Personal Finance

COLLECTIONS AND COLLECTION AGENTS: Ask me anything! (Official RFD Thread)

Newbie
Oct 28, 2018
2 posts
I have just received a letter from TPH legal services for a debt that went to collections a few years ago when I was having financial difficulties. I paid this off with CBV financial but in keeping with the shady practices they used to reach me (no letter, then backdating a letter they emailed me) they stopped communicating with me after I paid it off, and never sent me anything in writing that it was paid off. Now, a year later, I'm getting a letter saying that this company is representing them and all this "Bankruptcy order" stuff in a letter saying I owe almost 4K. I have drafted a dispute letter but I want to be sure I'm not restarting anything by sending it. I have bank statements of all the payments I've made, in addition to emails to CBV asking for confirmation of payments and a release letter. Nothing on my credit bureau since the original creditor wrote it off several years ago. Finally got my credit repaired and now this.
Newbie
Jun 27, 2023
1 posts
I'm at a loss with what to do. I have an old debt to RBC, the account was closed in 2018.

After the original debt collectors (Collectcents) contacted my place of work, despite never calling me or contacting me and having my info, I offered a payment plan which was the best I could do. $50 each pay, PAD. After a year, I'd paid off the balance. Only then I received a call stating that I'd only paid off the principal and not the interest and would need to pay a further amount, which had never been discussed with me at any point. I never discontinued the PAD - we set it up to pay the balance and stop when it was paid.

I asked multiple times for something in writing, especially confirming that my payments were being applied since the collections wasn't on my credit report. I never received anything. I provided my mailing address, more than once, including when I moved. I also had mail forwarding when I moved and was in contact with my previous landlord for any mail that came for us since we were expecting docs for my partner's immigration.

The last time I contacted them was in November 2021. This was to express my frustration because all I wanted to do was put it behind me and make good on it and have something concrete in writing. I wrote to the ombudsman who still did nothing to rectify the situation.

Now, a year and a half later, the supposed debt has been transferred to another company. Nothing in writing - constant phone calls from Commercial Credit Adjusters regarding a debt from RBC.

I paid $1,200, which from my old letters from RBC, is $120 more than I owed. I'm hesitant to reach out to CCA because I don't want to once again acknowledge the debt. I don't even know how much interest is supposedly due and payable which is what frustrates me after paying $1,200.
Newbie
Jul 19, 2023
0 posts
Hi everyone I hope I could get some help or advice. I’m feeling pretty hopeless.

TL;DR: Student loan from around 2000, went to collections. Dropped off and no longer impacting my score since at least 2012. Reappears with new debt collection agency, pretending new activity a couple of months ago. Only it wasn’t me doing the activity, but CRA using my tax rebate towards my outstanding student balance. Should I dispute this with the credit bureau?

Longer version:

This is in Ontario and there is this old student loan debt from around 1999 - 2001. I received numerous calls from collections throughout the 00s regarding this debt. 2010 would have been the absolute latest that I ever picked up the phone/responded to any communications.

I had /have little to no income and was informed back then that this debt would never go away with a bankruptcy and since I couldn’t afford to pay it off to just to ignore, as it will no longer impact my credit score after 7 years.

When I pulled my credit report in 2012, my credit was very good and the only indication of my student loan was that it showed as a closed account with $0.00 balance.

In 2019, CRA began using any tax refunds towards the student loan to reduce the balance. Sure, fine. Whatever. I still got the GST credits and there was nothing on my credit score, collections wise. Until now.

I look at my credit report today and see that they just added this debt via a new collection agency I never heard of before. It is stating my last activity was only a couple of months ago, corresponding to around the time when I got notice from CRA that they were clawing back my Climate action incentive payment rebate to put towards the student loan.

As it wasn’t just the a clawback from a refund, but a rebate, they somehow decided this was a fresh activity and resurrected the debt and put it with a new collections? And re-added it to my credit report?

Are they allowed to do this? It is over 20 years old. I am not even working (currently dealing with a long-term injury making it that I can’t work.) I was under the impression that once it falls off, they can’t just orchestrate activity on their end to make it come alive again. Can they??

Should I dispute this with the credit bureaus or am I SOL?
Newbie
Dec 1, 2020
5 posts
6 upvotes
There are 2 types of debt.
Secured and Unsecured debt.
Look them up. With relation to statute of limitations and or credit reporting.

As for those receiving phone calls on very old expired debt or wrong person.
Send what is called a "cease and desist" letter to the collection agency. Keep a copy for yourself.
Once they are in receipt of the "cease and desist" they must comply and stop phone calls with respect the debt settlement services act in ontario and similar in other provinces in Canada.

If after they continue to call advise them of the cease and desist sent. And if they still continue, file a formal complaint with the ministry of government and consumers services. They liscence and info will be on the government website to reference when making a complaint. Provide the receipt of the cease and desist letter as proof when asked.

Each and every collection agency president vice president , all the way down to the collector of the agency knows this. And its part of their acknowledgement when being lisenced. Collection agencies must be bonded and adhete to regulations and audits from Registrars.

There should be more audits going on.
Newbie
Sep 18, 2009
78 posts
21 upvotes
Good morning, my rental had an appliance issue and I called a repair company that I have used in the past. They did not come out or fix appliance so I just called another company and it was repaired. About a week later I got a bill from first company and went back and forth and got nowhere. It was only $125 for call but no repair…..

I have now had a collection company Bison put amount of 160 on both credit reports. I did receive an email from them asking for proof they came or did work he says they have my voice recorded??? But nothing provided.

What do I do in this case? Not a lot of money but this seems like black mail surprised this can be done. My credit rating was over 900 and now much lower of course so does affect me.

I’m thinking it my credit rating will go back if I just pay but maybe wrong. Regardless I want to fight this as it is wrong on many levels.

Thoughts? Advice?

TIA
Jr. Member
May 1, 2018
190 posts
133 upvotes
East York
PH1515 wrote: Good morning, my rental had an appliance issue and I called a repair company that I have used in the past. They did not come out or fix appliance so I just called another company and it was repaired. About a week later I got a bill from first company and went back and forth and got nowhere. It was only $125 for call but no repair…..

I have now had a collection company Bison put amount of 160 on both credit reports. I did receive an email from them asking for proof they came or did work he says they have my voice recorded??? But nothing provided.

What do I do in this case? Not a lot of money but this seems like black mail surprised this can be done. My credit rating was over 900 and now much lower of course so does affect me.

I’m thinking it my credit rating will go back if I just pay but maybe wrong. Regardless I want to fight this as it is wrong on many levels.

Thoughts? Advice?

TIA
Contact Equifax & TU, and they'll take it off if there is no proof. My daughter had a similar issue with a former landlord. When she was moving out of her apartment, the mover allegedly banged the door & the door would not open or close afterwards Otis elevator were called & they had to reset the elevator which cost $400. She refused to pay, so it was sent to collections. She contacted the credit bureaus & they both removed the claim.

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