In 2007 I moved out of Pensacola on orders from the Navy. All my bills with COX were set up to be paid automatically from my account but just to make sure, when I turned in my equipment I asked the clerk at the desk to confirm that everything was paid in full. She confirmed that I had no balance and I moved to my next duty station.
Now 5 years later, I'm trying to buy a house and suddenly COX sends a claim to a collections agency that I owed about $58;. The agency reports it to the credit bureaus and overnight, my credit score drops 100 points?. I call COX to try to resolve the false claim and they insist the only solution is that I have to pay them this money.
For $50 I would gladly avoid the whole situation and pay money I don't owe but to pay at this point is useless, the "late" payment remains on my report screwing up my credit for years to come.
If that isn't bad enough, at no point did they try to contact me,. I'm pretty sure they had my email on file and I know they had my phone number (I've never changed my cell phone number). So I had no idea this false charge even existed until February 2012 when all the sudden it lands on my credit report.