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DirecTV Collection Took Our Money: What to Do

Quick Answer: When DirecTV takes money but claims an unpaid debt, customers should contact DirecTV with proof of payment to the collection agency and the original account number. DirecTV likely didn’t receive notification that the $345 debt was paid over a year ago, so providing payment documentation should resolve the $206 charge dispute.

“Dear Steve,

MY QUESTION TO YOU STEVE,IS MY HUSBAND AND I PAID OFF A DEBT OVER A YEAR AGO, AND WE STILL HAVE THESE COLLECTION AGENCY CALLING US. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT?

ALSO WE HAVE JUST MOVED IN TO A NEW PLACE AND WE CALL DIRECT TV FOR SERVICES THEY TOOK ALL OF OUR INFO AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WILL COME TO THE APT TO SET UP EVERYTHING WITH IN A DAY OR SO.

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WE WAITED AND A FEW DAYS PASS AND NO ONE CAME SO WE CALL BACK ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT DIRECT TV TOOK OUR MONEY OF $206 SAYING THAT WE OWE THEM A BALANCE OF $345 AND THAT WE WILL NOT GET SERVICES UNTIL WE PAY THEM THE BALANCE.

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WHEN WE HAVE ALREADY PAY THE BALANCE WITH THE COLLECTION AGENCY OVER A YEAR AGO IS THERE SOME THING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT TOO?

IS DIRECT TV ALLOW TO LIE TO US LIKE THAT AND ON TOP OF THAT TAKE OUR MONEY WITH OUT FINDING OUT IF WE PAY THE DEBT OR NO…THANK YOU….

Georgia”

Money puzzle piece

Dear Georgia,

It sounds like you paid the amount the debt collection company said you owed, last year, to a collection company. And it sounds as if the collection company did not report the payment to Directv.

This should be a fairly easy matter to correct but it is going to take some gathering data on your part.

Debt Coach

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You will need to find the account number the collection agency was contacting you about and proof of your payment to the collection company.

Then call Directv and provide them with the information the past bill was paid. In that case they should then credit your account for the new payment made towards your new service and balance.

The primary issue here is not that Directv applied your recent payment to an old balance but that you paid a collection company for an old debt and they did not inform Directv you paid.

More puzzling is your statement the old debt was paid last year and a collection company is still calling about it. It seems the payment you made was not properly credited.

Please follow the above suggestions and let me know what happens.

We need to find the missing piece to this puzzle.

Please post your responses and follow-up messages to me on this in the comments section below.

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Steve Rhode The Get Out of Debt Guy | Consumer Debt Expert
Consumer debt expert & investigative writer. Personal bankruptcy survivor (1990). Washington Post award-winning author. Exposing debt scams since 1994.

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