Successfully disputed CA once, now it's back!

[skeurton]

Hello everyone.

Ok, here's my story. A couple years ago, I moved into a new apartment. I called the electric company and had them transfer my account to my new address. After almost 2 months, I realized that I had never received a bill. Then the rental office contacted me and said that they had been paying the bill. So I called the electric company and they said they had no record on file for my present address. I mentioned that it should've been transferred over, and they said it must not have gone through. Fine. So I set up a new account and settled the debt with the rental office.

Fast forward to a few months ago, I noticed that on my credit report, a collection account had been opened with the original creditor being the electric company. I called the electric company first and they told me I had an unsettled debt... for an address I never lived at!!! The building number was off by one digit from the new apartment I moved into. Therefore, I never received any bills or notices. I explained this to them and they told me that I would have to contact the CA, which was AllianceOne. So they gave me their contact info, but surprise, surprise, it was no good. So I decided to dispute this account through the credit bureaus. I was successful and the account was removed from my report.

A few weeks ago, I checked my credit report again and noticed that a collection account had been opened up again, for the same amount and same original creditor (the electric company). This time, the CA was Portfolio Recvry&Affil. So I disputed again, using the same argument and adding that I had already disputed this once before, except that the CA was different. But this time, my dispute was unsuccessful for some reason. Then I also noticed that the wrong address that I had been billed for was also showing up in my credit report under my personal information. I tried to dispute this and say that I don't and have never lived there, but that was also unsuccessful and it still remains.

Can anyone help me out? I'd like to get this taken care of somehow once and for all.

Thanks.

[skeurton]

Still having this problem after another 4 months. The CA still shows up on my credit report, but the status shows as CLOSED.

Any suggestions?

[jlynn]

Have you ever contacted the ca directly asking them to prove the debt?

[skeurton]

i've tried contacting the CA, but just like before with the other CA, i could never get through. they finally contacted me, though, and i explained the situation to the lady on the phone. she was surprisingly very helpful and assured me that this is an easy fix. we'll see about that.

apparently, the electric company is still selling my account. they were trying to charge me a large fee for having a delinquent account. this was nearly a year ago and i called them and had the fee waived as soon as i received the bill. i then faxed them a copy of my successfully disputed credit report, at which point they should have fixed my account and stopped selling it to CA's.

meanwhile, PR&A sent me a dispute package to complete and return. it included an affidavit, which i signed and had notarized. i also included documentation from the apartment rental office proving that i have never lived at the address the electric company was billing me for. also, a copy of the confirmation email FROM the electric company when i requested service, which clearly states the correct address for which i should've been billed. somehow they just screwed up their system and billed me for the wrong address.

i just sent the completed package back to them today. hopefully this gets fixed soon... and permanently.