I am having a problem and would like to hear some practical advice (rather than just personal opinions).
I’ll try to make it short. I was using Compuserve as my ISP for the main reason that I could connect from other countries when I travelled (paying a surcharge). I could travel for a month, connect once or twice a day for email and pay just a few bucks surcharge which was fine.
Last November while I was in Madrid my access was denied and I could not straighten the situation until I returned because they have lousy customer service which keeps you on hold for hours which I was not willing to do at $1 a minute.
It turns out, due to some computer glitch on their part, I was not logged out correctly so it appeared I was connected for days and weeks and the bill totalled over $4000. When it was rejected by my credit card, they shut me off.
When I saw I could not straighten things out with them, I got another ISP. The problem now is that they keep chasing me for the full amount of their bill and threatening all sorts of things. I have tried to reason with them on the phone several times and have written several letters explaining the situation and that I refuse to accept those charges.
They are adamant and say if the computer says I was logged on, then I must have been logged on and I must pay.
I am beginning to worry because it seems this is going to be turned over to a collection agency and may damage my credit.
I have notified them formally that I reject the charges and not to call me or otherwise harass me. They say fine but they’ll keep asking for the money. They act like I may pay the $4000 just to get out of the situation! Is there anything I can or should do other than sit tight and wait for the sword to fall?
If I am disputing the charges can they still put it on my credit record without getting a judgment first? What recourse do I have besides adding a lame explanation on my credit record?
Any ideas on how to deal with this aggravating matter will be appreciated.