T-Mobile Collection Deleted!!!

[slagblip]

I had a $54 collection open with T-Mobile for a closing cell phone bill I didn't know about. I had a DV letter prepared to send to a CA today, but before going down that road decided to take a chance and simply e-mail the President & CEO of T-Mobile directly explaining my situation before I went to sleep last night.

 

In short, I explained that I was a happy customer and only canceled because I needed a more robust data plan than T-Mobile offered, etc. I moved shortly after canceling my account and said it was possible that their attempts to contact me were not properly forwarded. I told him I was trying to clean up my credit in order to purchase a home this summer and couldn't imagine being turned down due to a small $54 collection I would have been fully willing to pay had I known about it. The letter was very eloquent and I asked for T-Mobile's help and thanked him for even reading the letter.

 

Well, this morning when I checked my e-mail I had a response from the Executive Customer Service Liaison thanking me for the letter to the CEO, and that he simply needed an account or phone number and he would assign it to a Senior Account Specialist to investigate. I replied with my old phone number, and roughly 2 hours ago I received a voicemail (I'm at work) telling me that they indeed only had my old address on file, and that not only are they removing the item from collections and having it deleted from my report, but they are also zeroing out the balance altogether and I do not need to pay!!!!

 

WOW!!! I haven't checked my report yet, I'm going to give it a couple of days, but I'm amazed that within 14 hours of my sending the e-mail it was a done deal. MUCH better than going through the whole DV/dispute process.

 

Whoever on this board suggested contacting CEOs directly is a genius. I work close with Directors and VPs and at one point worked close with a CEO, and while they often check their own e-mail they are often so busy they generally have a crew of administrative assistants who sort their mail and separate the wheat from the chaff. Point being, people shouldn't be nervous like they are spamming an executive. Makes total sense.

 

One down, two more to go!

[Stryker]

Well done!

[powers64]

 

Excellent!

[raichelle2]

worked for me in my bank of america situ-o.

[slagblip]

I think I'm going to make this the first step in my process now before dealing with the CAs. I guess this was technically a GW letter.

 

VERY happy

[hernandez706]

I should try this with HSBC lol..and maybe they'll finally budge with a CLI!

[slagblip]

Well, it's not all sunshine quite yet. I pulled my report again, and Transunion is showing the account updated 6/08 with "ORIGINAL CREDITOR: T MOBILE PAID COLLECTION". A paid collection is just as bad as an open collection so this still isn't resolved.

 

Luckily I have a direct contact in the executive offices that originally told me this would be deleted, so I'm going to give them a call and have it REMOVED instead of simply updated to say "PAID".

 

[Stryker]

Well, it's not all sunshine quite yet. I pulled my report again, and Transunion is showing the account updated 6/08 with "ORIGINAL CREDITOR: T MOBILE PAID COLLECTION". A paid collection is just as bad as an open collection so this still isn't resolved.

 

Luckily I have a direct contact in the executive offices that originally told me this would be deleted, so I'm going to give them a call and have it REMOVED instead of simply updated to say "PAID".

 

 

Did they give you anything on paper/email saying they would delete?

 

As you said, get in touch with your executive contact. It might be hard, since they have no incentive to recall/delete, but it is definitely worth a try.

 

And, while this worked, something I should note that it is not an alternative to the dispute process.

 

ETA: I just re-read original post. Slagblip, you didn't pay anything, right? If so, they'll fix it...

Edited June 18, 2008 by Stryker

[mbailey]

How were you able to get the email address to the president and ceo? I'm trying to do the same for another company and just need to know what steps you took to get the necessary info?

[GrandWorks]

How were you able to get the email address to the president and ceo? I'm trying to do the same for another company and just need to know what steps you took to get the necessary info?

 

 

I just did this. I found the email on the consumerist.

 

rd at t-mobile.com

Edited September 17, 2008 by Stryker
Edited to remove email

[Stryker]

How were you able to get the email address to the president and ceo? I'm trying to do the same for another company and just need to know what steps you took to get the necessary info?

 

 

I just did this. I found the email on the consumerist.

 

rd at t-mobile.com

 

I removed the email to protective it from spam bots. In any case, that email (firstname.lastname) is still easy to deduce, so thank you for sharing. It does not go to the CEO; it is routed directly to the "executive office."

[rpina1]

The old "buying a house" routine seems to work quite well.

[sboyajian]

The old "buying a house" routine seems to work quite well.

Especially if you are sending it to a bank that offer's mortgage services..

[sboyajian]

This is a great list for anyone looking to do this with Executive Customer Service..

 

http://consumerist.com/consumer/phone-numb...nies-309749.php

[slagblip]

I just wanted to give an update on this. I ran my credit report a few weeks later and found that the collection was still there, only showing a balance of $0 as a "paid collection". I talked to the woman at T-Mobile who helped me initially, and she told me to wait 45-60 days. Well it's been oh, 6 months now? I ran my report last week and it's STILL THERE. The jerks at the collection agency took T-MOBILE's money for a mistaken debt but LEFT IT ON MY REPORT! I tried to call T-Mobile but didn't get a call back. I feel like they have extended their help quite a lot as it is.

 

What can I do? Transunion still shows it as "delinquent" where the other 2 show as paid. T-Mobile's payment of the debt was so obviously an admittance of a mistake, so can't I go after the collection agency for reporting known false information in accordance with the fair credit act?

[Stryker]

Just to be clear, is it the CA on your reports?

[slagblip]

Just to be clear, is it the CA on your reports?

 

Hi Stryker! If you mean what I think you do, then yes; It's the CA on my reports. They just updated the balance after being paid by T-Mobile but didn't remove it.

[kpb]

What do you have in writing, regarding delete, from their offices? If you still have it on file, send that to the cra as well as a complaint to the state bbb of the collection agency

 

Then dig for the CA's higher-ups (I'll see if I can help you in that regard) and tell them

 

(this is, again, assuming you have the deletion in writing from Tmobile executives)

 

"Hey,

 

The less than $70 collection you used to destroy my credit was to be removed by the higher ups at Tmobile

If you need help contacting them, or are not sure how to handle this situation, I've provided some assistance

through the state A.G

 

I figured you would appreciate having an intermediary to make your jobs easier

 

Should you wish to receive the letter that I received from Tmobile, which I am sending to the A.G, simply

let me know. Thank you so much for everything!

 

"

 

Screw with them and make them sweat. Ca's want money? I make them earn it. I blew up 2 ca's being a wise flowers like this

and getting others involved. I hate them, they are scum and have no soul.

[redlancer]

I had a $54 collection open with T-Mobile for a closing cell phone bill I didn't know about. I had a DV letter prepared to send to a CA today, but before going down that road decided to take a chance and simply e-mail the President & CEO of T-Mobile directly explaining my situation before I went to sleep last night.

 

....

 

One down, two more to go!

 

Slagblip, can you PM me the email of the executive customer service lady? Thanks a lot.

[Mike1111]

Scared I have the same thing going with T-Mobile. Talked to exec. customer relations and people inside the CEO's office who were very helpful. A month later it's still on my reports. We'll see...

[Stryker]

With Tmo, you may have to keep the heat going...