Consumer complaint received 2017-09-28
Company: Cooling & Winter LLC
State: GA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
CFPB complaint XXXX : Cooling & Winter LLC, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 
Date : XXXX/XXXX/XXXX On XXXX XXXX, XXXX I received a letter from law firm/collection agency Cooling & XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, GA XXXX. XXXX & XXXX file XXXX alleges that I owe {$870.00} on a closed and written-off account originated at XXXX XXXX Bank ( COB ) in XXXX XXXX, NV on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. That account was previously unknown to me. I have never applied for, received or used credit cards or made payment on that account. The account limit was {$500.00}, with an APR shown ranging from just under/over 18 %. I can not determine when the amount alleged to be due exceeded {$500.00}, but there must be junk penalties and fees included. 
I replied to the XXXX & XXXX letter on XXXX XXXX, which included a threat to sue me, by denying their claim as described above, and asked that they furnish as relevant documentation, which would include a copy of the credit card agreement signed by me. Otherwise, I would consider it a closed matter. 
On XXXX XXXX, I received a pile of redacted legal papers indicating the fraudulent- looking shuffling of this account between the related companies XXXX XXXX Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MHC, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX There were the usual threatening references to debt collection, how many states XXXX & XXXX do business in, etc. 
I replied on XXXX XXXX after doing some investigations on my end, including whether or not XXXX XXXX and another bank that I had made some payments to in behalf of my son were related ( they are not XXXX, again asked for a signed copy of a credit card agreement, and advised that during XXXX some payments were relayed through me in behalf of my son to a few creditors for my son due to some problems that he had including banking, employment and legal matters. Records show that XXXX XXXX was not paid anything during that time, which is a moot point anyway. 
On XXXX XXXX, XXXX & XXXX responded with another pile of documents ( many the same as before ) and some FTC forms to fill out and return to them regarding identity theft. Again they ignored by request for signature documentation, while again the threats of legal action by a big firm. I see this as a problem with or within this group up untrustworthy companies, not XXXX of identity theft. I also spotted something in my credit report that indicates that someone re-opened this account in question in XXXX, XXXX, probably around XXXX XXXX. I think I read somewhere in my research that such a practice is illegal? 
This matter was then critically aggravated when a process server gave me papers already filed in XXXX XXXX XXXX GA XXXX Magistrate Court by XXXX & XXXX on XXXX XXXX, XXXX! I have not corresponded with XXXX & XXXX since then. I did get another message that they may be inconveniencing me, and therefore XXXX has mentioned a possible reduction of the cost to settle. Again, there was no signed credit card agreement or any other proof that I owe anything to them. I continued to belief XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX have not case, so I ignored it. 
Meanwhile, I have had XXXX contacts with attorneys. XXXX stated flatly that in the absence of a signed credit card agreement, there is no case. The other, a consumer protection XXXX, told me to file a complaint with the CFPB and that I have a case against XXXX & XXXX, and possibly XXXX, XXXX He steered me to documents on the internet showing a {$15.00} XXXX class action settlement against XXXX XXXX XXXX that has, after much foot-dragging, begun to be paid. Also, there is a {$3.00} XXXX case against XXXX XXXX XXXX brought in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Georgia by the CFPB for operating an illegal debt collection lawsuit mill. I have an interest to participate in that suit, noting that a Federal judge has denied the attempts by XXXX & XXXX to have the case dismissed/alter the applicable statute of limitations. ( That was in XXXX, XXXX, and yet they gouge on! ) My interest is because it appears that the placing of a negative report on my credit report sometime in XXXX has caused damage to my credit rating and to my finances. It is difficult to determine when that happened due to the shuffling of the account among the connected companies XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX and XXXX or XXXX, XXXX. During those months, XXXX XXXX changed my virtually limitless green card limit to {$26000.00}, virtually curtailing any more use of that card. Bank XXXX XXXX, citing a history of delinquency lopped of {$10000.00} in available credit on XXXX account, and terminated another that had no balance. And when changing mobile phone service to XXXX, they did not want to let me, personally, use auto-pay, but accepted my wife to have ownership if the account because her XXXX XXXX was better. 
I very much look forward to your assistance and the resulting replies. I am not looking forward to my court date tonight. The leopards have not changed their spots, so seriously need more convincing.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation