back to article Verizon's bogus bills tanked my credit score, claims sueball slinger

A bloke in the US is suing Verizon alleging that a billing blunder left him with bad credit. Travis Combs, of Virginia, is suing the wireless giant for damages and distress, alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He claims that by misreporting his closed account as "delinquent," Verizon has unfairly driven down …

  1. Ian Michael Gumby

    Nothing new here.

    Verizon and Sprint have done this in the past.

    It happened to me many moons ago. I had switched back to AT&T due to a job change and when I found their ding to my credit, I disputed it with the credit agency. (Also Trans Union) I told them that I hadn't had an active account with them for over 7 years, and the phone company disputed that fact. claiming I had a balance of something like 68 dollars on it.

    Eventually it rolled off the record. About the only thing you can do other than pay the amount they claimed you owed. As to hurting my credit, it really didn't. The credit company had my dispute on record so that account was flagged.

    But I wish this guy well and hopes he can win. It may end up being a Pyrrhic victory I'm afraid.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wow, deja vu

    I had almost the exact same thing happen, only with equipment. Moved out of state and ended up with a credit on my final bill that they eventually sent me a check for, but then months later they claimed I hadn't returned their equipment (FIOS cable boxes) and they sent me a bill for almost $700. Luckily I had a copy of the receipt for the returned equipment that showed the serial numbers and I sent that to them thinking that would be end of it. Nope. Several more months go by and I get a letter from a collection agency for $700 plus their fees. Sent them a registered letter with the proof I returned the equipment thinking that would fix it, but no, two more agency letters demanding payment. The third time I basically told them to fuck off and if I ever heard from them again I'd sue, and they finally stopped. Guess I'm lucky they didn't retaliate by dinging my credit.

    And for the record, I did contact Verizon after the collection agency demand letter arrived, and they basically said there was nothing they could do since the account had been "turned over to collections". My only recourse was to deal with the collection agency.

    1. Jay 2

      Re: Wow, deja vu

      It might be different over in the US, but over here in the UK the collection agencies don't really care about the reasons for the debt, they just want to collect the money. In your example it's a cop-out from Verizon to say "nothing to do with us" when I'm sure they could stop it if they felt like it. More so given that the colections types are working on their behalf and (in the case of the UK) the collectors will contact the client regarding possible deals if the debtor can't (or won't) pay in full.

      1. kain preacher

        Re: Wow, deja vu

        actually verizon can't do any thing as they sold it a collection agencies. in the US debt collectors buy the debt for pennies on the dollar and due any thing to collect. they do not verify the info or even if they have a the right to collect. They will do things like curse you out, degrade you and threaten you with jail time if you do not pay. They will do things like call you 50 times an hour. now we do have some federal protections. harassing or threatening actually disqualifies them from collecting the debt and you can sue them for up to $500. Now the problem ist he shit bags might not be in your home state or even in the country so enforcement can be hard.

      2. VanguardG

        Re: Wow, deja vu

        The collections agencies typically buy the rights to the debt from the company its actually owed to. Verizon claims a person owes $700...Acme Idiots, Inc offers to purchase the $700 debt for $300. Verizon agrees, writes off the $400 as a business loss, and they're out of it. Acme Idiots, Inc now owns that debt, and aside from saying, as part of their collections, that it was a debt owed to Verizon, its strictly business between the one who (allegedly) owes the debt and Acme...Verizon *could* repurchase the debt, but they have no reason to actually do so...its off their books and so far as they are concerned it doesn't exist anymore.

        This is poor service by Verizon as now you lose the chance to continue to dispute the debt, as Acme will (rightly) claim they cannot confirm the equipment status, only the debt.

        Which actually means - its a mistake to deal with these companies in good faith, because they do not return the courtesy. If you don't get a written agreement that the debt was incorrect within the first week, lawyer up immediately, the clock is ticking before they sell the debt and you lose your chance to fight it.

        1. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

          Re: Wow, deja vu

          The debt collectors are looking for easy money. Tell them you have documented proof of the billing error and they must either quit calling or take it to court. That's the end of their easy money and they go away. They can be reported as abusive if they call back.

  3. Griffo

    Tell me again what's good about living in America?

    1. Malignant_Narcissism

      We don't have to deal with douche nozzles like you?

    2. a_yank_lurker

      @Griffo - I am not sure myself

    3. Eddy Ito
      Trollface

      The good thing about living in America really only applies if you have the intestinal fortitude for it. Let's be honest, the internet meme isn't really that far off. If someone wants to come in and put us down we really are willing to cross a frozen river at night to kill you in your sleep on Christmas.

      1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        "... we really are willing to cross a frozen river at night to kill you in your sleep on Christmas."

        What would you do for a Klondike bar?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "What would you do for a Klondike bar?"

          Swim across! etc.

    4. Mystic Megabyte
      WTF?

      @Griffo

      Thanks to Rumpy Pumpy you can now legally shoot hibernating bears. Great skill and courage is involved, NOT!

    5. fishman

      "Tell me again what's good about living in America?"

      We have fewer surveillance cameras than the UK.

      For now.

    6. Chemical Bob

      "Tell me again what's good about living in America?"

      Every other Wednesday is all the dead rats you can eat night!

    7. tfewster
      Facepalm

      "Tell me again what's good about living in America?"

      It's worth your while to take scumbag companies to court and get an award for emotional distress*, plus cost them a lot in lawyers fees & fixing your credit? They can't ignore a court order like they can an ex-customers complaint.

      * Disclaimer: I'm not normally sympathetic to "emotional distress" claims, but in this case I'll make an exception.

    8. Jeffrey Nonken

      Nothing. Everything here sucks. EVERYTHING.

  4. Number6

    The US credit scoring system is seriously broken. It backfired on one company when they decided my score wasn't good enough and they wanted to charge me more for something because I walked out and they never got anything. My score fluctuates depending on what my current credit card balance is, so the day before I pay (in full) for the month it's bad, the day after it's good. A system that can't average that out or at least account for the way the balance is expected to go up and down on a monthly basis is stupid, but I guess that fits with the direction the place is going.

    1. VanguardG

      The most broken thing about it, in my opinion, is that the very act of someone looking at your score/history to determine if you qualify for a loan *reduces* your score. I've never seen a good explanation of why, either. If you incur an actual debt, that counts against it, but if you get poor terms offered and opt to refuse the loan...you still get a down-mark on your credit score even though you're in the *exact same position* financially you were the day before. Until fairly recently, you couldn't even look at it YOURSELF more than once a year without harming it; just monitoring the score only gives you part of the story, but its better than nothing.

      1. DJSpuddyLizard

        very act of someone looking at your score/history to determine if you qualify for a loan *reduces* your score.

        I think that's so that if someone goes and files 200 credit card or loan applications that it will influence the score to show something odd is going on - either a stolen identity, someone about to "disappear," or someone really desperate.

        If you submit one or two applications, it's not going to go down much, and if you accept the credit card/loan then your score may go up afterwards.

        The problem of course being, that you'd don't always know what interest rate you qualify for.... until you submit an application....

        1. Marshalltown

          Obviously

          The process is broken if its intent dis discordant with its effects.

        2. VanguardG

          Mine dropped fifty points when I got a mortgage. Of course, now that I have that to be paying on, I really don't want any other forms of credit...have a couple of typical cards, cycle a hundred bucks or so through each one to keep it active...I'll get those points back, probably about the same time I pay off the mortgage.

  5. Barry Rueger

    Canada, Rogers, repeat

    What is it about wireless companies? Scum.

    1. Nolveys
      Thumb Down

      Re: Canada, Rogers, repeat

      Every Canadian cell company I've dealt with are overpriced and incompetent. Rogers is the only one that has repeatedly tried to steal money from me and they've done it multiple times.

      Rogers are filth.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Canada, Rogers, repeat

        I'm still dollars up on them. Years ago a service dispute with one of them caused me to file a formal complaint with the CCTS. The Telco, evidence stacked up against them, offered a significant settlement (thousands) to make it go away. In another dispute with another Telco, they tried to rip me off by raising the monthly cost of a "locked in" phone contract, claiming contract and plan are separate. This dispute was amicably settled, after my threat of CCTS complaint, by them offering hundreds in discounts. Two for two.

        Thank you Telcos. We have land called 'The Settlement' because of you.

        All Canadians should be aware of the CCTS complaint process.

    2. War President
      Devil

      Re: Canada, Rogers, repeat

      What is it about wireless companies? Scum.

      They're also a land line company and an ISP company and a cable company. I believe they're the four service providers of the apocalypse.

      1. Chris 244
        Mushroom

        Re: Canada, Rogers, repeat

        And TV broadcasting company and radio broadcasting company and magazine publisher and sports team and venue owner and bank and credit card company and home security monitoring company and customer rewards program company and marketing company and onetime real estate brokerage (sold off) and digital media streaming company (shuttered).

  6. Dan McIntyre

    Not Just Murica

    Doesn't just happen in Murica - I've had the same from Vodafone here in Blighty.

    Ended up having to get the communications ombudsman to demand that they remove the record, remove all charges from my account and pay me £100 in compensation.

    Caused by months of errors by Vodafone staff on my account.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A similar event happened when I ditched Comcast...

    I switched to just use T mobile. I auto pay and save 5$ on my bill.

    Monopolies don't care about customer service. Rollover and pissed off customers are just a line item on their GL.

    A perfect example is the ongoing United fiasco... until someone's (CEO) job is on the line they don't care.

    As far as they're concerned "we are the LAW". They've certainly spent enough in lobbying (AKA authoring the laws) to feel that way.

    1. Woodnag

      Cancelling cable (etc) and returning rented CPE

      It's a real pain, but the only reliable way is to go in to one of their retail offices with the rented kit and close the account. Your paperwork then is the solid evidence.\

      Yup, may not be a local office...

  8. Mike 16

    Not the original

    But props for the props in this one:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHgUN_95UAw

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    South Park - Cable Company

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsJ9VSQvbE

    You could switch to another cable company. Oh wait, that's terrible, we're the only one in town...

    1. Number6

      Re: South Park - Cable Company

      This is why they need to be regulated. If there is true competition (and no cartel) then it tends to make them try to give an appearance of reasonable behaviour. If they're the only game in town then you're screwed if there isn't a good regulatory code you can use to beat them over the head.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like