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Afni is collecting a phone or cable bill. Send your dispute to the right box
Afni, Inc. is a collection agency in Bloomington, Illinois. Afni says it has been based in the Midwest since 1936, and its clients are companies in telecommunications, satellite and cable, healthcare and insurance. Most people hear from Afni about a final phone, cable or satellite bill that the provider still owns.
The check is free and honest when a letter will not help. If it will, it costs $29 ($19 for military, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities) with three follow-ups.
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Afni at a glance
- What Afni is
- A collection agency working for its clients
- Collections phone
- 866-352-0479
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central
- Disputes (general)
- Afni, Inc.
PO Box 3517
Bloomington, IL 61702 - Credit report disputes
- Afni, Inc.
PO Box 3787
Bloomington, IL 61702 - Other mail
- Afni, Inc.
PO Box 3427
Bloomington, IL 61702 - [email protected]
- Nevada license
- Nevada license CAD161258
Afni uses different P.O. boxes: one for disputes about what it reports to credit bureaus, one for all other disputes, and one for general mail. Send your dispute to the right one.
Three P.O. boxes, three purposes
Afni's contact page splits its mail. Disputes about what Afni reports to the credit bureaus go to Afni, Inc., PO Box 3787, Bloomington, IL 61702, and no payments should go there. All other disputes go to Afni, Inc., PO Box 3517, Bloomington, IL 61702. General mail uses Afni, Inc., PO Box 3427, Bloomington, IL 61702.
Our dispute letter is a dispute about the debt, so it goes to the general disputes box, PO Box 3517. If you also think Afni is reporting the account wrongly, a separate letter about the credit entry to PO Box 3787 keeps the two issues clear.
A written dispute about the debt inside the validation period makes Afni stop collecting until it mails verification.
Afni's 2020 CFPB order on credit reporting
The CFPB found that Afni reported information to credit bureaus that it knew or had reason to believe was inaccurate, failed to report a proper date of first delinquency on some accounts, and failed to investigate disputes reasonably and on time. The order required a $500,000 penalty, monthly reviews of its reporting and disputes, and an independent consultant to review its credit reporting practices.
The order was about the accuracy of credit reporting and the handling of disputes, which is why the separate credit-dispute address matters. If an Afni entry shows the wrong balance or the wrong date of first delinquency, say so specifically and enclose your evidence.
Final bills, equipment and insurance claims
Many Afni accounts are final bills from phone, cable or satellite providers: early termination fees, unreturned equipment, or a month billed after cancellation. Gather the provider's cancellation confirmation and any equipment return receipt before you write.
Afni also works for insurance companies. A letter about damage from a car accident, where an insurer says you were at fault, is a different kind of claim from an unpaid bill. Our letter is built for unpaid accounts. For an accident claim, talk to your own insurer first.
You can also ask Afni to stop calling and use mail only.
Not sure a message is really from Afni? Our guide to spotting fake debt collectors lists the warning signs regulators describe.
The quickest way to make Afni prove the debt is a debt validation letter sent inside the dispute window.
A worked example over Thanksgiving
Suppose Afni mails a validation notice on Monday, November 22, 2027 for a $412.37 cable bill, including an equipment charge for a box you returned.
- Thanksgiving (November 25) does not count, so the fifth working day after mailing is Tuesday, November 30, 2027.
- The dispute period can end no earlier than Thursday, December 30, 2027.
- Find the equipment return receipt from the cable company and enclose a copy.
- Mail the dispute to PO Box 3517 by certified mail, naming the cable company as the current creditor.
For the rules that apply where this example is set, see debt collection law in Illinois.
Sample letter to Afni
This opening is for someone in Illinois whose cable company sent a final bill to Afni, including a charge for equipment that was returned. It disputes the debt, names the cable company as the current creditor and lists the return receipt as an enclosure.
Details are made up.
Questions people ask about Afni
Is Afni a scam?
No. Afni, Inc. is a long-established Illinois collection agency. Check any call against 866-352-0479 or the number on your notice.
Who does Afni collect for?
Mainly telecommunications, satellite and cable, healthcare and insurance companies. Your notice must name the creditor.
Which Afni address do I use for a dispute?
PO Box 3517 for disputes about the debt, and PO Box 3787 for disputes about what Afni reports to the credit bureaus.
Did Afni buy my debt?
Usually not. Afni describes its clients as companies that hire it, so the provider normally still owns the account.
Afni wrote to me about a car accident. Is that a debt?
It may be an insurance claim rather than an unpaid bill. Contact your own insurer before paying or admitting anything.
Are you connected to Afni?
No. We are an independent document tool and name Afni only to describe who contacted you.