Allied Interstate

I am at my wits end with this collections agency.

allied interstate, Inc. apparently has been trying to collect a debt from me since August. The first time I ever spoke to them was through the telephone.

-I informed the man ("Edward Potts") that I had never received an intial contact letter from them. They claimed that they sent one August 5, 2006, and he then provided the address on file. Nothing has even been received. While it was not my current address, I have left a forwarding address in order to contact me.


-"Mr. Potts" told me to come up with $1,000 up front or threatened legal action.

-He said I could make payments through American Express. When calling American Express, they told me that they no longer handle the account, therefore I cannot make payments to them. (On 10/9/06 I spoke with a "Makesha" and she asked me why I hadn't made payments to American Express and I told her the same thing.)

-He threatened legal action which I now believe they had no intention of taking. He said they would file for suit in September. Well, why are they calling me in attempt to collect the debt again?

-While he was YELLING at me, my fiance took the phone from me and he then discussed the details of the debt with my fiance, when not authorized to do so.

-He said that American Express was under the impression that I falsified information, lieing about being a college student (it was a student credit card). When I talked to American Express, they said that they weren't under that impression and that they would not share that type of information in the first place.

I am a full time college student and I do not have a job. I have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of sexual abuse. I have been in and out of the hospital, I get very sick often. Therefore I cannot work AND go to school. My fiance is helping me with my bills during this time. We live together and our names are on the same checking account.

They know all of this.

In short, I'm not trying to get out of paying this debt. They've now provided an address (3000 Corporate Express Dr., Colombus, OH. 43231). Prior to sending payment, can I write them requesting that the account balance be provided to me? When I send the payment, can I request that they verify that the payment has been posted to the account and then send me another statement with the updated balance?

I asked "Makesha" for everything in writing, they said that they can't do that.

Do I have a case here? I've tried to contact attorneys in my area, but none of them practice in debt collection laws.