Spectrum Charged Me $200 for Equipment I Already Returned. Here's How I Proved It.

I cancelled my Spectrum internet service and returned my modem and router to their local office. The employee gave me a receipt. Six months later, I got a collection notice for $200. Spectrum said I had never returned the equipment.

I found the receipt in my email. I had scanned it and saved it as a PDF. I called Spectrum and provided the receipt number. The agent said they would investigate. Three weeks later, they said the error was on their end and the charge was removed.

But here is the scary part: if I had not kept that receipt, I would have had to pay $200. The collection notice was already on my credit report as a disputed item.

Spectrum's equipment tracking system is notoriously bad. They have been sued multiple times for false equipment charges. Always get a written receipt when you return equipment and keep it for at least a year.

I now take a photo of the receipt and save it to Google Drive immediately. I also take a photo of myself handing the equipment over if possible. Sounds paranoid, but after this experience, I trust no one.