Shady debt collection tactics by BellSouth

The are allowed to contact the chain of command regardless of where he
is stationed. That's part of being in the military.

I would suggest, since the bill is currently under 2000, that your son
sets up an allotment towards paying off this bill.

As for letting a bill run high, unfortunately that is a risk all
military members face. When I was stationed in Japan the Stars &
Stripes ran an article about a woman who ran up a $40,000 phone bill
from internet usage on her phone. - and because the contract was in
English she couldn't get out of it.


Oh and since he is in a combat zone - have him send a letter of
deployment to the phone company. It won't negate his bill but it will
allow him to terminate the contract without an ETF.


And in the meantime, while he's deployed, have him consider alternate
cell phone plans. Perhaps prepaid or internet based... but perhaps
something where you pay as you go, so that you don't get hit with
surprise bills.

"I would like AT&T to accept a resonable offer based on the fact they
should have never allowed this account to reach this amount in the
first place"

Wow. I'm sorry. Who let it reach that amount in the first place? The
phone company? No way. It was your son. And it's not up to you to deem
a reasonable offer.

How many complaints would they get if every account that ever went
over due was cancelled?

My son is in the military and I would never assume someone wasn't in
support just because they are making him pay a legitimate bill. I have
to wonder does he know you are making this claim?

Since your stepson is serving in the military, I presume he is an
adult. This is part of being an adult: being responsible for things
like cell phone charges and paying for them. If you pull out the
original contract, I bet you will find language allowing them to tack
on additional charges, etc should the account go delinquent.

It is has nothing to do with supporting the military and everything to
do with collecting a debt. However, I do not think they have the
authority to contact his employer. I believe, although I may be wrong,
that the only person they can contact regarding the debt is the person
whose name is on the original contract. If While they have every right
to collect a debt, they have to follow certain laws to do it.

I don't agree that AT&T should accept less then is owed because "they
should have never allowed this account to reach this amount in the
first place". Your son is an adult, and it's not up to the company to
decide when to cut him off. He ran up the bill, didn't pay it and is
now facing the consequences.

Because he is in the military in a combat zone, I could see them
giving him more time to respond, and cutting him some slack on getting
it paid. I don't however see them as as needed to settle for less.

Check out CreditBoards.com. A great community for credit issues.

The guy ran up a bill and didn't pay it. He must face the
consequences, regardless of his military obligations.

It has NOTHING to do with supporting or not supporting the military.
He's an individual who needs to pay his bill.