Deadbeat Dog Fails to Pay Phone Bill

First off let me say that I have my own cell phone. I use it to text all of my buddies over on Dogster.com throughout the day. So it was with great concern I read the following article about Andy Fanelli, a Lhasa Apso, getting hassled by Verizon for not paying his bill.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 70,000 consumers complained about third-party debt collectors in 2007, but one Sacramento couple said they have good reason to bark about the bill they received.

Steve Fanelli received a bill from AFNI collections claiming an Andy Fanelli owes Verizon Online $142.34. And although Steve Fanelli does indeed live with an Andy Fanelli, there is a small, furry problem with the bill.

Andy Fanelli is Steve Fanelli’s dog.

Nothing strange as I see it, other than Verizon didn’t do a very good credit check on the Lhasa Apso.

“The point is that Andy has never had a Verizon account. We were just curious why this showed up,” Steve Fanelli said.

After some “dogged” detective work by Call 3 Problem Solvers, Verizon said the debt is owed by a guy on the East Coast named Andy Fanelli.

OK…so it’s a simple clerical error. But how did Andy, the dog, get on Verizon’s list anyway? Well it turns out he has an American Express card.

“It’s an active card. From time to time I take my girlfriends to lunch on Andy,” Donovan said.

Uhmmm…unless Donovan is listed as an authorized user of Andy’s card, I see this as a clear case of identity theft.

I wonder how far this Donovan fella has taken this. Is he opening up other credit cards under Andy’s name or filing for unemployment benefits using the dog’s identity? Sure Lhasa Apsos are anything but working dogs, but the only benefits they should be receiving are belly rubs.

I don’t trust these owners or even Andy. Just look at Lhasa Apsos…there’s something evil about them. And no, I’m not just saying that because of Cindi, the Lhasa Apso, that spurned me in my youth.

Verizon Online cancelled Andy’s debt, which he just shook off.

Isn’t that what these grifters were after all along?

FLASH