Consumer complaint received 2021-06-13
Company: AFNI INC.
State: GA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
The debt I'm filing this complaint about is ANFI, a collection agency. The original debtor is XXXX. My complaint is two fold : 1 ) This is not a valid debt. When I left XXXX ( more than 3 - 4 years ago I had a -XXXX- balance ... I paid in full what was owed when I closed the account, thus I owed / owe no money. XXXX contacted me a few months after I closed it saying I had a balance I owed. I explained to them that my balance was paid in full, thus I owed them nothing. I stopped answering any of their NUMEROUS phone calls ( bordering on harassment ) and didn't realize that they had turned this false debt to a collection agency ( AFNI ) until I began receiving " Collection Notices '' from them for this invalid / incorrect debt. I didn't answer any of these notices, and had NO CONTACT with them, either via phone or written, at all. I disputed this debt via XXXX XXXX twice, and both times it was deemed as a valid debt and no action was taken to remove this from my credit report. 

2 ) I haven't had XXXX as my telecommunications company in NUMEROUS ( 3 - 4 ) years, yet my credit report states that this debt was " opened '' on XX/XX/2020 ( just 9 months ago ) ... .THIS IS NOT / CAN'T BE TRUE!!!!! I was told that negative items will drop off your credit report in 7 years provided that I had no communications with either the original debtor ( XXXX ), nor the collection agency ( ANFI ), which I hadn't since my initial / one time contact with XXXX when I was 1st billed. By them changing the account opened date to just 9 months ago they've fraudulently changed the date in an effort to HARASS, and in fact, HARM me. 

I first became aware that this debt was turned over to ANFI 2 1/2 years ago, thus the Date Opened of XX/XX/2020 is a lie ... .an obvious attempt to negatively affect my credit score for years OVER the 7 years it would have dropped off ... .like I stated before, I haven't had XXXX as a provider in NUMEROUS ( 3 - 4 ) years ... not since the stated date XX/XX/XXXX 

I'm not in a financial position to retain an attorney about this debt, thus I was forced to wait out the 7  years before it dropped. I was under the assumption that I wouldn't need credit for the rest of my life, but I was incorrect as every aspect of life depends on your credit score, and having this negative INVALID mark on my report damages me extensively!!!! I can not obtain a credit card, receive a loan from any financial institution, obtain any services without a deposit needed, nor change my place of residence because all of these are determined solely via your credit score ... .having this incorrect ( INVALID ) negative mark lowers my score significantly, to the point where it is now ... .AND SHOULDN'T BE!!!! 

Please investigate this matter and take the appropriate actions against both XXXX and AFNI due to both of their practices to attempt to HARRASS, or better said, downright HARM me. This shouldn't happen to anyone, and the fact that it's happened to me is downright MADDENING. I would be more than happy to bring legal action against both companies, but as stated before, I'm not financially able to. 

I do not have specific dates of when I obtained XXXX as my provider, nor when I left them, due to it being such a long time ago ... I've discarded anything and everything concerning this thinking I wouldn't ever need to need them. I also discarded all communications from AFNI because I had no intention of contacting them. The years I've given are an estimate, and I've actually under represented them so that my complaint doesn't seem like an exaggeration ... .this INVALID debt might be well be over the years I stated that I left them ... it might well be over 4 years. The amount of the stated debt is {$250.00}. 

Please help me and please take appropriate actions against both companies before they continue to do this to me, and also to protect other consumers who will have this same problem with them. Thank you very much.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation