Recently I was able to pull a copy of my credit report via the annualcreditreport.com website. Im working on getting my credit score to zero and to my surprise there was a few things on my report I didn't recognize. So I follow protocol and send a debt verification letter to all three credit agencies. Weeks had gone by and I didn't really think much of it.
Until......
Yesterday I got 2 bills in the mail from this collection agency for $155 each!! Talk about being livid!! I Don't even know what this is!!
So I make the dreaded phone call:
Me: Im calling about xyz account
Lady: ah yea you owe blankity blank blank for some gospel cds
Me: I never purchased any gospel cds and how did you get my social security number in the first place, and what address do you have on file?
Lady: we have xyz address
Me: Well that address doesn't even belong to me and how can you bill me for something I never signed up for?
Lady: call the credit bureaus and yell at them not me.
Me: Why would I do that when you are the one who sent me this BILL!!! "CLICK"
I was sooooooooo heated. I mean you work so hard to make sure there aren't any random bills hanging around and this pops out of the sky. So now it is basically up to me to clear my name of this bill. Which is why I must now be an advocate of identity theft protection. It is not for sake of never having your identity stolen but for assistance if in fact someone DOES steal your identity. You might end up spending countless hours, mailing letters, making phone calls that could all be avoided if you get this protection. I think its like 10 bucks a year. When you sign up for this insurance you have someone working on your behalf to clear you name so you don't have to. Trust me after all this newly developed drama I WISH I would have purchased the protection myself....
le sigh......
3 comments:
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I have ID theft protection through my AMEX card. They notify customers, in real time, of ANY changes to your credit report.
Also, I had the same thing happen to me, before the protection, regarding someone ordering things in my name and it being billed to me. I also received a call from a collection agency. My issue was someone ordered books from a book club---but, I figured out how they did it.
The book clubs send the pre-printed perforated cards to mail back with your selections. Well, I had already moved out of the apartment and all of my mail was not forwarded. So, since the new tenant had my pre-printed name and old address, they books were delivered to them, they received them at their new address/my old address, but never paid for them because the books were ordered in MY name.
The problem is the book clubs and those darn pre-printed perforated cards. Anyone (including a neighbor if the mail is delivered to the wrong address) can order these types of items (books, DVDs, etc) in your name and you would not know until you are contacted by a Collection Agency. This is why I had my name removed from the junk mail list---for this reason and to benefit the environment.
This was pretty much the same issue. I had no idea they could do this... Im glad you had protection, it saves a lot of time and frustration.
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