It's a credit card member's nightmare: Being told you have an outstanding amount from 11 years ago.

And a bigger nightmare?

Being told you still owe money from 11 years ago, even after you have paid off your debt.

That was exactly what one Toshi Eto experienced in Singapore.

Hires debt collector

On Aug. 19, Toshi posted this photo of a letter by a creditor, Pinnacle Credit Services:

Explaining that they are acting for the Singapore branch of American Express International Inc, Pinnacle Credit Services said that as of July 28, 2019, Toshi had an outstanding unpaid amount of S$4,939.03 on his American Express account.

The letter also stated that contractual monthly interest and charges would continue to be accrued on a daily basis until the full and final payment is received.

Already paid 11 years ago

But here's the thing.

According to Toshi, he had already paid off the amount nearly 11 years ago.

This was what he wrote in his Facebook post:

"So Amex.. after almost 11 years came to me asking for repayment. Gave my details to a 3rd party with misinformation that I owe them money..It's a good thing I kept the receipt from 11 years ago. If not? I would have to pay again?"

Toshi also put up a photo of another letter dated Dec. 15, 2008, confirming that the outstanding amount of S$4,939.03, plus some legal fees, had been "fully settled".

The letter also stated that the recipient of the letter had been discharged from any obligation pertaining to his American Express account.

American Express apologised

In a subsequent comment, Toshi said that after he brought the matter to American Express, they merely apologised and did nothing else.

Another commenter said that he experienced the same thing because American Express did not update their system, which affected his own credit rating.

Apparently, this mistake went unnoticed for three years until he applied for a loan and got a rude shock.

But perhaps the real story was that Toshi kept his letter for more than a decade.

Responding to Toshi's case, an American Express spokesperson said:

“We are sorry for this mistake. We are in touch with the affected Card Member and have apologized to him for the inconvenience caused. We are currently looking into the issue in more detail.”

Guess it doesn't hurt to keep all your bank correspondence just to be safe.

Thank god for digitisation as well.

You can read Toshi's post below:

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