Consumer complaint received 2016-10-03
Company: Southwest Credit Systems, L.P.
State: VA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not mine

Complaint:
I am a XXXX subscriber for both cell phones and FiOS, and have been for some years. XX/XX/XXXX, I planned to initiate XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX only to receive military orders to XXXX in XXXX. I explained that I had received military orders and that I had to cancel my planned XXXX XXXX installation through XXXX Customer Service, which properly processed the cancelation according to federal law, specifically the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act of XX/XX/XXXX as amended. I was assured that the cancellation was successful and that I owed nothing. In fact, I never received any XXXX equipment, nor did I ever initiate service, nor did I ever have an installation performed, nor did I ever lease the apartment I had anticipated having XXXX XXXX because of the military orders I received. All was well. Upon arriving in XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX to contract for service, schedule installation, and open an account. That installation and contract proceeded very well and I had no complaints or issues. However, by XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX began billing me for the amount of {$1200.00} falsely alleging that I had not canceled service and falsely claiming I had received equipment that I did not in fact ever receive. I spent many hours on the phone with XXXX, especially after XXXX improperly reported me to the credit bureaus as having been delinquent in my payments. In fact, I had a XXXX account, and my payments were current, and the account in XXXX had never been opened and was canceled properly under XXXX and federal law. I even sent a copy of my orders to XXXX, which apologized profusely XX/XX/XXXX and removed the account from my credit report and ceased improperly billing me. I have had no issues for nearly a year. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received orders to return to XXXX, and I transfered my XXXX XXXX account and all my XXXX equipment with me. I am a current XXXX customer in good standing. This bill that I am being presented by Southwest Credit is in error, and XXXX knows very well that I do not owe and that this account was never opened. If XXXX sold this account to Southwest Credit, XXXX did so in violation of its own policies, in violation of XXXX law, in violation of the Fair Credit Practices Act, and in violation of the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act. This is an illegitimate bill and Southwest Credit is engaged in debt collection fraud in attempting to collect on an amount I do not owe. This is outrageous and Southwest Credit continues to call me despite being told to desist and that I do not owe anything. I want Southwest Credit to desist from attempting to collect this fraudulent debt, and I want Southwest Credit prevented from attempting to extort me by reporting this illegitimate debt to credit bureaus. XXXX has a terrible reputation for engaging in such business practices, as does Southwest Credit, and I want both companies to be admonished and to cease attempting to collect this illegitimate debt.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation