Consumer complaint received 2018-02-16
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: OH
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:
On XX/XX/2018 I was called on my mobile phone number by an " UNKNOWN NUMBER ''. The caller left a message as such : " This message is intended for ( First name, last name - both correct ), my name is XXXX XXXX contacting you about a complaint in my office being considered for legal action. Contact the firm at XXXX with any questions or concerns regarding case # ( 6 digit number ). No contact may result in a decision perhaps made without your consent. '' I dialed the number and a young lady asked to confirm my case number and then read me that last 4 digits of my social security number to confirm my identity. She stated that the company was going to file a judgment against me on behalf of XXXX   XXXX XXXX  for a debt that I owed. ( That debt is over 10 years old and the Statue of Limitations has passed and the amount was very small ). I asked her the name of her company and she stated " XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. I asked her if they were a collection agency or attorney firm and she couldn't answer the question so I asked to speak to an attorney there. She put me on a long hold and finally a man named XXXX XXXX answered. I asked him to clarify the name of the company and he refused. When I stated incorrectly XXXX XXXX XXXX, he said, " well obviously you don't hear well because the name is XXXX XXXX XXXX. '' He was extremely rude and I informed him that I didn't feel I owed the debt and that possibly the SOL had expired and he said, " Well, since you are a CSI guy and watch television you think you know the law now '' I informed him that I was well aware of my rights and the nature of the FDCPA and that I believed he was in violation. I asked the address where he supposedly sent the demand letter with all supporting documentation. The address he gave has never been an address at which I lived or worked, nor is it an actual address in any of the places I have ever lived. I asked to speak to an attorney there and he said one had not been assigned and that I was wasting his time and that I wouldn't get to speak to an attorney. I asked him if my attorney called would my attorney get to speak with an attorney. He became extremely rude and stated that he was busy and I was wasting his time. He hung up on me in mid sentence shortly after that. 

Additional calls were more of the same banter - I tried inform him that his company name was not listed as a company with the CA Secretary of State and he said that was my problem for not know how to use a computer and  again was extremely rude. He stated I was harassing them for trying to get clarification. 

After research online, it seems that this company has many complaints from other consumers on various telemarketing bulletins boards and complaint sites that they never have the correct information and threaten legal action to collect money. 

Here are some examples : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX   XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation