2010/06/10/letter to Absolute Collection

About

This was written on June 9 in response to two letters (one two) received that same day (yes, they were dated the day I received them) from Absolute Collection Service.

Letter

To ACS Customer Service,

I have corresponded with you previously on this matter, and I must say I am dismayed on several accounts:

• Your failure to continue our email dialogue by responding to my 2nd email to you (Feb. 28)
• Your failure to make any other attempts to contact me by email, despite knowing that we had previously been in touch (and that I had been responsive) via email, and despite your client (Duke Health System) being in possession of my email address prior to that
• Your failure to give your email address in any of the many automated phone messages you have left for me or in any of the letters you have sent
• Your failure to answer, in any of your many printed letters or automated phone calls, either of the simple questions I asked in my email of Feb. 28

In addition, your accountings are scattered and unclear. I can't tell, for example, if a given bill is part of my expenses for the operation I had September 30 2009 at Duke Hospital, or if it is part of the much smaller visit to their walk-in clinic on December 19. (My understanding is that I have paid the latter in full at this time; I can't tell if you are disputing this.) I also can't tell if the total on a given bill represents new charges being added to my account, or an unexplained reduction in the total. If it represents new charges, why is there no new total shown? This is sloppy, confusing, and inefficient.

I suggest the following:

• Please consolidate all of my bills for the 2009-09-30 visit into one account, and all of my bills for the 2009-12-19 visit into a second account, and prepare an accounting showing the individual amounts and the total.
• Please send this accounting to the email address at which I contacted you earlier (a copy of this correspondence is enclosed).
• Please confirm whether the payment terms you offered on Feb. 26 are still available; if they are not, please state your new terms -- but please be aware that my income situation has not (yet) improved significantly since then.
• Please answer the two questions I asked on Feb 28, to wit:
  • if I accept the payment plan, will you be sending me reminders?
  • will there be any interest accruing on the principal?

Your prompt attention to these matters is appreciated.

Regards,