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Afni Collections Complaints - These rip-offs must be punished for what they are doing!

Review all Afni Collections complaints

Afni Collections

Posted: 2007-01-10 by Vicki [send email]

These rip-offs must be punished for what they are doing!

Complaint Rating:

I received a collections notice from Afni, Inc., also Afni Collections stating that I owed Verizon Communications a bill for an outrageous amount of $637.25. I only owe Verizon for my current phone service.

Verizon stated that I only owe for my current bill. I have never at anytime ever owed Verizon this amount. If I ever did, I seriously doubt if I would have any type of phone service available to me today.

When I went to their website, it is a fake too! These ripoff con artists need to be stopped and prevented from pulling this with anyone else. Also from causing Verizon a needless bad reputation.

The phone number they are using on the bill they sent to me is not even my correct phone number. These rip-offs need stopped and punished for what they are doing and trying to do!

Comments

United States

Collections Agencies

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Afni Collections - recieved settlement offer re money owed to Verizon on account never owned and name not used in 2o years plus name is spelled incorrectly

Afni Collections - COMPLAINING ABOUT BILL THAT YOU DID NOT RUN UP THE BILL FILE INDENTITY THEFT INSTEAD OF BLAMING PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST DOING THERE JOBS

Afni Collections - Fraud & cheating!

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Afni Collections - Phone scam!

Comments

395 days ago by Not So Fast [send email]

OK. So I just got the letter today and was kind of pissed. I first thought ID theft then looked on the internet and actually found 2 sites bashing Afni as a scam. So I felt better. I was going to write the letters, call the BB & FTC and all that good stuff. Then I read Formerly Irresponsible and it got me thinking. So I looked at the phone number in question and thought maybe it did look familiar. So I checked the area code and realized it was the area code of my college I attended 14 years ago. So I checked the school website and WHAM! there it was. The school numbers were identical except for the last 4 digits. So I guess its legit. Not sure if that necessarily applies to everyone, but dont be so quick to assume this company is a fraud or a scam. I did and turned out I was a legit charge. Oh well. Its less than $100 so I cant feel too bad about it.

394 days ago by Mirna Velez [send email]

I too received a letter from Afni collections stating I owed 594.39 on a phone bill to a phone number I never had. When I spoke to the agent she stated this was from 1997. She was correct when she told me the state and city I had lived in at the time and even gave me an address but I never lived at that particular address nor was that my phone number. I was curious to know as to how after nearly 10 years they are collecting on this when I recently bought a home and this never showed up as my owing any money. I am afraid now that maybe I might have given the agent more information about myself than I had to such as social and personal information, of course not knowing this is a fraudulent claim. I have filed a complaint with the Federal trade commission and being a service member am contacting the proper channels to ensure I am not a victim of indent theft now. And to think I was online tonight trying to resolve this debt and I came upon the scam reports about this company, what luck!

389 days ago by Melissa Sloane [send email]

I just received a Collection Notice for a bill I paid (also to Verizon) over SIX years ago. When I tried talking to AFNI about this the lady told me "I should be smart enough to keep proof of my payments" because they can send out demands for payment at will basically for the rest of my life and I have to continually PROVE that I paid the account. How is this possibly legal that we have to keep dealing with this whenever they decide to try to make a buck? Shouldn't it be their responsibility to make sure they are attempting to collect a debt that actually exists? I have the "proof" but that isn't even the point anymore. Once I pay a bill I expect that is the end of it...not 6-7 years later I will get a Collection Notice for it and have to rummage through my extremely old files to prove once again that I paid my bill. What can we do about this???

386 days ago by Dan Sheehan [send email]

I did receive a notice from AFNI and unfortunately after looking it up it looks like it was from an old phone account I had in college. The amount was fairly small as compared to what you all are reporting 89.10 but I did go ahead and pay it. Honestly, I just stumbled on this website and am now questioning whether I got ripped off or not. This never showed up on any credit reports and it was from 97-98 so I probably could have ignored it. Hopefully I did the right thing and this doesn't come back to bite me. Best of luck to you all, it sounds like a number of you are definitely getting pegged for bills that couldn't be yours or your children.

384 days ago by Barney [send email]
While AFNI is certainly a disreputable company of leaches, Verizon is also at fault here. I called Verizon regarding the Afni bills and they advised me that Verizon had SOLD all their uncollected debts to AFNI directly.

383 days ago by Carolyn Kirk [send email]

I did not receive a letter but it showed up on my credit report that I owed Dish net work $522.00 which is not true, the thing of it is on one hand they say $300.00. The account I had with the dish company was back in 1998, I never owe such a bill the last bill I had as i remember was lest than $100.00, but I can not prove it I have moved at least five time since 1998. But I was under the impression that after a fair amount of time thing are suppose to fall off your credit report, I have to give these people this money or I just wont be able to buy a house, why is out government let these company rip off people.

382 days ago by Betty Ma [send email]
I need to know what specifically i need to send the letter as. Just certified mail? Do i need to purchase signature confirmation as well? Also, which address do i send the letter to. Do i send it to: P.O. Box 3427 Bloomington, il or P.O. Box 4115 concord, ca 94524

381 days ago by Harold Phillps [send email]
Afni claim that I owe Verizon New York, $149.85. In fact I have never had an account with Verizon until now. My account to date is in good standing and I have never owed or paid late. This debt claim they say is from 1994. This was never in any of my credit report. Do I pay this or insist that they show me proof?

381 days ago by Dawn [send email]

My husband and I received a letter from AFNI today. The letter stated that we owe Verizon 100 bucks. I knew right away it was a scam. I work for a bank and have seen similar letters brought in by our fraud dept. So we decided to have a little fun with our friends at AFNI! We are sending the a $100,000 bill from our LIFE game and included a little note letting them know that if they send another bill we will pursue them legally and also they can keep the change! I suggest everyone do the same, just to show them that American consumers are not as stupid as everyone thinks!

379 days ago by Charlie [send email]

I sent a letter back to AFNI about a month ago letting them know that the bill they sent me is a fraud and the specified person doesn't live here, I also asked them to send me a notice that they have received my mail and were to stop contacting me again. But after a week or so they just kept calling and leaving messages telling me to call them back or else! I keep on ignoring the phone calls but the guys are relentless!! If anybody could offer me some help I would greatly appreciate it. I just want to get these guys off my back once and for all!!!

379 days ago by Rage [send email]

I just received a notice like everyone else for a Verizon NY account from a phone number I may not have had back in college (can't remember, only the area code and 1st three digits match) in May of 1996 at the most recent. Verizon wasn't even around back then. Seeing as how this came on the heels of another (legit) collections notice, I began questioning it. I'm on the phone with Verizon now to determine whether or not an account has been opened using my name...

379 days ago by Rage [send email]
OK, follow up... Be careful NOT to just blow this off everyone. When I spoke with Verizon, they DID in fact have my name in their system and the address was one that I lived at when I was in college 11 years ago. Therefore, it "appears" to be valid.

378 days ago by Jason Wolfe [send email]

I got a letter from Afnia a few weeks ago saying that I owed Verizon of California 5,300 dollars for a home phone bill. I was in the Marnies at the time in 29 Palms. I guess the address of the phone was in Desert Hot Springs. She said all the charges were in one month, and to the Marine Corps Base. I was on a deployment in the Western Pacfic during that time. They said that I did this for a girlfriend or something. I told them them they were wrong and wasnt paying it. They told me they could prove this debt because I was in the Marines and the phone numbers called were to the Marine Base. I told her, that there were 10,000 Marines on that base. The lady then told me that no one would committ a felony and take my personal information and use it. I asked here where she had been for the last ten years, this is the number one crime in the United States. This bill is from 1997. I spoke to a friend who is an attorney, and he told me that each state has statue of limitations on when they can collect this type of debt. For most states, it is four years. I sent them a letter stating this, and have not heard back from them. They also told me to go to the website, and fill out a fraud letter. There is no such letter, the only thing you are filling out is for them to verify the debt.

377 days ago by Marychain [send email]

Here we go again. Months after taking care of the AFNI debt letter my husband erroneously received, even after them sending us a letter saying the problem was resolved and they were closing the collection, they are now back at it! A new bill for the same number he never had just arrived. It is the number of a beauty parlor/nail salon in a city he never lived in. Our nightmare begins again...

For those new here on these posts, 1) Send a letter, certified and return receipt requested, to whichever PO Box is on your collection letter, 2) State you are seeking written verification of the debt they allege you owe, 3) Send it within 30 days of receiving their notice to maintain all of your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 4) Do not sign the letter with your signature, just type your name at the bottom, 5) Do not admit the debt, even if you have an inkling it could be something really old you can't remember. This is because, by law, the onus should be on them to PROVE THE DEBT!!! Remember, statute of limitations for debt collections are usually 4-6 years, depending on the state you live in, so AFNI is trolling to see who they can dupe into paying these bills. However, it is not unheard of for them to stick these on credit reports. Avoid calling them at all, because what matters is having everything in writing. Keep copies of anything they send you and everything you send them. Don't fill out anything on their website since that will only give them more of your personal information. If, after all this, AFNI still ends up on your credit report, you can dispute it with the credit bureaus and AFNI will have to put up or shut up about their collections.

As for Jason Wolfe, hope you can get your situation worked out. That is absolutely ridiculous and doesn't appear to be collectible. Please let us know how that turns out for you and if you need any help with that (It just hits close to home, since my husband is a former Marine who lived in Twenty nine Palms too).

377 days ago by Marychain [send email]
Correction on my last email. After scrutinizing this new AFNI bill, it is for another number in an area code my husband never lived in. All but the last four are the same. We're just lucky, I guess.

374 days ago by M Thomas [send email]

My wife also has received a collection letter from Afni inc re Verizon New York Inc. It dates from the early 1990s for a number she has never had. If you want to send a dispute letter, its better to send to an actual address in addition to the PO Box. That way you'll have proof (certified mail) it was received :-

Registrant: Make this info private
Afni
404 Brock Drive
Bloomington, IL 61701
US

Domain Name: AFNICOLLECTIONS.COM

Administrative Contact :
Angelo, Alan
alanangelo@afninet.com
404 Brock Drive
Bloomington, IL 61701
US
Phone: 309-820-2918

Technical Contact :
Network Solutions, LLC.
customerservice@networksolutions.com
13861 Sunrise Valley Drive
Herndon, VA 20171
US
Phone: 1-888-642-9675
Fax: 571-434-4620

Record expires on 28-Feb-2012
Record created on 28-Feb-2002
Database last updated on 22-Jun-2006

I took a look online and found an excellent website that details how to query this. Here is the link to the form letter that you need to send Afni Inc. Once they receive this they will most likely lose interest or sell the collection on to another agency. If they break the rules you can report them to your state Attorney General, FTC and the Better Business Bureau and use the fact in small claims court :-

http://fair-debt-collection.com/Disputing_Collections/initial-dispute-letter.html

Here is the link for the procedure you need to follow to ensure you have documented proof that you have mailed the dispute letter :-

http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/Disputing_Collections/mailing-instructions.html

Here is an exert from the Form Letter :-

==========================================
Be advised that I am fully aware of my rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. For instance, I know that:

· because I have disputed this debt in writing within 30 days of receipt of your dunning notice, you must obtain verification of the debt or a copy of the judgment against me and mail these items to me at your expense;

· you cannot add interest or fees except those allowed by the original contract or state law.

· you do not have to respond to this dispute but if you do, any attempt to collect this debt without validating it, violates the FDCPA;

Also be advised that I am keeping very accurate records of all correspondence from you and your company including recording all phone calls and I will not hesitate to report violations of the law to my State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.

I have disputed this debt; therefore, until validated you know your information concerning this debt is inaccurate. Thus, if you have already reported this debt to any credit-reporting agency (CRA) or Credit Bureau (CB) then, you must immediately inform them of my dispute with this debt. Reporting information that you know to be inaccurate or failing to report information correctly violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act § 1681s-2. Should you pursue a judgment without validating this debt, I will inform the judge and request the case be dismissed based on your failure to comply with the FDCPA.
======================================

373 days ago by Mason [send email]

These people are scumbags! Ive never even had an account with Verizon EVER! Afni just sent me a bill on June 22, 2007 saying I owe "Verizon New York, Inc." $215.15. I just reviewed my mail tonight and its Sunday so there's no one to call but Verizon and I'm fuming. Verizon had no record of me at all in their system under my social security #, name or by the alleged phone number ANFI is saying I once had. I thought someone had stolen my identity! I'm not sure how this happens but how can this even be legal? Collecting a debt that doesn't exist? I encourage everyone to report them to DCA (in your state), FDCPA, FTC and whoever else you can because this is completely ridiculous to say the very least. I can't even imagine how many people have fallen for this scam, I'm shocked that they can get away with it. I want to thank "M thomas" for the previous post and everyone else that posted so we can get the word out about this. I will update on how everything works outs as I am following the instructions posted by "M Thomas". Thanks again everyone and "don't take any wooden nickels!"

368 days ago by Michelle [send email]

What I find funny is how the Afni employees spend their time on this website and all their stories are the same. How they use to be college students and they found it to be legit. No one take any of those stories to be truth, because anyone knows that they cannot do anything to you if its not on your credit and the debt is that old. IT IS THE LAW. Everyone that gets a notice, send a letter of dispute. DO NOT SEND THEM A PENNY!!! Once you do, it opens the account and then it can be put onto your credit report. DO NOT EVEN SEND PARTIAL PAYMENT!!! SEND A LETTER OF DISPUTE.

365 days ago by Marychain [send email]

Adam, why don't you crawl back under you cubicle. I doubt most people who owe a bill will take the time out to post complaints about it on the web, but you can bet your rear that there are people here being scammed. We are the ones having to spend our hard earned money for certified mailings and our valuable time dealing with this sleazy company and are tired of it. This is our second time around with these clowns billing us again for a different number we NEVER HAD. We never lived in that area code, never lived in that county, never had that service, so get over it, this is not me ignoring a legitimate debt!

358 days ago by Harold [send email]
This is not the only site that has complained about Afni, the site Ripoff and a few others. Some people might have a law suit going. It has been three weeks since I sent them a certified letter and no reply since. Definitely a ripoff, with so many complaints.