Travis Welk contacted Whistleblower after he received a collection notice for a bill he thought he had dealt with eight years ago. Turns out Welk isn't the only Minnesotan receiving letters from Afni, Inc., a collection agency that recently bought 100,000 old Qwest accounts.
In Sunday's column, I wrote about state Attorney General Lori Swanson's actions against Afni. Welk is still waiting to find out why Qwest says he owes them money.
Ben Wogsland, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, had another tip he wanted to point out to consumers facing old debts. Some people might be aware that there is a six-year statute of limitations on most types of debt in Minnesota, but there are ways to get around that protection. Wogsland said if a debt collector can get you to make a payment on that debt, the statute of limitations starts over.
Update: Welk said he received an e-mail from Qwest today stating that his account was recalled from Afni and he no longer has a balance.
