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About a month ago I got a letter in mail from Professional Account Management, LLC, Milwaukee. it states I have "unpaid toll violation" with Skyway Concession Company, and must pay $33.20.
For several reasons this claim is not valid, e.g. I have transponders on both cars.
I had submitted a polite letter with explanations immediately. Yesterday I got another letter: "Your continued failure to pay may result in additional collection activities".
Sorry, I never had to deal with collection agencies. It seems to me payment of $33.20 is the only reasonable option. Using the lawyer would cost a lot more money.
I checked Professional Account Management, LLC, on the Internet (to make sure they are not a bunch of criminals). It seems to be a real company.
Did anybody have any experience with collection agency, and what is the best way to deal with the agency, please?
If they haven't already told you the dates of the alleged non-payment, ask for the date. Then run a report for your transponders for that window of time checking for a toll or tolls matching that amount. Then get a report form your CC company showing the Toll amount paid.
Now you can argue with them using documented facts.
BTW - If you had an expired or non-active CC linked to the transponder account, the bill is likely valid. That has happened to us after new CC's arrive replacing the old cards which were linked to the transponder account.
Or better still if you are sure you do not owe this money, don't do anything, don't respond to them, only makes them worse.
They will not take further action as in suing you or even reports on credit. I have dealt with Collection agencies many times over the years.
If you can I would print out the tolls for the month or year and send it to them and tell them this shows that paid.
Then say in case a clerical error has been made please send me the date and time of the violation and a picture of my car.
I would stress that their is probably a clerical error in their records.
I would keep writing. They will probably give up at some point but I would not stop responding to their letters.
If they haven't already told you the dates of the alleged non-payment, ask for the date. Then run a report for your transponders for that window of time checking for a toll or tolls matching that amount. Then get a report form your CC company showing the Toll amount paid.
Now you can argue with them using documented facts.
BTW - If you had an expired or non-active CC linked to the transponder account, the bill is likely valid. That has happened to us after new CC's arrive replacing the old cards which were linked to the transponder account.
Yes, they're required to provide debt verification which is any documentation they have that verifies the debt is yours. I'm surprised they didn't do this when you first contacted them instead of sending the "continued failure to pay" letter. I guess they're gonna make you specifically ask for it.
About a month ago I got a letter in mail from Professional Account Management, LLC, Milwaukee. it states I have "unpaid toll violation" with Skyway Concession Company, and must pay $33.20.
For several reasons this claim is not valid, e.g. I have transponders on both cars.
I had submitted a polite letter with explanations immediately. Yesterday I got another letter: "Your continued failure to pay may result in additional collection activities".
Sorry, I never had to deal with collection agencies. It seems to me payment of $33.20 is the only reasonable option. Using the lawyer would cost a lot more money.
I checked Professional Account Management, LLC, on the Internet (to make sure they are not a bunch of criminals). It seems to be a real company.
Did anybody have any experience with collection agency, and what is the best way to deal with the agency, please?
Yes, I dealt with one. I paid my hospital bill in full in Bermuda, just like I was asked. $5,000, for gall bladder problems. I knew I could collect later back in the US.
Then I got a letter saying they had forgotten to charge me for $500 worth of services.
I told them the bill had been paid, I paid what was asked, and the matter was closed.
They turned it over to a collection agency in Florida.
I wrote the collection agency in Florida and told them I did not owe the money, I was never going to pay it, and instructed them to not write me again.
I never heard any more about it, and it never showed on my credit report.
When you're right, you're right.
LIt's highly unlikely the collection agency will care about any documentation you provide. You must go to EZ Pass to resolve, they in turn will cancel the collection service if your evidence supports it.
Can you call them and ask for specifics rather than writing back and forth? It seems to me the first thing I would do is verify that they're even legitimate rather than some "phishing" letter hoping people will just send them money if they spread enough fear.
I'd call the toll company as well, and from a number found on their own website (assuming you also know the name of the toll company is legit), not any number this company may provide to you.
Maybe it's all legit, but I'm a skeptic these days (as you have to be), and I'm kind of wondering why a company you owe money to wouldn't send you a bill themselves first and give you a chance to pay, rather than going straight to a Collections agency after it's overdue without even notifying you that you owed them. Does this letter have your name on it? Does it have information besides your name and address, like about your car, license plate, etc.? (The more info they have, the more likely it's actually legitimate and you they're after, rather than a general phishing exercise or a mistake.)
Can you call them and ask for specifics rather than writing back and forth? It seems to me the first thing I would do is verify that they're even legitimate rather than some "phishing" letter hoping people will just send them money if they spread enough fear.
I'd call the toll company as well, and from a number found on their own website (assuming you also know the name of the toll company is legit), not any number this company may provide to you.
Maybe it's all legit, but I'm a skeptic these days (as you have to be), and I'm kind of wondering why a company you owe money to wouldn't send you a bill themselves first and give you a chance to pay, rather than going straight to a Collections agency after it's overdue without even notifying you that you owed them. Does this letter have your name on it? Does it have information besides your name and address, like about your car, license plate, etc.? (The more info they have, the more likely it's actually legitimate and you they're after, rather than a general phishing exercise or a mistake.)
I have the same feeling! Why didn't the Skyway call me/ email me /bill me first? They activated the collection agency instead... I guess they have to pay the agency for their service.
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