Yikes!

One glorious summer evening in 2009, I was preparing dinner when the phone rang. The caller identified himself as a representative from United Collection Bureau and could he please speak to Susan Howard.

"Speaking".

"Ma'am. I am calling in regards to a balance due from a magazine subscription you ordered in 2006. Payments were made for only 3 months. The publisher turned your account over to us for collection."

"What?" I sputtered. "I have no idea what you are talking about!"

The conversation continued with the rep refusing to give me any detailed information until I provided him with a credit card so he could collect the balance of $800+ which represented the balance of the unpaid bill plus interest and collection fees. Once I paid, I would be given account information regarding the alleged purchase so I could then contact the publisher and sort out any inaccuracies. Should I not pay the balance, the credit bureau would be notified of my delinquency and it would adversely effect my credit score. Yada Yada....

I refused to pay the balance and, while he continued to threaten me with dire consequences, I hung up the phone.

I was enraged! These dirtbags prey on innocent people including elderly folks who, confused & afraid, might quickly pay the fictitious bill.

The representative refused my request to speak to his supervisor. Nor would he provide me with a phone number of his company so I could speak to someone in authority the following day.

I decided to become an internet sleuth and found that UCB is located in the state of Ohio. I then filed a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

At a later date, I received a form to sign from the AGO to include myself in a class action lawsuit against UCB.

Look what came in the mail today!


The moral of this story is DON'T LET THESE SCUMBAGS GET AWAY WITH THEIR DIRTY WORK! Do your due diligence and you might be rewarded monetarily!