How do I handle a collection agency trying to collect a fraudulent debt?

[hipchick]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? California

About one year ago, we (my husband and I) called a burglar alarm system company to come out and give us a free estimate. The salesperson came out and gave us an estimate and had us sign a piece of paper to prove to his employer that he met with us. Me and my husband decided that we did not want a burglar alarm after all and told the salesperson we did not want to buy it.

Now one year later we received a letter from a collection agency saying we owed them money. We sent them a letter because we didn't know what they were talking about. They never responded to our letter but instead continued to call my husband over the phone. They faxed over an alarm monitoring and response agreement and told us we owed them money for that - 3 years of service (they never delivered as there is no alarm system). But we never signed this agreement, my husband's signature is forged in the signature area.

What should we do? The woman that works there is completely unreasonable, we tried to explain to her that neither of us ever signed any contracts and her response was prove it!

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Ladynred]

Have you reported the fraud to the alarm system company ??? You've got a copy of the forged signature, file a police report. Its pretty easy for any cop to see you have no alarm system in your home. If this alarm company is local, I'd be going there to confront them and their thieving employee !!!!

 

[dtown7]

I've never heard of a collection agency having documents that only the original creditor should have. That sounds suspect. You need to get an affidavit and a police report and then contact the original creditor (alarm system company). Tell them that you are disputing the debt and you have an affidavit and a police report. Tell them it was fraud and if they are reporting it to the credit bureaus they are in violation. Then contact the credit bureaus to see if it is showing up on your credit reports. If it's in collections then it might be already on your credit reports. You can also tell them that they can be sued for reporting information to the credit bureas without it being validated ($1000) and also once you tell them if they continue to try to collect without the debt being validated they can be sued again ($1000). Anything you send to anyone make copies and send them certified returned receipt. Document all phone calls just in case.