cable person that picked up your box is dishonest or just lost your box leaving you with the bill. But if it was turned in and is in use they can track it by that number.

Always get a receipt when someone from the cable company is picking up any device from your home. Then keep that receipt for three years.

Hope this helps
SDW

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 13:20:34.

hankk

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

03/16/2007 02:59:21 PM · #17

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

Send a nice, professionally worded, registered letter to their legal department (even better: have your lawyer send one). Point out that either the box was stolen (and it seems you know who is in possession of stolen property) or Cogeco may be committing some sort of fraud. Then respectfully demand action to have your account cleaned up and for Cogeco to send a letter (you write it) to the big credit reporting agencies.

If that doesn't work, small claims court is inexpensive.

J-Me

Sony DSLR-A200

Sony 75-300 mm f/4.5-5.6

03/16/2007 03:20:00 PM · #18

Strike, hopefully by now, your wife has gotten the answers that you needed to hear and all is well.

I had a similar problem with a modem that I had to return to my internet provider. Same type of thing happened. And, I also had a store and a terminal for Credit and Debit payments....same type of thing. Rule #1.....ALWAYS GET A RECEIPT FOR ANYTHING SENT BY COURIER OR MAIL!!! Always get a stamp or signature on a paper of some kind so that you have proof that you sent it. IF they don't receive it or it's lost it's not your problem and you are free of liability for it. It's up to the courier or post office as you did your part.

If you still haven't gotten this resolved by now, you need to go "to the top". That means that you have to go beyond their so-called "customer service dept." and get to an executive in HEAD OFFICE! I mean that you have to go right to their Corporate Offices and to the top of the company.

From there, you have to lay out your story all over again, but this time, you have to be forceful and put blame back on them. You have to say that your credit rating has been jeopardized by their customer service dept. and you want it dealt with appropriately and quickly or you'll seek out other actions as their company has admitted that it has been their faults and the item has been found as misplaced within their company. Remember, they do not want bad publicity. Even threaten to go to someone like an ombudsman from a local t.v., paper or radio station with your story. See if they want that! They won't!

Lower offices/personelle will likely tell you that "it takes time" to clear the record. It DOESN'T! One call to the right person ends this very darned quickly! It's amazing how quickly things can be cleared up when you've gotten in touch with the right people in the higher positions! Trust me. I've been there and it works!

Finally, if nothing else works and you're not getting anywhere with it....a letter from an attorney, seeking damages for "slander" (which is what this is to your credit record) really works quickly. You won't have to go the full route of going through court or anything. It'll cost you the price of a letter written by an attorney which is a small price to pay (IF it is needed) in order to clear your financial records and credit rating. And IF....this is going really far and likely would NOT be the case.....you apply for any credit anywhere else and this holds your records from being able to get credit.....THIS IS grounds for a lawsuit against the company for their ineptness.

Keep us updated!

Sincerely
Louellen aka PhotoInterest

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/16/2007 08:34:19 PM · #19

Sheesh, I suppose I feel just a little bit more secure now. I called on Skype and told them I was recording everything, nearly half an hours worth of MP3, 21MB. I got the first-level rep to say the date and that our account is at zero. I got put up to a supervisor who confirmed the zero balance for me. She still didn't want to admit it was Cogeco's error! I asked for their accounts receivable address so I could send them an invoice for my time, she gave it to me, I told her 2 hours at $75 per hour, she said they wouldn't pay, I told her I'd send it to collections.

Since the collections agency only works regular business hours, this will have to be continued Monday. I kept the supervisor on the phone for a long time and was pretty annoying, so hopefully she'll remember me. My wife will finish things up on Monday, but I may call back to this supervisor just for an I-told-you-so.

Thanks for the posts, folks.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 20:35:13.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

03/16/2007 09:37:33 PM · #20

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

I told her 2 hours at $75 per hour, she said they wouldn't pay, I told her I'd send it to collections.

ROFL! You rock! Tell her you know a guy who might be "carrying a torch for her" also (but don't record that part). >:-)

Send her a picture of your collection agent. ;-)

lifternessjt

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

03/17/2007 07:16:30 AM · #21

Slip! I don't really know if this can help, but way back, I was having problems with my cable reception ( Way before digital ) and I sent a letter to the company, with a copy to the CRTC. It took about 2 days and I had a great picture!
Maybe try contacting them...The CRTC I mean.

Their Website...

Judi

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

03/17/2007 07:29:17 AM · #22

To have cable you would need to watch TV.....right??

Hmmm...maybe I need to do that first!

03/17/2007 09:14:47 AM · #23

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I told her 2 hours at $75 per hour, she said they wouldn't pay, I told her I'd send it to collections.

ROFL! You rock! Tell her you know a guy who might be "carrying a torch for her" also (but don't record that part). >:-)

Send her a picture of your collection agent. ;-)

Hehe, here's an MP3 of her saying she won't pay me, LOL! Congratulate me for not laughing (too much).
:-D

Nikon D200