[emomma2]

I got a phone call from Astra Business Services this morning at 8:43 am. First of all I thought that they could NOT call until after 9am. Anyway, they were calling to collect a debt from 1999 saying I owed over 600 dollars for long distance. I told MCI back then that I don't know anyone that I want to talk to long distance that much to cost me over 600 bucks. They said it was for internet access. I did NOT even have the internet then. So now they are calling to collect this debt. The lady asks me how much do I think I really do owe. I said MAYBE 50-60 bucks because I did have family in Florida at the time and was willing to give her the phone numbers so that she could check if calls were made to those numbers. She said she doesn't have access to those. She said MCI would not accept that low of a payment but that she could authorize a 50% payment. So thats over 300 bucks that I don't owe. I told her no I highly doubt I will ever pay anything on something that I do not owe. Is there something that I can do?

[stargazer0725]

Are you wanting to pay for moral reasons? The debt is quite old (8 years) and is unreportable to the CRA and is most probably uncollectable, unless you happen to live in one of the states with an extremely long statute of limitations.

If you are out of SOL, then why not just send her a cease communications letter?

Be careful with making promises to pay or acknowledging you owe any money until you've made a decision on whether you want to pay or not.

[direred]

(1) at any unusual time or place or a time or place known or which should be known to be inconvenient to the consumer. In the absence of knowledge of circumstances to the contrary, a debt collector shall assume that the convenient time for communicating with a consumer is after 8 o'clock antimeridian and before 9 o'clock postmeridian, local time at the consumer's location;

[jlynn]

I agree with SG.

Re: Imaginary MCI bill

Dear Astra

Don't contact me ever again.

Sincerely
emomma

[emomma2]

Boy you guys are fast. Thank You!

I would be more than willing to pay what I owe. That was never the issue with me. It has been so long ago that I do not honestly remember if I even sent in a payment for what I believed I owed.

I think that I will send that letter. I would pay for moral reasons if I believed the amount given to me but I know that it was no where near 600 300 or even 100.

Off to draft a letter. Thank You.

PS I live in GA and that is the state that I supposedly incurred this debt.

[stargazer0725]

Then you're WAY out of SOL on that puppy. Tell them to buzz off and never darken your door again (or your mailbox, or your telephone...you get the picture).

And don't think of making a token payment on this thing unless you want to find yourself paying the rest of it. In some states, making a small payment restarts the SOL on the entire balance (not sure if GA is one of them).

[emomma2]

I have drafted a letter can you give me your opinions?


New Account: 190*******
Original Creditor: MCI Communication Services Inc.
Original Account: 4FL72***
Total Due: $ 654.93

Dear Debt Collector:
This will serve as your legal notice under provisions of federal law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), to cease all communication with me in regard to the debt referenced above. If you fail to heed this notice, I will file a formal complaint against you with the Federal Trade Commission who is responsible for enforcement, the States Attorney General office and/or the American Collectors Association. I have decided that we do not desire to work with a collection agency under any circumstances. You are also notified that should any adverse information be placed against my/our credit reports as a result of this notice that appropriate actions will be taken. Give this very important matter the attention it deserves.
Sincerely,


I looked up online what one might say. Came up with a combination of a couple of them. Too busy?

[stargazer0725]

Too busy. Since you are a newbie, your best best is to be as simple as possible. Jlynn was writing half in just, but it's actually the best type of letter for you.

Dear CA,

This letter serves as formal notice for your company to cease further communications with me regarding the above referenced account.

Sincerely,
emomma2

That's all you have to send, period. All the other stuff makes your demand fuzzy.

[emomma2]

Thank you! That is what I thought but wanted to check.

[spinn]

Never pay a CA.....especially not for an MCI debt!!!!!

The CEO of MCI is sitting in prison for life with a billion dollars of money stolen from widows and retirees hidden under a rock in Belize.

MCI makes Camco look honorable.....