all those schoolyards later, they still just want your lunch money

[the_siobhan]

So I have been getting calls from this collection agency lately. As collection calls go, they are actually pretty good - the guy on the phone is professional and courteous, we discuss the issue of my "account" with them and then we go our seperate ways. It's certainly not the first time I've had a collection agency asking me for money, I rather strongly suspect it won't be the last.

They are calling me on behalf of a company called Echelon General Insurance. Nothing unusual about that, right? Except for the minor detail that I've never even heard of Echelon General Insurance, and I have no idea why they think I owe them money.

So every time the guy from the collection agency calls, we go over the same info, (to wit, they claim I owe them money, I claim I have no idea why) he promises to ask them yet again for more details about this supposed debt, and then I don't hear from him for another couple of weeks until my account comes up in rotation again.

Well, today I got a notice in the mail. I have five days to pay.

So I call them up and leave a message, and then just for good measure I find Echelon's number on the web, and call up their billing department and leave them a message. The letter claims I have five days to pay or I'll be getting a summons in big capitalized nouns.

So. Anybody know a good lawyer?

Comments

[redbird]

I don't know Ontario law--I don't even know New York law well on this--but the fact that you never received any kind of bill from them ought to be relevant.

Countersuing for harassment and attempted extortion (obtaining moneys by threat) is tempting but probably unwise.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

sadly, proving that you haven't received something is difficult, at best, and most credit card contracts, and probably other financial contracts, have specific waivers built-in to protect the company in just such an event. =(

[redbird]

The reason this seemed possibly worth taking them to court over is that, from what Siobhan has said, she has never had any dealings with this company. There is not only no product or service delivered, there is no contract.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I think they have to provide one if I ask for it. I've asked for copies of long-distance and credit card bills that have gone astry, and they've always ponied up.