Apparent 11 year olld outstanding bill from GTL. What do I do?

Question

I was contacted by Verizon 2 days ago about an outstanding 10 year old telephone bill. Verizon bought GTL recently. I moved from VA to MA ten years ago and am pretty sure I closed the account (10 years ago). This bill is for 1997 I moved to Mass in Dec 1996. My wife called the number on the letter and they were not willing to listen. They just wanted our credit card number? Can they really do that? After 11 years do they have the right. I am pretty sure I paid it in fact I was a Verizon customer untill recently.What are my options?

Answer 1

There is a possibility that it may be a scam and I agree that you should contact Verizon about it, but not by phone. Do all of your correspondence by mail and send it certified return receipt.

I said "possibility" because Verizon is well known for trying to collect on debts that are far past the collecting statue of limitations - which, if it has been 10 years you are definitely past the legal collecting SOL by quite a few years.

Find out for sure if it actually was Verizon who had contacted you. If it was, send them a letter that informs them the collecting SOL has passed and the "alleged".account is no longer collectible.

If it wasn't, inform Verizon that someone is using their name to try and get sensitive info from you and keep a close eye on your credit reports.

Answer 2

Do not give your credit card number.
Contact verizon through another published number and talk to them.
You may be a victim of a scam.

Follow up with a letter within 30 days of the bill asking for documentation and a review of the charges. Do not plead your case in this letter. They must follow up within 30 to 90 days with documentation. Carefully review what they send you and send back your rebuttal, with whatever evidence you may have. They will then decide whether it is real or not.

Chances are, if you follow the procedure (which is prescribed by law), they will lose interest and write the whole thing off.

There is a chance that someone has managed to get hold of personal information and is trying to use it. If verizon does not have information about your bill (at a real number) then this drops into the realm of law enforcement.

Unless this bill was absolutely huge, I don't see why they are pursuing it now. It was already written off.

Answer 3

My guess is that you're about to be scammed. DON'T GIVE THEM YOU CC NUMBER. First call Verizon (not the number on the letter)go here http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/vzwfly?go=/ContactUsControllerServlet&cm_re=Home%20Page*Administrative*Contact%20Us and get a local number, any Verson office should be able to help you.
Then ask for a detailed bill, you may have moved and had some outstanding charge that you weren't aware of. If you owe the money pay them, if they can't or won't supply a detailed bill then don't pay them until they do. Can they go back 10 or 11 years don't know, you'd need to talk to a lawyer.
Verizon shouldn't have any problem giving you a detailed bill, by calling your Verizon office yourself and by not using the number on the letter you know you are really talking to Verizon. If it's not them contact the police and postal service.

Good luck

Answer 4

I would contact Verizon and see what they are willing to tell you. They should also send you a copy of the outstanding charges. If all they want is a credit card number I would be very suspicious.

I doubt you have any records back that far, but if you do i would get them out and see if you have proof of your last payment, the account number, anything that would indicate that it really is/was your account.

Good luck...i hope you are able to resolve this matter.

Answer 5

it could be a scam! call verizon, you dont have to pay anything until you get a bill proving what you owe. try calling the number you got, some people who work in those kind of call centers are assholes. have had the same problems with chrysler, there people being very rude.