In 2007 I put my phone on hold with Verizon and paid my January bill just before leaving for 6 months to Madrid. The check bounced because Verizon improperly cashed it (electronic withdraw which I have blocked).
When I come back from Spain I have $600 worth of back charges, penalties and collection agency on my back which put an ugly red spot on my credit record. I need to get this removed because otherwise I have only a good credit history (albeit quite short)!
Get a copy of your credit report. Look on the back of the report. There should be an address where you can challenge the entry on your credit report. Write a letter to the credit agency stating that you don't owe anything to Verizon. It then becomes Verizon's responsibility to prove that you owe the money.
One thing you can do is settle with them.
They can remove 1/2 the fees easily if you know what to do.
There are books at the library that tell you step by step how to settle and negotiate.
Unfortunately, to settle - you need to have the cash upfront and available for payment.
You can also negotiate - a good book will tell you how to do this.
Or just google "how to negotiate with your credit card"
You really need to talk to Verizon - you never know - it it was their mistake - they may remove all the fees.
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