Consumer complaint received 2017-03-18
Company: Stellar Recovery, Inc.
State: SC
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 got XXXX in approximately XX/XX/XXXX/XX/XX/XXXX for the home of my elderly mother and XXXX sister. It was a two year contract. My mother died the following XX/XX/XXXX. My sister had to go to a XXXX the following XX/XX/XXXX. I called XXXX and asked if I could therefore be released from the contract. They said that since it was in my name ( I did not live at the house ) that I had to honor the contract, even though no one was living there. I honored the contract and paid monthly until it was finished. Before it was up, I called to cancel it. I was told I had a {$0.00} balance and that they would send a shipping box to me so I could return the box ( receiver, whatever it 's called ). I never received the box and called back. They had sent it to the wrong address -- one I had never heard of. Then they sent it to the proper address and the box was shipped to them. I later received a bill for {$16.00}. I called and talked to several people and said I did not owe it and thought the matter was settled. Then I received a COLLECTIONS notice from Stellar Recovery, Inc. I wrote on the statement in black magic marker that I did not owe XXXX. I never heard from Stellar Recovery again and assumed the matter was closed ... .I recently looked at a copy of my XXXX credit report, as my credit score had plummeted from nearly XXXX to XXXX. I see on the report that Stellar Recovery reported me for owing XXXX {$16.00} ( with a notation that it was originally {$17.00}? I never heard of the {$17.00}! ). I want this charge to be completely removed from my report, and I want Stellar and XXXX investigated. It would be very nice if I could get a refund for the last year, after my mother died and my sister went to the XXXX, but that is n't my main complaint ; I want the {$16.00} TOTALLY removed from all credit files ... I realize that many dishonest people take advantage of utility, cable and phone companies, but I was being honest and attempting to do everything correctly. I see now that I should have contacted you concerning XXXX refusing to release me from the contract after the death and move to the XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. And Stellar did NOT contact me in any form or fashion after I sent the dispute to them saying I did not owe the money. If you can not get this off of my credit file, I would like to know what legal resources are available to me to sue them. I am NOT going to live with destroying my credit for the next six+ years. I would probably have paid the {$16.00} they said I owed if I had known the matter had not been corrected and it was going to go against me. All of phone/cable/satellite companies apear to take advantage of those who try to be honest, as I previously had a battle with XXXX continuing to charge me after I had cancelled my service and have recently had to battle XXXX over charging me for internet service for five months after I moved and it was cancelled when I moved out-of-state ( resulting in having to spend four hours on the phone, speaking to 15 different people ). These companies seem to think they can charge whatever they want, and they make it nearly impossible to get the issues solved.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation