Consumer complaint received 2021-06-14
Company: ACCOUNTS ADVOCATE AGENCY
State: PA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened to sue you for very old debt

Complaint:
Company contacted me stating the debt was for an ex. I provided them all the information that I knew about him from the past. Weeks later they contacted me stating they were going to take legal action against me if I didn't immediately pay them for my ex 's debt that was more than 4 years old making it a time barred debt in our state. I explained I would not pay his debt and that I had emails to prove that the creditor claimed I was not their client, my ex was and proof I had no contact with the creditor in more than 4 years. I requested proof that the debt was mine which they refused to provide. I requested proof of the last payment I made to the creditor as well as the last authorized charges I authorized to the creditor so I could see if someone had fraudulently pretended to be me which the collection agency also refused to provide. I also informed them that the date that they claimed the account was opened for my ex was wrong and they stated they could put any date they wanted. That they could put the date it went to their office or changed offices to reset the debt which seems very illegal. You can't just change debt dates because you want to. They then started calling my parents and telling them about the debt even though they were in constant communication with me and had my phone number. They just keep trying to strong arm me into paying a debt that is not only not mine, but also is time barred by threatening me with legal action and telling me how they are going to negatively impact my credit for a minimum of XXXX additional years because they can use any date they want. They refuse to provide any proof of anything to me. I even reached out to the original creditor that they claimed the debt is for and received no response from them. The account was opened by my ex in XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX I loaned my ex the money for the retainer and signed a document as a client for them to collect the payment. Any charges I was willing to loan my ex money for I authorized and immediately paid in full to Ms. XXXX. In XXXX of XXXX I informed the lawfirm that due to my ex 's abuse I was kicking him out and was no longer going to loan him money. That way they knew I was not going to authorize any more charges and I was not willing to keep paying his debts. I asked for legal advice and they stated I was not a client contradicting the document they had me sign. They stated nothing about any past due debts or charges I was not aware of. Since they claimed that I was not a client despite the original document, they didn't claim there was any past debts as I had been paying anything I was willing to authorized authorize and loan my ex in full directly to them, the original contract said no work would be done if the account was past due or the retainer was at XXXX, the fact that I NEVER received a single statement of services, never received a bill, never received any requests for money or authorization for services past the beginning of XXXX, it was clear that I did not owe them any money and I was not a client and therefore not on the account or responsible for the account going forward. I NEVER heard from the firm again and had tried to forget about my ex since he was both physically and financially abusive leading to multiple police reports in late XXXX, multiple PFAs, and having to change my password to my email and multiple other account summer and fall XXXX. 
I became XXXX XXXX in the military in XX/XX/XXXX and ensured that to protrct my military status I did not owe anyone anywhere any unpaid money. I NEVER heard about my ex and that account again until Account Advocate Agency contacted me and stated in XX/XX/XXXX I owed them over {$10000.00} toward XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX and started all of their lies and threats. To this date they still refuse to send me anything I requested and refuse to update any of the account info. The account is not mine. The account is also time barred. Them refusing to provide actual verification of ownership, dates, payments, and authorizations should be illegal and in itself proof that they are using scare tactics and unethical means to fraudulently collect a debt they have no right to collect. It is also confusing why the original creditor did not respond to my email and provide the requested proof since the debt collector will not.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief