I will try and be succinct...

1.) A collection agency called me. A legit one. They are claiming a $165 balance was never paid and that it would show on my credit as of July.

2.) I call ATT and speak to Customer Rep 1 and have to explain the situation. She says I have no balance and I am all squared away. I ask for this in writing so that I may present to collection agency. She says she can't do that and transfers me to Customer Rep 2.

3.) Customer Rep 2 says I have a balance of 30-something dollars. I know this. It's my monthly balance that is automatically withdrawn every month. She agrees, but cannot give me anything in writing. We are disconnected. I call back and speak to Customer Rep 3. I tell her the story and we go through the exact same thing. Again. Customer Rep 3 tells me to just show my next bill to the Collections Agency.

She obviously doesn't understand that after switching from DSL to U-Verse, multiple moves etc., the Collections Agency will not care about what a bill says about an account they know nothing about. I explain that I need something in writing from ATT that states that I do not owe their company anything. She says she can't do that. Customer Rep 4 tells me to hang up and call again to connect to Billing. I do. Customer Rep 5 picks up.

4.) Customer Rep 5 gets the story. Again. She says she can't do anything for me unless I call and get the reference number from the Collection Agency. I do. I call back and speak to Customer Rep 6. At this point I am at my wit's end, but this really takes the cake...

5.) I tell my story to Customer Rep 6. I admit I didn't have the most friendly tone in my voice. Probably from having been put on hold, disconnected and told that I cannot be helped MULTIPLE times. Go figure.

I give him the reference number that the Collections Agency gave me. He runs it through his system and says that that account does not, nor has it ever existed. This is a relief...somewhat. I ask him to please send that to me in writing so that I can show the collections agency.

He requests my Social Security Number so that he can try and run it down another way. I comply and when he 'runs it through the system', his reply is that I am not a customer with ATT&T. I tell him that I have been a customner in good standing for over three years.

He tells me, verbatim, that I am not. He then proceeds to tell me that he is skeptacle as to whether or not I am giving him a valid social. I am pretty taken aback and ask him why I would give him a fake social to prove that my account is in good standing. He says he doesn't know, but he doesn't believe me. He then transfers me to Customer Rep 7.

6.) I tell Customer Rep 7 the story in a collected and calm manner. He says the most logical thing I have heard all day (let me get a manager). I wait on hold 20 minutes waiting to talk to Customer Rep 8....and then am disconnected.

MAKE THIS RIGHT ATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!