A collection agency is telling me they are going to sue me over a debt that i am unaware of, is this legal?

They guy on the phone told me that they have notified me 10 times in the last few months and that they can prove it; however, I just got back from a deployment overseas and hadn't heard a thing. I really considered paying the debt because of the small amount however I haven't seen anything in writing and didn't want to fall prey to a scam. After telling the guy I needed more time and wanted to see things in writing he told me I had no more time and I had to pay today or it was going to the attorneys... I told them I wouldn't pay until I had something in writing so he told me they would push it to the legal office and hung up. I am still confused about what is going on but I want to be prepared for any possible legal action...what happens next? Oh, the company was called North Star Location Services, I couldn't find a web page on them to validate their involvment in the so called 5 year old debt.

I'm assuming you have an address on North Star... Send them a letter. They HAVE to provide information in writing... Here's a form letter, change to suit YOUR information:

DV letter for CA:

You
Your address
CA
CA Address

DATE

This letter is being sent to you in response to (a letter I recently received/an entry in my credit file). Be advised that this is not a refusal to pay, but a notice sent pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15USC1692g(b) that your claim is disputed and validation is requested.

In accordance with the above statute(s), I am asking that you prove that you have the correct debtor, the correct balance and that you are legally authorized to collect this debt, by providing documentation establishing the following:

鈥?Name and address of Original Creditor
鈥?Name, address and account number on file for alleged debtor
鈥?Amount of alleged debt
鈥?Date that this alleged debt became payable
鈥?Date that the account originally became delinquent
鈥?Verifiable proof that I have a contractual obligation to pay your firm.
鈥?Any agreement that bears my signature, wherein I agreed to pay the creditor.
鈥?A copy of all statements while this account was open.
鈥?Any documents that grant your organization the authority to collect this alleged debt.

If your offices are able to provide the proper documentation as requested, I will require at least 30 days to investigate this information. According to the law, you must cease all collection activity on this account until the above information is sent to me. All correspondence shall be in writing. At no time shall you call me at my place of employment. Also be advised that, should you call me at any other location, all telephone calls will be recorded.

I wish to thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in this matter.


YOU

This might be a scam, contact your lawyer!

Let them sue. Who cares? Probably bogus. They MUST contact you in writing. Furthermore the guy IS a liar--if you've been deployed, how has he been talking to you?
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/cred...
gives you good info on your rights.
Note this in particular:
"What must the debt collector tell you about the debt?
Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money."

i dont think they can collect on a debt thats five years old..but i would check with a bankruptcy attorney.....they need to tell you whom the debt is with.....thats for sure....

Is it your debt? How much is the debt vs. Lawyer and Fee's. You will have to pay those as well, if its your debt.

do nothing about paying.

they'll either call again or you'll next hear from an attorney.

if they call again, ask for a supervisor.

you want and need that proof in writing.

***
this could just as well be an identity theft case since you were overseas. isn't that hard to find the name of a few guys who are being deployed when you know an entire unit is going and where it is based.

or it could be someone with the same or a similar name. demand proof.

***
that you've received nothing for the past 10 months, and nothing has been forwarded to your relatives who were getting your mail, pretty much suggests something is all wrong.

***
for poster above -- limitations on collecting old debts vary by state -- there is no blanket statement such as yours about five years is too old since that simply isn't true in all states.

They are probably scamming you. First, check your credit report and see if there is any mention of this debt. Next up, go online and review what your rights are during a collection process.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/cred...
There is a good place to start.

Next up, be adamant about them providing you proof of the debt. If they keep refusing then report them to the attorney general in your state.

Also, check out the statute of limitations in your state. Some states prohibit suing for a debt past a certain age. In Texas it is 4 years. Different states have different laws. That does not mean that the company cannot try to collect, it just means that they cannot sue you for the debt. However, if they threaten to sue for a debt like this then they are breaking the law because they cannot make threats they do not intend to backup. Threatening legal action when they are not going to do it or are incapable of doing it is illegal. Careful though, there are ways that companies use to "reset the clock" in old debts so that the statute goes back to zero. One way is getting you to acknowledge the debt is yours.

Another thing, you said that you just got back from a deployment overseas? Is that a military deployment? If so then I would recommend talking to someone in the military to see what protections there are for you.

Tell them fo f**k off. Send them a very strongly worded, but professional letter that states you will be contacting YOUR attorney and you are also going to contact the State Attorney in your state and the State Attorney in the state they are doing business out of. By the way the info I got on the WEB about this company:

9700 Main St
Clarence, NY , 14031-2037
Phone: 716-759-2342

And some other interesting links:

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-610...

Products Description:
Business Services Private investigation services, Lie detection services, Detective agencies, Fingerprint services, Detective services

Some one ran my mobile phone bill up to 500 quid once and I didn't have a job. I forgot my phone when I went to visit them upon leaving, afte a few days I went and got it back.. when the bill came it was 11 pages long with a shed load of over seas calls listed. I was in shock!! the person said they will pay it, but disappeared. I had a lot of letters from different collection agencies telling me what they intended to do to recover the money. I paid in less than a quarter to keep the phone company sweet (**but not through the collection agency, direct to the company I had a contract with). I then showed the letters to someone who was self employed and they told me that until a letter arrives from Her Majesties courts with the Coat of Arms on it, I didn't have to worry. Debt collection agencies are just bullies... When I learned that I didn't bother paying anything ever again and they soon got bored... I will say this, if it is a bank that you have a dispute with then I'd advise coming to some arrangement as to paying it off as banks are the biggest bullies of them all and they do have mystical abilities that can fk up ur financial life.

Sounds like a scam your does!!

Hi,

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I would go to radio shack and get a tape recorder that you can use over the phone to record conversations and the next time they call(tell them that you are about to record the conversation before you do it of course). And then ask them to repeat what they said to you before. They are actually not supposed to threaten with legal action unless they are actually going to do it. They have to get a judgement before they garnish your wages. I would not allow these people to push you around.
When they call record all conversations and make notes if you can. Get a name of everyone you speak with. If they get abusive, hang up on them.