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

[serpentstar.livejournal.com]

I don't know a good lawyer who knows Canadian law I fear. :/

However, it might be worth talking to whatever the equivalent of the Citizen's Advice Bureau is, because if that happened to me I'd feel fairly confident about defending myself in court.

[the-fury.livejournal.com]

Time to start going to the top for information. You might want to check with your collection agents supervisor as well as the accounts manager for the Insurance company.

Start documenting everything, and maybe even think about sending registered letters explaining the situation.

[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.

[grimjim.livejournal.com]

Not to be too paranoid, but you might also want to scope out the possibility of identity theft.

[jeancroix.livejournal.com]

Is it possible that this Echelon company acquired your debt from another company, whether through mergers, buyouts, or just plain "buying" the debt? I've heard of this happening in the US.

[quetzal.livejournal.com]

Echelon General Insurance? sounds pretty fishy to me...

http://www.echelonwatch.org/

^v^

[barkman.livejournal.com]

Semi-random Surfer here. Hi!
Echelon in ontario is a cut rate insurance group used for first time drivers. The group i deal with directly (Co-operators) uses them for their high risk, first insurance drivers.

Any old insurance policies not cleared up in your past?

Hope this helps.