Hello,

In 2003 through 2004 I received approximately 10 - 15 voice mails daily from Academy. They accused me of all sorts of things. I was home one day when they called. Al Hastings demanded payment and threatened me with court and loss of wages. He even attacked my mother. I refused to work with him for awhile but after I calmed down, I spoke with him and agreed to make four phone checks over a period of time and he agreed to settle the debt. The original deby was $800 and, although I never missed a $25 payment, the interest grew to over $3000. I asked Al Hastings for a document stating that the debt would be satisfied and he told me that he would send one after the payments ($1440.00) went through. At the end of the payment plan, I asked again, for a "paid in full" receipt. He told me he need a letter from me stating why I thought I didn't owe that much money. I sent it to him and never heard from him again and he never answered my phone calls.

About a year later, another agency started calling for the same debt. I told them the history and they demanded proof. This debt has gone to approximately five agencies since 2005 and has recently landed at Ocwen. They too, want proof of a payoff and they insist that they are going to keep calling me until I either pay it off or provide proof that is is paid. I phoned Academy and was told that Al Hastings doesn't work there any more. They also stated that they don't have a document indicating that they accepted my payments as a payoff and that they gave my loan back to Citi Bank, and did not sell it to another collection agency. I phoned Citi and was told that they never take back any debt that they give to an agency and that they have closed my account - unpaid.

Academy uses psychologically abusive tactics and they lie. Al Hastings became enraged on the phone with me. He was very unprofessional, degrading, and disrespectful. It seems to be a crime that no one can do anything about such tactics. I have spoken to a lawyer and without a payoff document, there is nothing they can do.