Here's the thing, my husband and I were both Army, but he had returned from Iraq and about 6 months later we receive a letter in the mail with DFAS saying he was paid for multiple inactive times and that he lost equipment in basic training in 2005. Every item they said on the list was bogus, he was in Iraq or in Germany having surgery, or home on emergency leave, also he never lost any basic training item in 2005 he attended basic in 2000.

We made many attempts to clear this up...faxed evidence, even flight stubs to DFAS, and they lost them 3 times, we never received and answer...it was turned over to the Treasury and then to Progressive Direct. We continued to fight this. They placed it on on credit. It took a Congressional investigation for them to even tell us it was for extra pay, by that time it was too late to get a readable LES, and what wwe have been given Finance people can read, not a me as a mechanic and my hubby a petroleum specialist.

If they had address this issue before sending to collections and verified this debt with us we could be paying them. NOW $2200 is well over $3,000, with further damagaes against us being on our credit...we are being harmed way more than the debt was ever due to them, and it was their mistake in the first place, and their failure to assist us, and they did not do their job. What are we suppossed to do. There are damages due to us...but I don't know what kind of lawyer to see. Because with them injuring our credit will cost us more in interest with further loans, family needs may be turned down because of this debt. They should be held accountable. I have been reading we are not alone, can anyone help??

Will need to dispute it with all 3 credit agencies. Send a letter to dfas disputing said info and for them to provide written proof that said debt is legit and belongs to said SM.

*Make copies of EVERYTHING.

*Contact ALL credit agencies.

*Keep a log of everything you do, e.g. mailed documents, received any new documents, etc. and ALL calls you make to anyone regarding your problem. Include Date, Time, the name of the person you spoke to (if they will not supply their Last name, ask them for their ID number) and what was said.

*Keep detailed notes of the aforementioned conversations.

*Mail letter to DFAS as 'CaliRising' stated.

*Send any and all notes, slips, stubs, documents, etc. using Certified Mail.

*Retain all your paperwork and log in one place.



I ran into a "almost" similar problem back in '87. I spoke with my attorney and he instructed me what to do for free, because had he done it, he would charge me.

This may take some time, but it will be rectified.

Best of Luck!

USMCvet

Thank You, we have been pretty much doing all this, but like I said it took a Congressional investigation after they placed it on our credit just for DFAS and the Treasury to say it is a debt from an extra pay check. But all their mistakes is costing us way more than what we owe them. DFAS says its no longer in their hands and Progressive, the collection agency for the treasury says they cant do anything they just collect.

Had they told us it was an extra check when they said all the other bogus crap we could have verified on readable LES, and paid them the moeny, a collection agency with all their fees and interests and damage to our credit would never have been a factor. But they waited a year and a half at the request of Congress and losing our requests for them to reevalute it 3 times...I dont know where to turn or who to go to. They say we owe and thats it.... Ive been reading this Federal Torts Claims Act and I believe it would cover damages to our family due to the agencies negligence, but who do I even make my argument to? DFAS made huge mistake, God knows if some days someone looking over my husband's record may say he was AWOL and effect his service and entitlements, and then the Treasury never cared and verified the charges, sending it on to the collection placing it on our credit as bogus charges. I dont know what to do. I can collect al that information, but what do I do with it???

As a last resort, you'll have to locate an attorney who specializes in FEDERAL law, which is not an easy task to locate one.

I would like to know if you've had any resolution to this problem. I too am fighting a similar battle with DFAS since late 2006. I have been unable to speak with a person and the same escalation to a credit agency happened to me too. They even have ignored me, luckily I sent my letters with receipts, etc. I have been looking for a lawyer to represent me with no luck because no one wants to go up against the gov and 'possibly lose'.

I have similar problems with DFAS, and I have appealed several times, sent all data and they tell me so what it isn't enough. Now they want $22,000 from me. I have my congressman working on it. But I never thought of an Attorney specific for Federal law. I tried our Base IG when before I retired on a Disability , And as usual he was No help , One officer talking to the officier of Finance @ Ellington who Screwed this up for me in the first place because they failed to submit my BAS/BAQ or Bah forms. The more I went to finance to complian of there error, the more the messed it up. I have been battling them since June 07. Good Luck