Consumer complaint received 2017-04-20
Company: C & M Associates Group, Inc.
State: RI
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
I received a phone call from a company  call C &amp; M associates  who told me I owed over {$4000.00} on a credit card account issued to me by  XXXX  Bank in  XXXX . They offered to settle the debt out for {$1700.00}. After going over my records I could find no information that I ever had this credit card, nor any indications from my bank records that I ever paid anything on this account nor does my credit reports show any indication that this account was in arrears. To the best of my recollection I never had this account, never received statements from that bank, nor did I ever receive any calls or dunning letters from collection agencies, other banks who bought out this debt from   XXXX   XXXX   until yesterda  XXXX    XXXX   . After 14 years I talked to only the man who called me yesterday and offered me a settlement on this account. He never identified himself as a debt collector and when I asked him if he worked as a debt collector he said no that he worked for a debt acquisition company. I asked this man to send all documents pertaining to this account and he agreed. Although he never orally told me the name of the company he worked for it showed on my caller ID to be  C &amp; M associates. I looked up the company online and contacted them. At first they told me they had no information at all under the case number provided to me. Then I was transferred to another man who told me the case had been closed. However he could not open the file himself and I was directed to a supervisor who had access to the file who opened it and said it was closed to do " refusal to pay ''. I never refused to pay but asked for documentation of this debt. I was then told I could settle this debt for " let 's say {$500.00} '' and I said no that until they could show me some documents which showed I actually owed this debt I would not pay anything to resolve the matter at hand.. He promised to look into further and contact me if he found evidence of ID THEFT. As  I said above over a 14 year period I have never received any communication from  XXXX  Bank, Collections Agencies or any of the banks that  XXXX  Bank sold out there credit card debt too. As I understand it this debt was sold to   XXXX   XXXX  , then to  XXXX  and finally to  XXXX  &amp;  XXXX . After that it was sold to a number of debt acquisition companies before ending  up with C &amp; M Associates. As I h ave said, first the man I spoke to did not inform me he was trying to collect a debt, and I over a 14 year period have never received any communications in any form as to the status of this credit card account, so I was never given a chance to dispute it, plus there are no record of this debt on my credit reports or my bank records. I am left with many questions about  XXXX  Bank a nd C &amp; M Associates.  It is hard for me to believe that this debt was floating around for 14 years and I never received any communication from a  Debt  Collector, nor that it does not show in anyway on my credit reports. I am dumbfounded by this and any advice your agency would provide me would greatly be appreciated.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation