Question:
This is a sorted tale, so hang in there...
A couple years ago I began receiving someone else's mail. The other
person had a name similar to mine (only a few letters different).
Their address was different, but they lived on the same street. So the
postal worker obviously confused the names and would put their mail in
my mail box. I tried several ideas to get this problem corrected. I
told the post office about it and had them notify the postal carrier
to be careful about that name. It didn't work. I still got their mail.
I tried returning the mail with 'wrong address' written on the front,
several other things. I also tried playing post man myself and hand
delivering the mail to the correct person, but nobody lived there (or
would answer the door). I finally just started throwing the mail away.
About a year ago I moved. I had my mail forwarded to my new address.
Well as you might have guessed, that other person's mail was also
forwarded to my address. I went through the list again to try to fix
the problem and again gave up and just started throwing the letters
away.
Okay, here is where it gets scary. One day I received a letter with
that persons name on it BUT TO MY ADDRESS!! This wasn't a forwarded
letter, it was actually typed on the letter inside the envelope. I
opened it up and it's a passed due notice from a collection agency.
Apparently, this other person owes MCI about $1300. I called the
agency and explained the whole sorted mess. I also followed up with a
letter. They stopped sending me the letters. That's the good news. The
bad news is that the collection agency at fault went out of business
and sold all of their debt to another agency, Financial Asset
Management Systems, Inc. in Atlanta. That agency began sending past
due notices to my address with this other person's name on it!
Zoom ahead to today, about 8 months later. I've called this company
several times. I've sent them professional letters. I've sent them
less-than-professional letters. I've returned their letters unopened.
I've written on the letters 'no such address'. But the company
persists. My fear is that this other person's debt will end up on MY
credit report. Then it's too late. It would take me forever trying to
fix that, and all the hell that goes with it. The agency says it wont
happen since we are two different people. But then who would expect
that somebody else's name would be matched to my addres, and that
happened.
What can I do? I don't see any contention for a law suit. They're not
harrasing me, not really. But if I wait for them to f*ck up my credit
report, then it's too late. I'm at my wits end.
Any comments?
Answer:
-Q: Zoom ahead to today, about 8 months later. I've called this company
several times. I've sent them professional letters. I've sent them
less-than-professional letters. I've returned their letters unopened.
A: Check your credit reports and make sure that you are not listed as
having a bad debt with any of these companies. If you receive any further
notices for the other person throw them away. You have done more then enough
to correct the situation and they have failed to respond.
-Sure, they are harassing you.
In Maryland, you can stop a debt collector from contacting
you by notifying it in writing. After the debt collector has received
that letter, it cannot contact you again. If you dispute the debt
they are required to provide you with proof of the debt.
http://www.mdlab.org/consumer.html
Complain to the attorney general in your state.
or the Federal Trade Commission in Washington
