Consumer complaint received 2019-09-23
Company: ERC
State: NC
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I obtained a phone from my former employer which had been using XXXX XXXX XXXX mobile service. The employer had already contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX and requested the phone be unlocked so I could move it to another service provider. There would be no charge for doing this. 

While trying to obtain the new service at XXXX, the representative told me the phone was still locked. So I called XXXX & XXXX to unlock it. 

The XXXX XXXX XXXX Representative asked me information such as the IMEI a number, serial number of the phone, the employer name, etc., and then began asking me a lot of questions about myself including contact information, etc. I questioned them as to why they asked for my personal information, and they told me it was required to unlock the phone. At the completion of the call, they said I would receive an email with unlock information and it would be unlocked within 24 hours. I did receive the email, but nothing worked to unlock the phone. To make a long story short, I spent at least three hours over the next four days with representatives from XXXX XXXX XXXX, and XXXX - the phone manufacturer - trying to get this unlocked. I finally simply asked to talk to a supervisor who ended up unlocking the phone in two minutes from my request. 

I thought the nightmare was over, but it had only begun. Two months later, I received a bill from XXXX XXXX XXXX for over {$80.00} for services that I never got from them, had never asked for from them, and had never requested that I be set up at all with them. So I called the customer service line and explained the situation. They agreed with me that this was an error and should not have been billed, said they would take care of it, and the phone call ended. 

As of this week ( XX/XX/XXXX ), XXXX XXXX XXXX has sent/sold that fraudulent bill to collection agencies at least seven separate times ( at least twice to ERC ), some of which have gone into my credit record and posted collection notices, after I explained the situation to each one of them, and of course, refused to pay their demand. None of them ever provided ANY type of documentation that any service had been provided or that I had even requested any service. 

Is there a limit to the number of times that XXXX XXXX XXXX can falsely sell this fraudulent debt to these companies, and a limit to the amount of times they can continue to harass me falsely? I can understand an honest mistake, but there is nothing honest about what they are continuing to do and have tried to do for more than two years. 

Obviously, a rogue employee of theirs tried to make a bonus or some money somehow by selling me an account without my permission, and which XXXX XXXX XXXX promised to correct on a call they say was recorded. But they continue to bug me over and over. At this point I have spent many hours with XXXX XXXX XXXX, their hired collection agencies, and the credit bureaus trying to defend myself against this fraudulent charge. I feel that financial compensation is in order as well.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation