Consumer complaint received 2022-09-12
Company: Law Offices Howard Lee Schiff, P.C.
State: CT
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened to sue you for very old debt

Complaint:
I opened a credit card through my local bank in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and they had XXXXXXXX XXXX a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX  issue me a credit card labeled a XXXXXXXX XXXX I had used it occasionally for about 2 years and then somehow it was misplaced or lost and I I made a call to XXXX and then wrote a letter to them about 6 month later stating I thought i may have lost my card and to cancel the card. XXXX must of misplaced or never processed my written request back in XXXX and the card went from {$600.00} estimated to a much higher balance near {$1900.00} or more without me realizing it until calls were coming in telling me i was overdue on payment I had been making all aking for the amounts i thought I owed online. The online epay does not provide a balance or show me any statement information so I was in the dark for three years and eventually they sent me to XXXX XXXX XXXX agency to collect {$2000.00} they said I owed when it should have only been {$600.00} and closed out way back when I sent in a written concern that the card may have been lost back then. I wasn't sure if I had even owed anymore money and was skeptical about the debt collection agency being legitimate or not, I tried several times to speak with XXXX reps and the credit card loss area and they refused to speak to me because i was a debt collection matter and sent me each time to XXXX XXXX which I refused to speak to not knowing who they are and why they were calling on an XXXXXXXX XXXX credit card matter XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  mostb anks have their own colllection departments until they write off the amount owed XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I never dispusted that I had owed {$500.00} or a bit more at one point but i had paid over {$3000.00} or more in payments over a 3 years period then cut back when I was XXXX  and tried to negotiate a settlement twice with XXXX for the {$500.00} but they kept on insisting its {$1900.00} or {$2000.00} total. Once XXXX validated XXXX XXXX was real last year I set up a {$22.00} payment per month for a year but then i was XXXX XXXX and could not make anymore payments being XXXX and XXXX XXXX  I tried to get a waiver of the reminder of the payments since the bank wrote off the account in XXXX or XXXX and sold it for pennied to the collection agency with the wrong debt information that they never resolved based on my letter stating those were not my charges other than about {$500.00} which I had paid of 5 times over in payments -- -- -- -- I never authorized XXXX to share my personal inforamtion with a third party and I tried to resolve the dispute with no help on their side in resolution of the issues -- -- -- -- I also tried to resolve the issues with XXXX XXXX several times and eventually had to stop talking to them they would not listen or help. They made illegal calls to my wifes work place looking for me and to my fathers house where I do not reside and I think a call attempt was made to my neighbor but she asked not to get involved or be mentioned so I can not prove that. Recently withink the last 30 days I received a notice of lawsuit from Connecticut Superior court that I am being sued in small claims by XXXX XXXX  through an XXXX XXXX Connecticut XXXX XXXX lawyer who has been fined several times by already for illegal debt collection practices -- -- -- -- - the lawfirm is The Law Office of Howard Lee Schiff XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CT XXXX -- phone XXXX they are suing me on misinformation and monies i do not owe of {$1800.00}. -- -they were hired by XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX Virgina XXXX I have spoken to other law firms in the area and this is the big millions of dollar money makers that XXXXXXXX XXXX in VA and the XXXX XXXX and a couple other law firms in Connecticut have set up together to intimidate and scare consumers who are down on their luck or have become XXXX  or are XXXX which I am both to cave in and give them any money they claim even when it was not resolved property by the bank that initially was involed for following up on complaints and suspicous activity in the first place. I attempted in good faith one last time today to call the Bank Credit Card loss services who refused to speak to me and transfered me over to XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX who again refused to speak to me her number is XXXX she transfered me to XXXX XXXX after I told XXXX to let me talk to her legal department without any luck to ask why they never called when I sent the letter in back in XXXX or investigated my complaints and claims of charges that i was not sure got on there for such a larger amount then what I had owed, then i was transferred to XXXX XXXX who refused to listen or answer me for the illegal calls they made to my wifes work and my fathers house trying to hunt me down. XXXX  tried to transfer me to Howard Lee Schiffs attorney office and I hung up and called myself and spoke to XXXX XXXX to try and explain the misunderstanding and the banks error and she could not help me other than telling me they can send me an affidavit letter to have me sign about the issues and claims I am making but i would need to provide a police report as procedure to negotiate any debt or remove any from what she was trying to explain in a roundabout way without legally getting in trouble, I called the police stating asked them about the policy there about filing lost credit cards if I had only realized it was lost like 2 years later and they said it be to late to do so -- -- -- -- So the law firm told me thats their required procedure or they can not help me -- -- -- -so I am stuck getting dragged into court to try and pay for charges they should have reviewed and removed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation