Consumer complaint received 2019-05-08
Company: ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTIONS
State: AZ
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 received a robocall on XX/XX/XXXX claiming it was in regard to a 'legal matter '. I returned the call from ( XXXX ) XXXX and had to ask them the company name 'Alternative Resolutions '. I was told something to the effect that they were mediators on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I expressed concerns as I did not recognize that debt & there is no such creditor on any of my credit reports ( I am on a monitoring service ). 

They informed me they were not a collection agency but are working to determine if I would settle or if their client would need to sue me for judgment. I told them I didn't know what this was about. I was told it was about some company XXXX   or XXXX. 

I pressed for more information and was met with resistance unless I was willing to settle the alleged debt ( this was an attempt to re-age an account that may have fallen outside the Statute of Limitations ). I was hung up on multiple times by a XXXX XXXX as I professed this to be a mistake and/or outside the Statute of Limitations and the allowed reporting statutes under Federal Law. She told me this debt was from XX/XX/2015. I asked for information so I could contact the creditor, they told me if I was willing to settle they would put me in touch with them. 

I asked for their address so I could document my intentions with them. I also requested a copy of the credit contract and details of the account, they refused to provide anything to me. On my 5th call, a representative named XXXX XXXX finally gave me an amount of {$3600.00} they claim is owed to their client. 

They told me I am required to resolve this under binding arbitration and that there had been a no appearance default judgment issued in Arizona. I checked with the State and County no such judgment has been entered against me. During the various calls, I was provided with misleading information in some cases as if they were trying to collect a debt and at others as mediators as well as the original call that gave the implication of a legal firm attempting to serve me. 

This company violated the protections of FDCPA by way of ; Identify themselves and notify the consumer : I had to ask for the name of the company and they refused to provide me a mailing address Give the name and address of the original creditor : They gave the name, but not the address & refused to give me a way to request this in writing Notify the consumer of their right to dispute the debt ( Section 809 ) : They told me I had no right to dispute this and that there was a default judgment, when pressed on that claim, I was told the judgment was pending issue for no show. 

Provide verification of the debt : They told me I wasn't entitled to this information. When I pressed on that, they said it would be provided to my lawyer in discovery. 

This is a very deceptive practice, with the intent to scare people into paying something they may not owe. I suspect it to be a SCAM ... furthermore, it is scary the information they had on me.

Company response to consumer: Untimely response