400+ cable charge

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falconkidding

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Falcon Kidding
So advice needed. Got a bill in the mail for "unreturned equipment" totaling a bit over 400 bucks. We had moved in May and canceled our internet service returned everything all was good. Got a bill in the mail today saying we owe 400+ bucks. They are saying they are missing a cable box.
We lived at that place for 4 years had cable tv for maybe 6 months got a notice saying our box was too old needed a new one(digital maybe?) so we just canceled tv and returned that box since we just watched netflix/hulu.

Now 3+ years later they say they don't have it. I have no receipts from then because well it was 3+ years ago.
So heres my thinking. 1. I'm not paying for something I returned(even though i kinda lose that battle cause no receipts) 2. Also not paying 400+ dollars for an old cable box that was A. returned. B. so old it no longer even works.

So how do I minimize any damage to me from this. I assume it goes to collections. I've never dealt with collections do I just tell them in a nice way I'm not paying and they write it off. I don't care too much about credit rating, but do they ding your score for stuff like this?
 
Have you tried to explain this to them on the phone?
 
Everskyward said:
Have you tried to explain this to them on the phone?
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For a bit on my lunchbreak. After an extended hold got a generic script of we have no record of you returning the device if you return it we'll waive the fee. I might try to kick it up the ladder tomorrow but i'm not optimistic, this is a company with a monopoly in the area and all the reviews for it are a stream of 1 star billing and service issues.
 
Sounds like Comcast. They once told me I failed to return their modem. Problem was I had scanned the receipt when I bought it. Emailed the dude a copy and that was the end of that. They are always looking for a way to scam customers.
 
Norman said:
Sounds like Comcast. They once told me I failed to return their modem. Problem was I had scanned the receipt when I bought it. Emailed the dude a copy and that was the end of that. They are always looking for a way to scam customers.
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Comcast? Why, I recommend them to all my enemies.
 
A couple of others have done the same thing. Start with the consumer protection or State's attorney where you lived. I'll guarantee that you aren't the only one with a problem. And they will be forced to respond.
 
400/6.50 == 61 hours of there time you need to waste to break even.

Easiest enough to do. Start by getting someone on the phone to ask what it is all about. Then send them a certified letter for the transcript of your account to perfect the debt.

Then you can challenge their records of the return of equipment and have them certify the "missing" equipment is not currently in service on their system.

At some point they will "offer" to settle your account if you stop.
 
The ding to your credit score from a collection can cost you MUCH more in the end than $400.

It takes 7 years to drop away. I had a $20 Verizon backup flip phone that I forgot about and Verizon didn’t bother sending me any bills until I heard from the collection agency. It costed me probably $15k in the end.

Obviously if you can fix it at the cable company then do it, but don’t take the credit hit. Think of it as a $400 lesson in learning to scan receipts - could have been worse.
 
deonb said:
The ding to your credit score from a collection can cost you MUCH more in the end than $400.

It takes 7 years to drop away. I had a $20 Verizon backup flip phone that I forgot about and Verizon didn’t bother sending me any bills until I heard from the collection agency. It costed me probably $15k in the end.

Obviously if you can fix it at the cable company then do it, but don’t take the credit hit. Think of it as a $400 lesson in learning to scan receipts - could have been worse.
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They really can't successfully ding his credit score. It is a simple matter to protest the negative credit entry. The credit reporting agency will drop the negative report like a hot rock if you take the time to write a sensible letter explaining the situation.
 
Ravioli said:
400/6.50 == 61 hours of there time you need to waste to break even.
Click to expand...

That equation changes quickly if you involve the state corporation commission, state's attorney, or franchise granter. Then they have to involve their legal team and the cost goes up from there.

deonb said:
It takes 7 years to drop away. I had a $20 Verizon backup flip phone that I forgot about and Verizon didn’t bother sending me any bills until I heard from the collection agency. It costed me probably $15k in the end.
Click to expand...

Verizon did the same thing with me after I had my identity stolen and the perps established an account in "my" name. Verizon never attempted to reach me, and never verified the account. They couldn't even tell me anything about the account as it was 2 years after it was declared "bad". I fought the collection agency and they finally let it go after I contacted the state's attorney in NY (where it happened) and the state where I was living at the time as well as threatened to sic my own lawyer on them. I had documentation of the theft as they also ran up stuff on Amex (which promptly took care of it and was superb about it).

Said collection agency then "sold" the account to another collection agency who contacted me 6 years later demanding payment. We went through the same thing again and fortunately had documents from the first agency stating that the matter was closed. This second collection group was kinda nasty and had a reputation - which the state attorney general was delighted to hear about as they had been pursuing the company for years. Violated both state and Federal laws.... The matter was quickly resolved.

That may have been when I first began to detest Verizon.
 
Luckily we have a local internet provider that has fiber right to the house, 1G up/down, so I’m supporting the local guys, not Comcrap.
 
falconkidding said:
...Got a bill in the mail today saying we owe 400+ bucks. They are saying they are missing a cable box.
We lived at that place for 4 years had cable tv for maybe 6 months got a notice saying our box was too old needed a new one(digital maybe?) so we just canceled tv and returned that box since we just watched netflix/hulu. ...
Click to expand...

Didn’t they stop charging you for the cable box right after you returned it about 3-1/2 years ago? I’m sure you would have noticed if they didn’t.

If so, doesn’t that prove they safely received it 3-1/2 tears ago?

I’d argue that unless there was a charge for that box on my bills, including my most recent bills, they already conceded it was in fact returned.
 
eetrojan said:
Didn’t they stop charging you for the cable box right after you returned it about 3-1/2 years ago? I’m sure you would have noticed if they didn’t.

If so, doesn’t that prove they safely received it 3-1/2 tears ago?

I’d argue that unless there was a charge for that box on my bills, including my most recent bills, they already conceded it was in fact returned.
Click to expand...
Thats kinda what i'm thinking of arguing tomorrow.

Lesson learned keep receipts even for old stuff when it comes to the telecom industry.
 
Cheap solution. Buy an old Comcast cable box off eBay for $20, box it up, and send it to them and get a delivery receipt.
 
Treat'em like I did Qwest back in the day. Pay for services rendered to date. Don't pay for failed crap. Dispute any claims with the credit agencies. Move on and never do business with them again.
 
Complain on Twitter and copy ComcastCares... their social media teams seem to be the only way to get customer service out of them.
 
I had charter for years at my home. One day I noticed they had started charging me a modem rental fee that had not been there before. This was strange because I owned the modem. They said they owned the modem and refused to remove the charges. They said I had to prove I owned my modem. Somehow I managed to locate my purchase receipt for the modem and presented it to them. After acknowledging I owned my modem, they refused to credit the false prior charges they made for modem rental. There are some very corrupt businesses in this field.
 
This worked for me, not exactly analagous but close:
My wife worked at Kohls and signed up for medical insurance, they insured her but refused me, kept saying they needed confirmation of marriage which was sent multiple times, they kept claiming they didn't have it.
After several months as a Hail Mary, found the email address of a VP in charge of customer relations or HR, can't remember. Sent him an email explaining the situation, that we had been married 30+ years, etc.
Got an email back in 2 hours and problem resolved in 5 days.

I used to be a bit of a slumlord and was always having to evict people. I found I would write a letter to the evictee, but my audience was really the judge who would be reading it. Write your letter explaining your case as if a judge will be reading it, putting Comcast in as bad a light as possible, make the letter obvious that a casual observer would side with you. Send it to a VP at Comcast. Be sure to state that you are (oh so reasonably) trying to resolve this at a low level before you take other measures.
 
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