good morning (it's 7:51 here) i do have a question about a collection agency?

Question

okay, so here's the story. tell me what you think of this or if there's even anything we can do.

back in february, my husband and i signed up with sprint for cell coverage. a couple of weeks after we signed up, my hubby was able to get an employee discount for our phones from work. he called sprint and had them apply the employee discount. unbeknownst to us, in order for sprint to do that, they had to close the original account and open a new one with a new number. but...they didn't tell us that. so...we continue on with our service, paying our bill and using our phones until about a month ago we received a notice from a collection agency saying that they were collecting around $230 for sprint. well...we were really confused because we've been paying the bill and our phones were still turned on so we thought maybe this was a mistake. we called sprint. through some research and figuring, we figured out that sprint had had to close the first account and open the new one with the

employee discount and that there had been a balance on the previous account. they had never sent us a bill for it, just let it sit there and collect late fees and then reported it to their collectors. so, okay, now that we knew that we said we'd just pay the balance. sprint offered to remove the late fees for all the confusion and inconvenience so we payed them $206 and some change. another month goes by and yesterday we get another notice in the mail from the collection agency saying we still owe them about $29 for sprint. my husband called the agency and was telling them it was a mistake, that sprint had assured us our balance was paid in full and now at $0. the woman on the other end said, and i quote, "well, if you're not going to pay it right now, stop wasting my time." and hung up on my husband. completely appalled, he called sprint and talked to them. they couldn't find any balance we owed them. there was also nothing the service rep. would do for us, like call the agency.

yeah, i'm working on finishing. this is a long story.

essentially, we just got bounced back and forth from sprint to the collection agency. the second person my husband talked to at the agency also hung up on him after saying we needed sprint to provide proof to them that the account was clear (which sprint didn't seem to know how to provide) and that we should just worry about that first and then they will remove the strike to our credit report. that's why this is such a big deal...it's not the $29, or whatever. the third person at the agency told us that we have to draft a letter requesting that they remove the strike from our credit and send that along with the proof. anyway, i guess my question is...is there anything we can do to this collection agency? is everyone just at the mercy of such people? have you encountered this at all and gotten the same kind of treatment? is that the norm?

sorry that was so long.

Answer 1

Keep calling Sprint and explaining that it was their fault. The have an employment power policy and eventually you will get an employee that will agree and clear the charges. You just have to be polite and persistant. Then, they will call off the collection agency. DO NOT negotiate with the collection agency. They are mean and do not care about the situation. They have been hired to get the money. That's it. Don't pay any attention to their threats. Keep working with Sprint.

Answer 2

Do not deal with the collection agency over the phone...
Do not deal with Sprint over the phone...

When it comes to taking care of this situation...
you should do so in writing only.
That way all is documented.
Otherwise, things can start getting even more complicated as you start to deal with different representatives along the way.
However, it will help if you can get name & direct address to send your correspondence too. (Hopefully, someone further up the food chain of workers...)

Keep your stand that your a Sprint customer & had no intention on leaving the corporation so, you have not broken any contract.
Also, this "change" may have happened early enough in your original contract that it might fall under some type of cancellation policy or return policy. A lawyer would better be able to answer that question. Also, I have always wondered can cell phone contracts be considered truly legal...? It’s a contract that binds you for so many years to a variable rate of service fee.

Regardless, you need a release from the collection service or it sits on your credit rating.
Good luck.

Answer 3

You've gotten mostly great answers. Bottom line - document everything in writing, send copies to everyone up the chain at Sprint. File a complaint with BBB on collection agency.

Also keep notes on all conversations with both. I've done this for yrs, it really helps to go back and see dates/names/resolution. Corporations are just so big the left hand really doesn't know what the right hand is doing. (Now you know why so many are in financial troubles.)
Don't delay, work on this every week until you receive resolution. Require something in writing from them regarding your credit report than request a copy of your credit report. In a sense, you've been a victim of fraud because Sprint illegally reported you to a collection agency.
Good luck.

Answer 4

Might help to talk to a lawyer about that. You never consented to cancelling a contract, or starting a new one. They need express permission from you to do either.

Ignore the collection agency. Deal with sprint and nail them to the wall for the incompetency of their employees and/or their deceptive practices. If they don't start working with you, then go to court, and in the end, contact the credit reporting firms to have them strike any record of collection off your credit.

Answer 5

Send a certified letter, return receipt requested (or get some proof of delivery) to Sprint and the collection agency. Enclose copies of the mail from the agency. Explain the whole thing including who you spoke to at Sprint and the agency and the dates. Go on Sprint's website and get the name of their customer relations exec as well as the CEO and address the mail to them. Send copies of your mail to the attorney general of your state, you local congressman and the head of the public services commission (put the CCs on the bottom of your letter). I had a similar problem with a cell phone company and it took my congressman to get me satisfaction.

Answer 6

Do not waste time with the collection agency. Speak only to Sprint and keep moving up the ladder when you speak to their representatives. Keep a written record of the name of each person you speak with and the time and date of the call. Eventually you'll get to speak with a decision maker and you should be able to resolve the situation.

Good luck

Answer 7

If both accounts are with Sprint, tell them to bugger off adn it was their screwup so they should fix it for free. Tell that to the collection agency also, you should also tell them point blank it was sprints screwup and you have absolutely no intention of paying.

Bigger question is why Sprint didn't bill you and went straight to a collection agent. Sprint sucks, thats why I canned them and just got a Simple Freedom phone.

Answer 8

I absoulately hate SPRINT. They are such a pain in the butt. Good luck with getting them to help you because they won't. I't is their mess but they won't change any thing because they don't care. To bad your with sprint. They suck !!!

Answer 9

Dispute the debt and demand they provide you with a signature of yours requesting termination of the original contract. Don't ignore the collection letter(s).

Answer 10

it is now up to SPRINT to clearify this problem with collections. they're the ones who sent it there in the first place...good luck!