Allied Interstate, Inc.

Allied Interstate, Inc.

Business location: Allied Interstate, Inc.

3000 Corporate Exchange Drive

Columbus, OH 43231

My location: California

I received a letter from Allied Interstate, demanding payment of a delinquent AOL account. However, the account in question had been cancelled (by me) in Sept. 2004. I called AOL, and they told me the bill is for Dec. 2004 to March 2005. They then advised me to call the collection agency, because their records didn't go back as far as Sept. 2004.

I tried to call the number given in the letter (1-800-758-9831), but kept getting a busy signal. I spent all afternoon parked by the phone, dialing and dialing and dialing (thank God for the "redial" button). But I kept getting that same busy signal. I checked the office hours (listed in the letterhead). They said 8:00 AM - 8 PM Monday - Thursday and 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday. I was calling on a Wednesday and figured I had until 5:00 PM PST. So I kept trying, but kept getting that busy signal.

I thought maybe the number might have been changed, so I called 411. They said the number wasn't in their database, so it must be unlisted. Why would a legitimate business have an unlisted number?

I began thinking maybe they were just keeping the phone off the hooks, figuring that people would get tired of dialing and go ahead and send the money. So I decided to see if the phone would ever ring at all. I called them after 8:00 PM, my time. I got the same busy signal.

I am not about to pay a bill that I don't owe. I'm thinking about writing a letter to Allied, but I'm afraid the address may not exist. How do I get ahold of these people? I'm trying to re-establish my credit rating, and I really can't afford a bogus unpaid bill on my record.

Elaine Click this link to e-mail the message author: Email User

Comment On This

Dispute, dispute, dispute. Credit/collection agencies only have 30 days to respond or the record will be deleted.