Good Afternoon,
I am quite frustrated today due to a debt collector who contacted me demanding payment TODAY. Allow me to explain - I was an independent distributor with a marketing company called Momentis that dealt with energy services, and I purchased (was paying monthly), for use at my own home, a set of boxes that are supposed to help decrease the ions/electronic field in your home that supposedly zap your energy and cause health issues. Nevertheless, I was with the company about 3 months, and paid several payments on my subscription for my EMS system (the boxes). At some point, I allowed my payment to lapse. This was in 2012. In March of 2015, I received a call from Paul Anthony the CFO of the Law Offices of John F. Blevins. Basically, he informed me that I HAD to pay the remaining payments and legal fees on the EMS meter and that I was NOT protected under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act because it was a business transaction - not a personal transaction - even though the EMS meter that I have is the one I personally use (it was still in the box after all those years.) Nevertheless, he said that with the payments owed and atty fees it totaled $1360.10. I agreed to pay that over 6 payments. Well, I paid 3 payments, and then got sick and asked them to allow me to pay the remaining amount through the next 2 payments. I paid the next 2 payments, but forgot to add the additional amount. Yes, that is my fault. Nevertheless, I hadn't thought about it anymore as I didn't have it carried over on my budget form after August 2015 which is when I made the last payment. This brings us to today. Paul Anthony contacted me this morning saying that I owed $548.10 AND that it had to be paid TODAY or else, he would advise their "client" to place this on my credit and pursue further legal action. After looking at the payments that I already made totaling $1,111.95 which would mean that I ONLY owe $248.10. I asked him to send me an itemization of where this additional $300 came from, and he said that he didn't have to send me anything, and it's my fault that the additional amount is on there because it's additional attorney fees for having to "track me down." He didn't have to track me down - my number and email address are both the same from when we were in contact before. All I know is that he has stressed me out today, and I should not have to pay $300 for a phone call - $300 that I did not initially agree to pay. I am in need of legal advice ASAP as he is saying that they can still add 3 or 4 times that amount to the balance if it is not paid today. I need to know what my legal rights are, and if this is outside the range of the Fair Debt Collection Practices and laws protecting consumers from such threats due to an outstanding debt. I am in Texas. I actually spoke with someone in the original company's billing department, and found out that the debt collector has not informed them that I have made any payments, so their billing person was very bothered by that. Please help!