We had an account with Cross Country Bank, and I closed the account in June of 2001. I have never received this final bill, but made arrangements to pay a "settlement" with the collection agency that they forwarded the bill to. I made one payment, and then was contacted the next day to say that the payment would not stop the fees from accruing on a closed account. (Fees including "account maintenance, how do you maintain a closed account?)

I immediately stopped that payment and was ready to take the hit on the credit report. A few months later I was contacted by another collection agency that was willing to settle for the amount that I did not dispute, by this time representing approx. half of the new total balance. I made two payments to them and had them forward me a letter stating that all my legal obligations to the account were satisfied.

Since then I have had 2 other collection agencies attempt to collect the balance, CCB will not retract their listing on my credit report, and although their legal 90 days to update their systems has passed, they have not done so. Every person that I spoke to after the agency that I paid has told me that they have record of the payments that I made, so why would they bother to contact me?

CCB preys on people with less than perfect credit thinking that we will not fight back, they are wrong. If you have less than perfect credit buys with cash or one of these new pre-paid cards. DO NOT USE CCB< they will only make your credit matters worse, and then be rude and disrespectful when you attempt to rectify the situation. Over 9 months since I "satisfied" this debt and not one change in the listing on my credit report. FRAUD!!!

Becky
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.