Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

lakelover · Apr 12, 2012

We got a collection letter today from Universal Fidelity, LP representing the legal successor of Hollywood Video saying we owe them $50.89. It listed 7 movies, 5 of which we never rented. Apparently they are trying to collect late fees. There was a story on the news tonight mentioning this issue and in NY, it said to call the Attorney General's consumer hotline at 800-771-7755 if you received the letter. I'll call tomorrow and see what's up.

Just thought I'd give a heads up.

Bob_VT · Apr 12, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Sound like a great scam. Channel 3 up heare had nothing on it but it concentrates mostly on VT

lakelover · Apr 12, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

The funny thing is, the Hollywood store we used was so sloppy with their record keeping, when they were still in business, they would call saying we had late returns, we'd go to the store and say "we returned that", they'd look it up and say "oh yeah, somebody didn't enter it". Can't tell you how many times that happened. Some of the movies they listed we never would have rented in a million years.

bruceb58 · Apr 12, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Send a letter to the collection company and ask for proof of the debt. Google Debt collection response letter for the format. Send it certified.

Ask for all communication to be in writing. Contact the credit bureaus and dispute it if it shows up. They need to receive the proof as well.

I know its only $50 but the problem is that they can ding your credit and you need to prevent that.

MTboatguy · Apr 12, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Bruce is 110% right, even though you can contact your state authorities, believe me, if they report it to the credit systems, you are going to take a big ding, been there done that and have been digging myself out of that hole, I have finally got rid of a couple of these small, unfounded collections and my credit score jumped 75 points because I did the work. I didn't even find out about them until I tried to refi my house, they totaled less than $100 and prevented my refi a the lowest rates, now it will still be another year before I can get the preferred rates for a mortgage. Don't ignore it.

lakelover · Apr 17, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

We sent a letter to the collector via Certified Mail stating we believed the charges to be in error and we were not responsible for them, they have 30 days to respond with proof or dismissal. We also filed a complaint with the NY attorney general.

I also found this, it seems there was already something like this in 2011. http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-announces-settlement-involving-video-store-late-fees-and-other-charges

After we hear from them, we will do a credit check.

lakelover · May 30, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Update:

Got a letter today from the NY AG, with a letter attached from the collection agency.

The upshot is that they insist they were correct (they offered no specific proof), that we owed the fees, however as a courtesy to the NY AG and the consumer (us), they are dropping the claim, and nothing will be reported to any credit reporting agency.

Tail_Gunner · May 30, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

I believe what is taking placing is a bit sketchy...HV sold a large batch of deliquent accounts to a collection agency they in turn collect as much as they can and sell the list again to another party...Id bet that list has been sold at least 5-10 times. Watch them close ....collection people are not a freindly group of people or above board.

Cadwelder · May 31, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Thanks for the heads up, but seeing as how I've never rented a movie in my life, I'd be shocked it I got one, but stranger things have happened...

lakelover · May 31, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Since most of the movie rental places near us have closed, that eliminated one of our favorite weekend activities. I know there's Netflix and my son has that, but we don't want to have a monthly bill. We liked being able just to decide to pick up a movie on the spur of the moment, sometimes we'd do it a lot, sometimes not. Kinda made our DVD player obsolete except for the relatively few disks we own.

jkust · May 31, 2012

Re: Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

Wow, maybe 15 years ago I got that from a Hollywood video back before dvd's even. They were also very sloppy. I think the extent of the situation was I told them to go pound sand and apparently they did because I had never heard back from them. I actually stopped in to the store and talked to the manager and made my case. Those were different times however.

Hollywood Video - Anyone else get a collection letter?

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