Hi, I am voice typing right now so please excuse any errors or autocorrects. In October I did a shop for a company, where I was to go to an AT&T authorized dealer purchase a phone and service, and then as soon as possible return the phone and cancel the service. I follow through with the completion of the shop on the day after I bought the phone. I still have the receipt from this location. It shows that the phone was returned. I never received a bill of any kind. However sometime earlier this year since agency begin to call me. I have finally managed to find out details after this went to a second collections agency and I have been informed it is because of an account I opened in a phone I bought in October, with AT&T, which is the same month I did the Mystery Shop. I have had no other contact or purchases with AT&T in any way besides this. I have been unable to locate the emails and the shop information for the shop that I did, including even knowing what company I did it for. I was paid for the shop. Can anyone let me know what company this was for? I've shopped for several companies and I have no idea which one it could have been. I don't seem to keep my records after I've been paid. Again I do have the receipt showing that I returned to the phone but I also want to get in contact with the mystery shopping company. If anyone can help me with any information or advice even beyond my question I would really appreciate it. My credit score took a hundred Point hit dropping below 800 to 700. It's very upsetting.

The MSC is probably not going to do anything for you. Take your receipt for the return and go back to the store where you bought and returned it and 'give em Hell'. Be clear about what you want and take it to them in written form:

1) For them to correct their records to show that you owe them nothing and immediately give you a signed statement in writing to that effect.
2) Get the collection agencies to stop calling for a non-existent debt.
3) Notify the credit bureau(s) that the negative report was their error and should be purged.

Give them 30 days to present you with proof that these actions have been completed or you will notify your state's Consumer Affairs (whatever they call it in your state) and begin legal action.

At no point in these conversations would I mention that this had been a mystery shop.

Edited to add: Take them copies of your paperwork and safely store your originals.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2020 06:52PM by Flash.

Call AT&T directly. They will help you. it sounds like the agent returned your phone but did not cancel the line of service through AT& T. It happens and it's usually pretty quickly remedied.

But the secret is you have to call AT&T directly not the agent you purchased from.

I have over 20 yrs in Telecom. Not with this carrier though.

Also, there is a scam where "Collection" agencies obtain information and bilk unsuspecting people for debts that don't exist.

Three sets of excellent advice. Does this forum proud.

And also an EXCELLENT lesson for all shoppers -- keep records!!!! Even if it's a note on a calendar for a specific date for a shop, "AT&T for XXX Co., fee XXXX, due 9/15".

I can assure you without records, any tax audit will find the shopper to NOT be running a business!!!!

Check your bank statement for the name of the MSC.

A very similar thing happened to me. I did an AT&T shop and bought a phone and new service from an authorized dealer. I returned the phone the very next day. The dealer failed to complete the return paperwork. I spent HOURS going in circles with both the dealer and with AT&T. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this has really been resolved and I won't have to deal with collections. (I reached out to my scheduler to see whether the client would just fix things but the scheduler told me no.) My advice to other shoppers? If you choose to do an AT&T shop that involves a purchase and return, DON'T do the authorized dealer ones. Buy directly from AT&T (in store or online).

ETA: I have kept ALL the paperwork.

ETA: Everything is finally cleared. I got a zero-balance bill from AT&T. Woot woot! However, I just got a September bill from Verizon. This is the result of yet another purchase-and-return shop I did for the same MSC. The main difference is I purchased from a Verizon store instead of an authorized dealer. I will reach out to the store tomorrow and hope I won't have to spend hours this time trying to clear things up. I am not going to do any more of these shops.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2020 03:28PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

I got screwed a couple of years ago with T-Mobile about the auto deduct. Turned in the phone and they said they would take care of it went to the bank and asked them to stop the auto pay and they said that they wouldn't. I should have dropped that bank like it was a hot rivet just out of the coal furnace. Eventually, I did. That is what pneumonia and a quad bypass will do to you. Two weeks to cure the pneumonia and then two weeks to recover from the bypass. But one good thing is that I haven't smoked since not even a craving for a smoke.