DirecTV collections mistake corrected for 300 W.Va. customers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Nearly 300 West Virginia customers of DirecTV had $58,000 worth of debts erased as part of a settlement between the state Attorney General’s office and a Utah collection agency.

Attorney General Darrell McGraw says Riddle & Associates had agreed in 2004 to stop unlawful collections, but mistakenly sent letters to 292 consumers threatening to add attorneys fees and collection costs unless unpaid bills for DirecTV were paid in full.

Riddle said the mistake was corrected as soon as it was discovered. It also agreed to pay the state $5,000 and renewed its pledge to not send any more collection letters.
Although DirecTV was not aware of the letters, McGraw said it zeroed out the accounts of everyone who received one.