- Report: #113775
Complaint Review: HRS - Household Retail Services - Wilmington Delaware
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Author Not Confirmed
Why?
HRS - Household Retail Services
PO Box 60148 City Of Industry, CA 91716-0148 Wilmington, 19850-5521 Delaware, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-420-5981
Web:
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HRS - Household Retail Services relentless billing & late fee ripoff of deceased father refusing to close the account ignoring letters Wilmington Delaware
*Consumer Suggestion: These people never go away on therir own. You have to wait until they get old and die for it to stop.
*Consumer Suggestion: You can make them stop
*Consumer Comment: HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
*Consumer Comment: HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
*Consumer Comment: HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
*Consumer Comment: HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
Dear Sirs:
Household Retail Services is a blind, deaf, billing monster!
My father passed away over 2 years ago, but HRS is still billing him and my mother month after month for some spurious, unknown charge of $39 at COSTCO. I called their service number 1-800-420-5981 last February explaining this and directing them to close the account. The rep told me to mail their legal dept a copy of the death certificate, so I did. I got no acknowledgement; my mom just got more bills, with late fees added.
I've written them 3 times to complain, but received no answer whatsoever. I called again in August. This time the rep stonewalled me, insisting the person who has the power of attorney must fax the document to them. She gave me a fax number, so I faxed the 5-page POA to them. No answer; just more bills. And of course they're tacking late charges on to the bills each time!
They've also switched my mother's name onto the account.
Here's a ripoff company which refuses to close an account 2 years after the holder is dead, despite a half dozen direct orders to close it! It ignores mailed letters, refuses to cooperate on phone calls.
It still uses a COSTCO letterhead on its billings, even though the Costco service people tell me they no longer have anything to do with HRS. We closed any link to my father's account at a COSTCO store, and sliced up the charge card on the spot. The bills keep coming.
Since they've pointedly refused to answer our letters or explained what the original charge was for, my mother have not paid them a cent. Now that I've read some of the many ripoff reports against them, I'm glad - there's a very good chance that any payment we made would have disappeared, and we would have been billed even higher late fees!
I agree - HRS needs to be sued out of business!
George
Turlock, California
U.S.A.
Household Retail Services is a blind, deaf, billing monster!
My father passed away over 2 years ago, but HRS is still billing him and my mother month after month for some spurious, unknown charge of $39 at COSTCO. I called their service number 1-800-420-5981 last February explaining this and directing them to close the account. The rep told me to mail their legal dept a copy of the death certificate, so I did. I got no acknowledgement; my mom just got more bills, with late fees added.
I've written them 3 times to complain, but received no answer whatsoever. I called again in August. This time the rep stonewalled me, insisting the person who has the power of attorney must fax the document to them. She gave me a fax number, so I faxed the 5-page POA to them. No answer; just more bills. And of course they're tacking late charges on to the bills each time!
They've also switched my mother's name onto the account.
Here's a ripoff company which refuses to close an account 2 years after the holder is dead, despite a half dozen direct orders to close it! It ignores mailed letters, refuses to cooperate on phone calls.
It still uses a COSTCO letterhead on its billings, even though the Costco service people tell me they no longer have anything to do with HRS. We closed any link to my father's account at a COSTCO store, and sliced up the charge card on the spot. The bills keep coming.
Since they've pointedly refused to answer our letters or explained what the original charge was for, my mother have not paid them a cent. Now that I've read some of the many ripoff reports against them, I'm glad - there's a very good chance that any payment we made would have disappeared, and we would have been billed even higher late fees!
I agree - HRS needs to be sued out of business!
George
Turlock, California
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
K
DALLAS,Texas,
U.S.A.
HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, November 06, 2004
MY ACCOUNT WITH HRS WAS WITH A COLLECTIONS AGENCY. I PAID SO MUCH OF THE BILL AND THEN IT WENT TO ANOTHER COLLECTION AGENCY WITH A HIGHER AMOUNT . MAKING IT SEEM AS IF I USED THE CARD . THE NEW COLLECTOR CONTINUED TO SEND NOTICES AFTER SENDING A LETTER SHOWING THEM THAT I DIDN'T OWE THAT AMOUNT THEY STOPPED CALLING AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT HRS WOULD BE CONTACTING ME. NO ONE FROM HRS HAS CONTACTED ME AND THEY ARE STILL SENDING ME BILLS. I'VE DISPUTED THE CHRAGES WITH THE CREDIT AGNECY. EQIUFAX AND EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX HAS REMOVED THEM FROM MY REPORT BUT EXPERIAN WILL NOT REMOVED THEM.
K
DALLAS,Texas,
U.S.A.
HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, November 06, 2004
MY ACCOUNT WITH HRS WAS WITH A COLLECTIONS AGENCY. I PAID SO MUCH OF THE BILL AND THEN IT WENT TO ANOTHER COLLECTION AGENCY WITH A HIGHER AMOUNT . MAKING IT SEEM AS IF I USED THE CARD . THE NEW COLLECTOR CONTINUED TO SEND NOTICES AFTER SENDING A LETTER SHOWING THEM THAT I DIDN'T OWE THAT AMOUNT THEY STOPPED CALLING AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT HRS WOULD BE CONTACTING ME. NO ONE FROM HRS HAS CONTACTED ME AND THEY ARE STILL SENDING ME BILLS. I'VE DISPUTED THE CHRAGES WITH THE CREDIT AGNECY. EQIUFAX AND EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX HAS REMOVED THEM FROM MY REPORT BUT EXPERIAN WILL NOT REMOVED THEM.
K
DALLAS,Texas,
U.S.A.
HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
#4Consumer Comment
Sat, November 06, 2004
MY ACCOUNT WITH HRS WAS WITH A COLLECTIONS AGENCY. I PAID SO MUCH OF THE BILL AND THEN IT WENT TO ANOTHER COLLECTION AGENCY WITH A HIGHER AMOUNT . MAKING IT SEEM AS IF I USED THE CARD . THE NEW COLLECTOR CONTINUED TO SEND NOTICES AFTER SENDING A LETTER SHOWING THEM THAT I DIDN'T OWE THAT AMOUNT THEY STOPPED CALLING AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT HRS WOULD BE CONTACTING ME. NO ONE FROM HRS HAS CONTACTED ME AND THEY ARE STILL SENDING ME BILLS. I'VE DISPUTED THE CHRAGES WITH THE CREDIT AGNECY. EQIUFAX AND EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX HAS REMOVED THEM FROM MY REPORT BUT EXPERIAN WILL NOT REMOVED THEM.
K
DALLAS,Texas,
U.S.A.
HRS IS A BIG RIP OOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, November 06, 2004
MY ACCOUNT WITH HRS WAS WITH A COLLECTIONS AGENCY. I PAID SO MUCH OF THE BILL AND THEN IT WENT TO ANOTHER COLLECTION AGENCY WITH A HIGHER AMOUNT . MAKING IT SEEM AS IF I USED THE CARD . THE NEW COLLECTOR CONTINUED TO SEND NOTICES AFTER SENDING A LETTER SHOWING THEM THAT I DIDN'T OWE THAT AMOUNT THEY STOPPED CALLING AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT HRS WOULD BE CONTACTING ME. NO ONE FROM HRS HAS CONTACTED ME AND THEY ARE STILL SENDING ME BILLS. I'VE DISPUTED THE CHRAGES WITH THE CREDIT AGNECY. EQIUFAX AND EXPERIAN, EQUIFAX HAS REMOVED THEM FROM MY REPORT BUT EXPERIAN WILL NOT REMOVED THEM.
Amy
Indianapolis,Indiana,
U.S.A.
You can make them stop
#6Consumer Suggestion
Thu, November 04, 2004
As a consumer you need to exercise your rights. The credit company cannot add a name to an account. They cannot force collection on a debt someone else made. They cannot call if you have told them in writing not to call. You can stop a collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collection agency telling them to stop. Once the agency receives your letter, they may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact. The agency may notify you if the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action. HRS has questionable practices. I routinely paid many times over the minimum, but 1 time I was late. I received a letter stating that due to my credit record, they were raising my rate to 22%. I got a copy of my credit report and saw that the only "black" mark was from HRS. I wrote the company and cancelled the card and then paid the balance in full. For 2 years after that they kept telling me my line of credit was available and that it had been increased. I sent copies of my request to close the account and the ackowledgement of the closing each and every time, telling them to stop or I would start billing them for my time. The last time I sent an invoice for $120 along with the paperwork. I haven't heard from them since. I now make a point of finding out who a business does their financing through and if they use HRS, I make certain they know I won't be spending with them for that reason. The only way you can stop these companies is to not patronize companies who do business with them and let them know why.
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
These people never go away on therir own. You have to wait until they get old and die for it to stop.
#7Consumer Suggestion
Wed, October 20, 2004
George, here's the problem. When a legitimate debt goes unpaid, eventually the owner gives up and sells it to a collection agency. Naturally, the collection agency will only pay about half of the value of the debt. If you owe $100, then they buy the debt for $50. Since they now own the debt, they will call and try to collect. Eventually, they will give up too. But they will sell the debt to the next agency. The price goes down to $10 or $20 now. Again, more calls. And, again the debt is sold to the next place. Now, it's down to $5. Same thing. More calls. The next sale gives the debt away for $2. Now, let's look at the situation. This company may be able to collect $100 on something they paid $2 for. That's a hell of a profit. Of course, it's d**n hard to collect on a 2 year old debt. Remember, half a dozen companies have already tried and failed. The collectors who work these worthless debts are as hard core as they come. They listen to nothing. They accept no excuses. Since they get a commission, they will keep calling as long as someone is willing to answer the phone. There is the answer. Stop answering the phone. Well, actually, pick it up and say hello. Once you see it's the leaches, set the phone down on the table and walk away. Come back in 20 minutes and see if they are still on the line. Let me warn you, though. If you listen to ANYTHING, they will keep trying. If you talk AT ALL, they will keep trying. You can only say hello. THAT'S IT. Then, set the phone down on the table. I know. I've done the exact same thing. But, remember, if you say anything, or listen to anything, you will give them a ray of hope. Then they will keep calling. It usually takes most people a week or two to get the hang of this. Your instinct is to try to reason or explain the problem. As long as you talk or listen, more calls. Once you set the phone down each time, right after hello, they will still keep calling about a dozen more times. At night, you need to unplug the phone or turn the volume all the way down. After about a month of no talking, they finally give up. Your bill goes to the next collector, and it starts all over again. Eventually the debt reaches the end of the line, and nobody will buy it anymore. That could take 5 years. You learn. Don't try to fight or make sense of it. Just ride it out.
