Can AFNI collect on my old phone bill years later?

AFNI is an established debt collection agency specializing in collecting unpaid cell, telephone, internet and cable bills. AFNI also collects medical and insurance debts.

I was surprised to see that they retain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau even though they have 780 complaints in the last 3 years. All of those complaints show as resolved/closed though, which is a really clear indication that the management team is on top of their game.

Sending AFNI a dispute about a debt they are collecting.

You may have been unable to pay an old cell phone or cable bill, or perhaps you thought your bill was paid up when you closed your account. There are times debt collectors like AFNI end up trying to collect on bogus fees, or even on an account in complete error. I am not sure what you meant by “I don’t owe them anything”. If you can clarify that in the comments below I can offer more than just general feedback.

If you are uncertain about whether AFNI is collecting a legitimate debt, who they are collecting for, question the amount they say is owed on a bill, or a host of reasons really… you can dispute the debt. I recommend sending your dispute letter, or debt validation request in writing. Use certified mail and return receipt requested from the post office. You want to be able to establish they received your dispute notice if they continue with collection efforts without meeting their obligation to validate the legitimacy of the debt they are collecting.

Your letter does not need to be long, and I generally do not recommend using letters found on the internet that come off over done, or use a threatening tone. For most debt collection verification requests, including the dispute letter you would mail to AFNI, I would download or follow the example letters posted by the CFPB.

If AFNI calls or writes to you in an effort to collect again, but without having addressed your dispute or debt validation request, post an update in the comments and lets go from there.

I am not aware of any 2 year time limit for debt related to cell phones or land lines to become noncollectable. Do you have a source for that?

Anyone with questions or concerns about paying or settling a collection debt with AFNI, or about disputing an account they are collecting, is welcome to post in the comments below for feedback.