To make a long story short. Im a 26 year old male who decided fun was over time to get serious. Last year I brought a big rig a few months later I got me a mortgage on a noce home. Im rarely home but I strive for joce stuff. Ok to the chase. I do my hardest to make sure all my bills are paid on time. Unlike a certain member of my family. Well its this major cable company here. I have a account with them(phone, isp, tv). This certain family member that loves across town owe them money and can not get a new account until the old one is settle. I try not to dabble in family business. Family member had a converstation with cable guy. He said sure I can hook you up. Do you know anybody that has a account. Family member calls my name. Cable guy goes to truck, get on labtop and pulls up all my account info. Cable guy decides sure I will install a 2nd account here in his(mine) name. Meanwhile I am across country. This was installed without my knowledge or consent. How I find out, well cable company called me and informed me that my 2nd account has not been paid since installation and I am now $436.27 behind. IS THIS ILLEGAL? I DID NOT AGREE NOR DID I KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. As far as family member they could care less about my willings to have good standing accounts. Cable guy he could care less. I use to be a sub contractor for a cable company, so I know in his eyes he see $$$. Hourly rate, plus cash for each new jack installed, line, every piece of eq(modems, boxes, etc)

No lawsuit unless you want to sue the Family member.

But you tell the cable company that you did not authorize a second account that the account was not for any premises that you own or live at. Tell them to close the account and go after the person who actually lives there.

You file ID theft charges with police against family member.

Notify cable company that police report is filed and that this is not your charges.

They should drop money owed

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Originally Posted by ;

... well cable company called me and informed me that ... I am now $436.27 behind. IS THIS ILLEGAL? ...

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Is it illegal for the cable company to call you about what they figure is a past due account? Of course.

Do you owe it? Of course not.

If everything you say is true, and can be proven, can the cable guy end up in the gray-bar hotel? Certainly. At the very least he should be fired.

Do you know a lawyer? A nice letter outlining the situation, from an attorney, on their letterhead might be enough for this guy to drop the charges and move on to a new victim. You can also call the state's attorney General office and report this practice as he's probably done it to other people. Report him to the Better Business Bureau as well. I don't know how they can hold you accountable for an unuauthorized service installed at someone else's house. I'd just refuse and refuse and refuse.

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Originally Posted by dontknownuthin

for this guy to drop the charges and move on to a new victim.

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I think you misread the situation. The cable installer (unclear if he is an employee of the cable company or an independent contractor) fraudulently installed service under the OP's account. It is the cable company that is billing him for the extra charges.

The cable company has to prove he authorized the installation.