Email the BBB regarding the issues with ARC and the rec center . The BBB will request for them to listen to your calls . BBB is the better business bureau and then you need to report the final to equifax and trans credit.

Do you have a current Credit Report from either Equifax or TransUnion? If not, I would suggest that you order a FREE Consumer Disclosure Report from both Equifax and TransUnion.

Here are their phone numbers:

Equifax...................1-800-465-7166

TransUnion..............1-800-663-9980

Once you receive these reports, review them carefully and see if this debt is reported in either the "Trade" section or the "Collection" section.

Report back to this forum as to your findings.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Thanks for the input.

Would this have any effect to my credit score?
Or as its all ready in the collectors hands, its too late?

I'll start writing a letter...

Yelling and screaming at a creditor or a collection agency does not resolve a problem but only inflames the situation.

Here is what to do. Write a letter to both the creditor and the collection agency and state very clearly that you dispute the charge of $120 and suggest that the matter be taken to court. Make sure that you send the letters by registered mail.

What this will do is one of two things. All further communication with both the creditor and/or the collection agency will cease or you will receive a Statement of Claim ( i.e. suing you in Small Claims Court ). In all likelihood, you will not receive any further communication. No one in their right mind is going to court over a disputed amount of $120. The costs and filing fees, not to mention the time required to prepare the douments, will far exceed the amount of the claim.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Sorry, I forgot to mention that they have my name spelled incorrectly...
Does that matter?

and what does "Further action against you" mean?

Today I received a letter from ARC, after many phone calls for weeks form them.

They are claiming a $120 charge from a local Recreation Center.

Now, I actually have a receipt from the Rec Center saying the balance owed is ZERO dated back in 2009.
Over 2 years after the show, I got contacted by the Rec Center through email claiming I never paid for it. (I have the receipt) I actually took the receipt back to the center and showed them.
They rejected the receipt, and claimed I still owe them!! Dumbfounded, I just walked away.
3-4 months later, they had my CC charged for the $120.
I called the CC Company, and they told me they could not charge me for something from over 2 years ago, reversing the charges, and opening up a dispute. The Rec Center never disputed the reversal of charges. I thought this was now over.... till now.

So I phoned ARC inquiring and ended up in a yelling match over the phone (man these guys are aggressively ignorant airn't they?!)
I told him about the time line of 3 years now and the dispute through the CC Company.
He told me he didn't care, I told him I would like to dispute these charges, and he told me I couldn't.

So that leads me to here, I'd like to know my options, and how to proceed with this... The ARC Center is only a couple of kms away, but I don't think I dare going there for fear of another yelling match :o)
The letter says I have to respond in 5 days from receipt of the letter.
How do I dispute this? Can I contact Equifax and dispute it? Forward my receipts to them?

Thanks,
Chris