I received service for a wireless internet card from AT&T under the terms of a one-year contract beginning in September 2007. In January 2009, 17 months after initiating service, I contacted AT&T to discontinue service as I no longer needed the wireless card. The representative I spoke with indicated that termination would be fine, but that I would be charged a $175 early termination fee. I shared that my contract had been executed for a term of one year and that I had not signed an agreement to extend my contract for an additional year. I countered that I assumed I was simply operating on a month-to-month basis as my mobile phone plan with TMobile has a similar policy. She indicated that I was being held to the cancellation fee as it was my responsibility to submit in writing that I was terminating the contract before the original contract expiration date. Otherwise, AT&T was entitled to automatically - without informing me of such - renew my contract for an additional year. I never received any notice that AT&T had automatically renewed my contract for an additional year. Consequently, I indicated that I would be paying the balance of my current monthly bill, but would not pay into what I believe is an unscrupulous business practice.

Now, I have debt collection agencies calling me and threatening that my perfect credit record "will be ruined". I work in financial services with credit-related companies and know first hand that these threats are toothless. My concern is the unsavory practices of AT&T.

Should I do anything differently? Thanks.