Hey there...
I’ll apologize in advance if I say anything that doesn't quite add up. I’m certainly no expert on legal proceedings or the specifics of debt collection, and I have absolutely zero firsthand experience dealing with these types of predatory lending companies...
Back in 2009, I was pretty young and naive. I signed a contract with AT&T to switch over to a monthly plan, which included getting two mobile phones—Oreo models—plus a USB stick for internet access. Even though the lady at the retail location swore up and down that AT&T was so reliable that my monthly bills would never exceed... $67Because the initial rate was set that high (unless you went over the limit), things took a turn after about four and a half months. Suddenly, we started getting hit with these astronomical bills that were climbing as high as... $333It was the exact same story with their internet service; everything seemed perfectly fine at first, strictly by the book, but then the bills started rolling in... $500 If I weren't the absolute last idiot on this planet—someone who doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, and just spends every waking second glued to the internet—I know for a fact I wouldn't have been able to spend them...
I’ve reached out to the folks over at AT&T several times now, trying to get a straight answer on how I managed to burn through all that cash. I specifically asked for a printed statement because my balance checks didn't show me going over my limit, and honestly, I was getting so desperate that I started keeping a handwritten log on scraps of paper—tracking exactly how many minutes I spent on the phone with them and how much I was being charged for each call. But the representative at AT&T just gave me this "well-reasoned" lecture about how I clearly spent the money, without offering any actual explanation or breakdown. I've requested a formal printout multiple times, but of course, I haven't received a single one... Unfortunately, regarding what I'm discussing today, I don't have a shred of physical evidence left. Back when I was younger and more naive, I was meticulous about paying my bills on time, essentially handing over almost everything I earned to "valued" customers like AT&T. Eventually, I decided to cut ties completely by canceling my internet service and both mobile lines, yet they kept sending me invoices for amounts I had already settled, along with their predatory associates, Tony and Boric. Luckily, I did hang onto all my payment receipts. I even faxed them twice, only for them to tell me that everything was cleared, that there had been an error, and that since the balance was zero, I had no further business with them...
I’m honestly relieved to have finally shaken off that parasitic crew and moved on with my life. I thought I was done with AT&T and their lawyers, especially since they were the ones who explicitly told me everything had been settled and all my bills were paid in full. In the time since, I've been dealing with some health issues, and because I hadn't worked for five years, I wasn't really touching my bank accounts—I wasn't even checking them. Everything seemed fine until about a month ago when I finally landed a job. Feeling good about things, I headed over to Chase to withdraw a little bit of cash. That’s when the lady at the bank dropped a bombshell: my accounts are completely frozen, and I can't touch a single cent. I rushed straight over to FINRA to figure out what was going on, only for the agent there to inform me that AT&T placed the hold on my accounts and that I apparently owe them over $3,000...
After nearly having a heart attack, I opened up a protected account and reached out to AT&T. Of course, they have absolutely nothing to do with this; instead, everything was hijacked by their legal firm—which is basically just a bunch of loan sharks. I then called the collection agency, but they refused to give me any actual clarity on the situation. All they would tell me was that they had charged me for a debt owed to AT&T, specifically regarding two mobile devices I supposedly owe money for due to early contract termination, totaling around 4... $0.00 Individually, those USB drives totaling... $500I’m honestly not sure why they’re hitting me with such a massive charge for every single device. There's no way an LG I picked up back in 2009 was worth four hundred bucks... $0.00Look, I’ve been on this subscription for just under a year now, so there is a very high probability that I’ve already paid off at least a portion of the device itself. I’m not sitting here claiming I’m 100% right—I made it clear from the jump that I don't fully grasp the legalities, especially when it comes to the specifics of collections and garnishments. I have an appointment scheduled with my attorney in a week, but until then, I’m stuck just trying to wrap my head around all of this. That’s why I came here to get some actual information, because everything I read online is incredibly vague and everyone seems to be telling a different story. Meanwhile, the people over at the lending firm are being completely uncooperative and refuse to provide any real breakdown of their fees...
I’ve officially requested a resolution from FINRA. The core issue here is that absolutely no one bothered to notify me that I had any outstanding debt. Let’s be clear: I personally reached out to both the predatory lending firm and my AT&T representative multiple times to verify if my accounts were settled, and they both explicitly assured me that everything was paid in full. Since I wasn't working at the time, I had no way of knowing that my bank accounts were being frozen. According to the paperwork, a notary verified the claims made by the law firm representing the lenders back in 2011. However, I never received a single piece of paper at my home address—no notice of execution, no formal notification, nothing to inform me that I owed money to AT&T, let alone that legal action was imminent. Granted, I moved during the summer of 2011 (though the decision was issued in April), but I updated my information with the local police department accordingly. Furthermore, as I understand it, once a notice isn't received after two attempts, the notary is supposed to post a notice publicly. Whether they actually did that or not is impossible for me to determine; the notary involved is trying to squeeze me in Cleveland, while I am located in Miami, and the lenders themselves are operating out of New York. The jurisdictions don't even align. Because I was never notified, I was effectively stripped of the eight-day window to file an appeal that the law is supposed to guarantee me. If I truly owed money to AT&T or those lenders, the only way I could have known would have been through reading tea leaves or staring into a crystal ball... and that's just not how I operate...
Here is what I am actually trying to figure out—how can I stop these predators from getting their hands on my hard-earned money, or any money I manage to make down the road? Is there any actual legal ground I can stand on to dodge this predatory lending and usury? Of course, they’ve already billed me at the highest possible rate. I realize I have to settle my debts with AT&T for charges I wasn't even aware of, despite checking multiple times; they just played dumb, acting like they had no clue, even though I feel like I've already overpaid them several times over due to those astronomical, baseless bills they keep sending. But I refuse to cave to these interest-gouging sharks and their cohorts, especially since nobody bothered to notify me about anything. On top of that, the notary they require is all the way across the country from where I live, which, as far as I know—and I don't know much—seems to fly in the face of the law. Another thing on my mind: what happens (assuming I'm not just hallucinating that I have rights) if I don't pay off the full debt before the statute of limitations runs out, which is ten years? All I have right now is my meager little paycheck; I certainly don't have the kind of funds people usually lose to these companies through their real estate grabs. If they fail to collect their interest after the statute expires, am I going to end up in jail?...
I should mention that the people I've approached for clarification have become incredibly unpleasant, if not outright aggressive, particularly when I bring up the fact that the notary should be local to my area. They claim "the law was different back then." However, other people tell me nothing has changed recently, at least not regarding this specific issue.
Thanks in advance for any answers or legal advice!
