Consumer complaint received 2025-06-16 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Telecommunications debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Harris & Harris, Ltd.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
To the best of my knowledge this debt occurred in XXXX or early XXXX. I was a caregiver for a XXXX XXXX  who had XXXX XXXX and XXXX. I found a bill where XXXX XXXX XXXX had an in my name for XXXX XXXX cable services. as I explained to XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX was no longer able to maintain an account and have the account in my name. I needed this account closed. The final bill was sent to me and I assumed that would be the close date of the bill. I saw there was {$50.00} deposit on the account. This amount would More than cover the final bill after disconnection. 

I spoke to XXXX & returned the modem to XXXX XXXX as XXXX is the name of the gentleman in question. I was assured by a XXXX representative the final bill would be paid in full by the deposit of {$50.00}. The actual last bill was less than {$50.00} according to the billing statement for that month. The bill was somewhere between {$40.00} and {$45.00} to the best of my recollection. 

XXXX XXXX vacated his residence shortly afterward. I assumed everything was resolved. I even called XXXX XXXX to explain to them what happened and that I returned the modem to the local office. A few months later, I became aware of that there was still a balanced due in my name when everything was supposed to have already been resolved. I asked why. XXXX Then told me they never disconnect an account that is past due only XXXX  days. The representative at XXXX XXXX told me they wait XXXX  days or more before disconnecting service. But that's not what the letter and XXXX stated! 

That's not what the bill stated that I saw and responded to. I was assured the deposit would cover the final bill as long as I returned the modem in good condition. I did that. 

in my opinion XXXX XXXX and their representatives are unscrupulous. I don't know how or why they could have charged {$300.00} to XXXX  XXXX When the deposit took care of the final months bill and there was no services used after that time because there was no modem. I returned it. And yet they said they kept billing for services. XXXX evidently charged for extra months never used and didn't debit the deposit properly. They also charged huge punitive late charges evidently. They also may have charged for the modem which they received at their local office. But some of this I was not aware of until much later. XXXX XXXX had moved away and I assumed everything had been finally resolved. I'm letting you know all this information that I found out afterward. I did call them to complain about the whole situation and tell them what had happened, but evidently nothing was resolved on their end. They evidently billed me through XXXX XXXX 's address, where no one was receiving mail. They turned it over to one collection agency and then another. At one point I saw two collection agencies trying to collect the same bill on the same credit bureau. I believe this was on Equifax and possibly on experian as well at the same time. I currently have not seen the second collection agency on either report, other than the Harris and Harris LTD collection agency that is still on both reports.

This situation is doubly egregious. 
In the first place, the debt wasn't even mine. The service was being used by XXXX XXXX XXXX at his address. And secondly, when I became aware of This account, I thought it was paid for and resolved. I was assured it would be taken care of. But it wasn't. The error was multiplied and charge to me illegally and unlawfully. This is fraud! This is fraud by XXXX XXXX and fraud by extension via Harris and Harris LTD. I explained all of this to Harris and also to XXXX. Neither of them did anything except expecting me to come up with various documentation and file criminal charges against XXXX XXXX who is now either deceased or in a XXXX home. His mind was so far gone by XXXX, that he hardly knew me or recognized me XXXX  months later When I briefly saw him near the XXXX  XXXX in XXXX, Florida. 

I also submitted this information to and through a third party to XXXX. XXXX  promptly removed this fraudulent and incorrect delinquent That had numerous errors, as well as showing two separate collection agencies, both attempting to collect the same debt at the same time. 

This was removed from XXXX  successfully in XXXX of XXXX. However, it was not removed by XXXX  nor by XXXX. I had conversations with both of these companies and also attempted to have this incorrect derogatory information removed electronically by a third party. I also disputed this information a second time with XXXX. I manually disputed the XXXX  delinquent account and it was disputed by a third party service as well. I even tried the service a second time with no results. in XXXX of XXXX I disputed this information again with XXXX  but it has failed for the fourth time. 

On this final attempt, the XXXX  representative seemed very pleasant and helpful, but it is obvious to me that disputes are not looked into fairly or thoroughly. I explained that XXXX XXXX XXXX is likely in a XXXX home now, or has since deceased. I have no contact with him and do not have any idea where he is other than he may still reside in XXXX, Florida, If he is still alive. 

I have attempted to resolve this issue myself. But it is obvious that these credit bureaus are unscrupulous and do not care about accuracy of the report nor do they care about the consumer. Ultimately, they do whatever they think they need to do as programmed by some algorithm or programmed response. They don't check into the validity of real complaints or real issues that should be addressed. This one derogatory complaint is the only one I have on my XXXX  and XXXX. It may be lodged in some other sub reports that feed information to the big three bureaus. I've been more than patient. I've been working on this for almost XXXX  years. I've only gotten this false information removed from XXXX. When I checked XXXX  today I did not see it but it's still there on some reports. It disappears and then comes back. It seems to be permanently embedded into XXXX. I've challenged it XXXX times in total. They keep coming back with a statement saying the account information has been validated. All the system is doing is validating that I'm the same person who they have on the account originally. I explained what happened. I explained how it happened. I explained that it was taken care of. This is all bogus and faults. I am so furious. The next stop is lawsuits. I need my government to help me. Other people are in the same situation. And I'm sure they are equally as frustrated and angry. Please help me. I don't know what else to do. This is all I know to do at this point. They are ignoring me. I didn't save any information other than the documentations attached to this report showing the account and the derogatory status with XXXX  and XXXX. I am so tired of this. It's like some XXXX that you can't get rid of. You do everything but it's still sticks to you. Please help rid me of this misinformation, fraudulent XXXX. That's what it is. These credit bureaus take horrible advantage of consumers. Most consumers don't know how to fight back. I really don't either. But I'm trying to do all that I know to do. Please advise. There is no excuse for this to remain on my credit bureau or reflect anything negative towards me any longer. Thank you for your assistance.

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