Portfolio Management Canada Inc.

[excollector]

About portfolio management canada inc.

last year in August my spouse called me at work and told me someone called and wanted me to call them back. She gave me the phone# and extension. When I called the extension couldn't be reached from the number I was calling from. I finally got thru and the after confirming who I was, the next thing the lady said was that the call is recorded and asked me if I am still living at such and such address (my current address). I confirmed and she started telling me that she is calling about a purchase at Zales I allegedly made in 1996. i told her I don't recall ever having made any purchases at Zales and she insisted that I did and I had to pay the alleged outstanding bill.
I asked how much the bill was for maybe that would jogg my memory; got the amount ~$800and in the same breath the so called discount rate which was ~$200 less.
After some back and forth I asked where we are going form here and she said I would have to send them proof that the bill was paid in full.
So the dance started again. how can I send proof of a bill that I a.) don't have any recollection of and b.) how many people keep bills and receipt for more than a few years, if that long.
I didn't hear from this company for almost a year. Then this week I get a letter , the first thing in writing I ever got from this company, basically stating the same as I was told on the phone.
owing to Zales and account#; a reference #, the amount and the "fantastic" discount and that it would only be availlable till such and such date.
last year after talking to this person at PMC, I went home googled for the closest Zales store just to find out that there are no Zales stores in Canada.
Now even if I would have shopped at Zales in the U.S., it couldn't have been in 1996 since the first time I ever been to the States was not before 1998 and I got my passport to proof this.
Now I read and read in this forum and others, but still there is no straight answer, or maybe I have overlooked it, but 11Years back?
Ok I moved several times in the last few years, but i had the same job for the last 10 years and I bought a house 2 years ago and nothing came up on the credit check.
I mean $600 is $600, really isn't out off this world, but I refuse to pay something I never got real proof of that I made this purchase.

Ahh yes the infamous Zales has creeped in again, well the best advice I can truly pass on to you is this, if you had never shopped in
Zales or ever held a credit card to Zales then your fine, Zales cannot offer credit cards to non US citizens, unless you lived in the USA. However, if PMCI is contacting you, then state to them that the accoutn is stat barred, you need not worry about proof of a receipt or anythign like that, the fact is it is stat barred, if they insist on houding you fo this debt that is past 7 years, contact the credit bureau, both Trans Union and Equifax, get copies from both, then what you need to do is write a letter to the Ministry of Consumer and Business Affairs, and send along your copies of your credit file. Only copies, state in the letter that they are contacting you on a stat barred debt and in turn they will start the process investigation. That is one way. The other is tell PMCI it is stat barred and if they still contact you then tell them you will place a complaint to the Ministry on illegally collecting on a debt that is stat barred.

 

[excollector]

According to Trans Union (Empoyee Zack #3161), they will remove anything from your report more than 6 years old from the date of FIRST delinquency. You have to contact Portfolio Management and request this information and report back to the credit bureau.

PMG purchased a block of delinquent accounts back in 2002 from CitiFinancial, Beneficial, The Associates and others. Then they went on a blitz to collect....Back in June 1997 I had credit with an electronics company through Beneficial who was bought out by The Associates. I fell under some hard times and wasn't able to pay in 1998/99. You get on with your life, one hard step after another, and you try to rebuild yourself and your credit. Years pass and you think that you are in the clear (5 1/2 years)...the along comes the PMG. Just before it is to fall off of your credit report, they refile and change the date to 2003 (not 1998) and you are tortured for another 6 years! There should be a statue of limitations on collections. They say it is 6 years, but it could be 24 at PMG's rate!

I have been advised by TU credit bureau to contact PMG and get proof of the first delinquent date. When I have that information, they can remove the blemish from my report. When I asked them what my options are if they will not provide me with this info, they said that they have to but if they don't - no advice. But don't despair.

I was curious after googling Portfolio Management and finding this site, so I researched further and found their site which lead me to the parent company AKTIVKAPITAL. Anyone who has been hounded by these individuals will find this to be a joke:

Debt Buying Division

Specializing in the distressed debt buying segment, Portfolio Management Group (PMG) purchases seemingly unrecoverable liabilities in exchange for instant revenue from a wide variety of clients. Currently, the largest debt buyer in Canada, we focus on utilizing our Signature Care methodologies to treat each customer with integrity and respect while providing rehabilitative payment solutions. All recovery activities are performed by our highly trained Account Representatives and are never sold to second party vendors. With this approach, you can be relieved of your in-house collection expenses and liabilities while remaining confident that your customers will always receive quality service reflecting positively upon your organization.


What do you think? If you have ever been hounded by this organization, you will agree with me. My advice is to start doing what I am: get a copy of your credit report, monitor it on a yearly basis at the very least, have things removed if they do not belong to you, or as in this case, the date for fall off has come and gone almost 3 years ago! Stand up for your rights and don't take the abuse and degradation from Portfolio Management Group for another minute. Report them to the authorities if they attempt to contact more than the law allows, or if they step out of line. You owe them money (and in some cases, not even that), not your life.

For one I must rebutt, any collection agency is not allowed to relist an item to your credit file unless it is clearly stated within the guidlines of the creditor, that is only in the case if the creditor has not listed the item themselves, however, under law, the only debt ever to be consistent on your file is any government debt, PMG PMCI cannot relist an item to stand for 24 per post. However I must totllay agree with you, do a credit file check, look it over, if there is nothign on there and you get calls for something that is not on your file then challenge them, look at complaining to the Ministry, if they can bully us, then we have the ammunition to fight back.
Remember "Eaton's" well here is a bit of info on that, they were financed by a company called Trans Canada Credit, this was back in the day. Now Eatons closed the doors and went bankrupt, only on their real Estate and Corporate side of the company, and under protection prior to they sold the logo, and the retail portion to Sears Canada. Now here is the tricky part, because all of the other stuff was taken care of they needed to resolve the credit card accounts, so what they done is sent to all their credit card holders, ones in goodstanding, different options for other credit cards, to replace the Eatons card, Trans Canada Credit financed several other department stores, Holt Renfrew, Danier Leather, Sears, at that time. However the credit accounts that were dilinquent were placed in a holding data base, because they needed to resolved the good credit accounts.
Now it took some years to finalize the good credit, and what happened in the meantime, the time line of 7 years less a day took effect on at least 90% of the bad debt, so in turn to get these bad accounts off their hands Trans Canada Credit decided to sell all their bad debts to have nothing more to do with them, they sold it to a company, that operates in Chicago, they operate here has Canada Receivables, now Canada Receivables cannot operate as a collection agency, not the parent company, I will try to get the name, due to US laws and Canada Laws, so they made a mock company Canada Receivables, and in turn they sell these debts to collection agencies, from the time TCC holding these accounts to resolve the good debt, to selling them and then CR selling them to Agencies, the 7 year issue is in effect, any one getting a call about an old Eatons account, all of them are stat barred.

 

[excollector]

I received a call the other day from Portfolio Management Canada Apparently I have a debt outstanding for $732.00 from a whacky weatleys account which I had no idea I owed.Apparently the money owed is from a account is from 1995.....? Ive been dealing with this store for years.If I didnt pay cash I would do the 12 months no interest/no payments plan then i would pay it off totally in that year, never a problem Ive always and still have very good credit there.
So I went to the store and they couldnt find anything outstanding with my name on it.whacky weatleys is stunned too!they seem to think somethings a little fishy!they never heard of the company.I got a loan for my house 3 years ago and I had a credit check done and they found nothing anywhere! that i owed.Plus a brand new 2007 car! Ive had good credit everywhere I went.
I took his name and # and told him I was going to look into it further"HE WANTED MY INFORMATION TO CLOSE THE ACCOUNT!" he mentioned it 3 times till I got to hand up.So I called him today to ask him to send me copys of that account ticket he said THEY BOUGHT DIRECTLY FROM WHACKY WEATLYS IN 2002.Yet whackys have never in there years did there own financing they do through other financial services.....???Yet they had my last two addresses were I lived before and I had just received a call about it two days ago for the first time.I asked him why this wasnt on my credit report all this time and he couldnt tell me a thing,he didnt even want to listen he just wanted my CLOSING INFORMATION!he said I had a moral obligation to pay this...thats all! he didnt mention legal action once! on a 12 year old account??I think there grasping straws!....prey one people with accounts from years ago and call you on it! if it sounds legit most people would just pay it and be done with it.There rude a mean because they get a commission off every account closed.They dont get a dime till they get your info! be carfull!

People I cant stress enough, please read, anytime you apply for a credit card through a department store, they are financed through a finance company, if anyone goes to the store directly the main store will never have information on your credit, you need to find the finance company, example this is just an example apothesis, lets say The Brick, they are financed through lets say Wells Fargo, you apply for the brick card, even though the name "The Brick" is on the card it is a Wells Fargo credit line, only your limited to The Brick purchases.
Now lets say you defualt, and years go by, The Brick will never ever have any credit info on you, it is wells fargo that will, even though you go into the store to pay the card, all the brick does is record your payment and the stats are forwarded to wells fargo, in the post about Whacky Wheatleys never heard of PMCI or they dont have info on you, that is correct, becasue Whacky's do not deal with the credit side, they only have a finance company, find out who the finance comapny is and go from there, but if it is past 7 years, then just tell PMCI it is stat barred.

 

[excollector]

My husband starting getting automated calls around the beginning of this year, with a message about "an important business matter." As it turned out, it was Portfolio Management, but they did not say that in their message. As I have been encouraging him to correct his credit mistakes from before we met, and as I was tired of listening to these messages and not being able to do anything about them, I made him call. Apparently they wanted approximately $3000 of our money for a supposed debt that they were reluctant to elaborate on, and felt that he should repay in full immediately. I believe at some point it was mentioned that the amount could probably be reduced if he "co-operated." He insisted that they send him the details of this debt before he would agree to any repayment. After quite a long time, he finally got a letter in the mail that stated he owed People's jewellers $3000 but no dates or specifics. He told me that before we met (ie about 9 years ago) he had bought an engagement ring from People's but it was about $1000 and at least half of it had been repaid. So we got his credit report--from Equifax and Trans Union...and interestingly enough, there is NO MENTION OF A PEOPLE'S CREDIT CARD or of any debts (from any source) going to a collection agency. Which leads me to wonder...where do they get this crap from? Do they just pull names and dollar amounts out of their a**es and hope that people will just pay it without asking any questions??? Tomorrow he's going to make some calls to find out if they have any legal leg to stand on with their claim & requests, and then hopefully we can just tell them to go to h*ll. I'm interested to hear if anybody else has had similar experiences with Portfolio Management.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that when he first spoke with them they said something about being unable to reach him by mail at his previous addresses. But yet we know the people at ALL of his previous addresses, and all of them have forwarded other mail to us, so why would they not have sent on a letter from Portfolio Management (unless there never was one!). Also, when my husband asked which address, they wouldn't tell him. Hmmm....

In one of my replies I do believe Peoples Jewellers was part of Trans Canada Credit some years back, remeber People's went belly up, and they were bought by another company to retain the People's insignia, however in the case of your spouse, he may have paid the account, but at that time it might have been a cross line of debt, he paid it and the file was on process of going to an agency, or in the bad file data base. however look closly on your credit file, People's will not be listed as a creditor, only the finance company at that time, if nothing is on your file about a past debt, then your in the clear, one the collector should have informed your spouse what the debt was for, and form what I see in your post it is stat barred anyway. You are not obigated to pay, due to the statue of limitations, now in defense of the agency, any information that is on your credit file is updates regularily, anytime you ever apply for credit, mortgage, anything that requires a credit check, all information is updated, under law if a collection agency has a debt they are allowed to perform a credit bureau inquirey, if you are unaware how they knwo your previous information address etc, it is off the credit file. Most people that have unlisted numbers are baffled on how an agency finds it, it is because it is on a credit file, when the app asks for a home number, people dont realize, just cause it is unlisted, you place it on a credit app, it becomes unlisted to creditors.

 

[excollector]

I received the automated message on my answering machine this morning, but, despite returning the call within 30 minutes of its arrival, there was nobody at the office, and the mailbox I was directed to was full.

Prior to this, I sensed a scam and did a web search for the phone number, and got this:
http://publiccomplaints.blogspot.com/

Scroll down to June and you'll find some information about the author having an experience similar to that already shared.

I'd contacted Equifax earlier in the year to get my credit report, found an error on it, and have gotten them to open an investigation into it. I've also recently contacted TransUnion to get my credit report from them, and also get them to open an investigation if there are similar errors on it.

There's definitely something shifty going on with this company - I found it VERY weird that they contacted me at this time, by phone, leaving an anonymous message. I've notified Equifax and the Better Business Bureau of what is occurring, filing complaints with both agencies. When I get a chance, I'm also going to be phoning TransUnion.

Ahh yes the automated calls, I get them all the time, I hate them, I just hang up, if they want to call me I want to speak to a live person, not some computer voice informing to call back, collection agencies are moving into the computer era, they are finding ways to save the task of collectors calling, it is the quantity, how many numbers can a cimputer call, well from my experience, a dialing system a cometer can call with in a minute over 1000 numbers simultaneaously, they detect the answered calls, and answering machines are just classed as no answers, yes when you call back your led down several paths to get to the final result of the original call, then to find out that it is a debt, from your post collection agencies are not scams and are governed by law, the BBB wont be able to help you, it is the Ministry of Business and Consumer Affairs. You did the perfect thing by looking after your credit file and resolving any issues that were errors.

 

[excollector]

I recently received aq message from this company, I haven't spoke with them yet but i was curious so I googled it. I came across this message board. From what I've read it seems like an allaborate scam. They do have a web site but it's not fully completed and seems a little fishy, some of the pages aren't finished and some redirect you to some other site. Does anyone have any useful info?

With many companies an incomplete website does not mean it is a scam they just never got around to finishing it, they are ligit, they are a full collection agency, here is a bit of help, they are located in London Ontario, and you can find them through canada 411.
On their website oh yes they have changed it again here is the info
Visitor Address:
700-200 Queens Avenue
London, Ontario CAN
N6A 1J3

Postal Address:
700-200 Queens Avenue
London, Ontario CAN
N6A 1J3

866-226-8881
519-964-3106
E-mail: scoffin@portfoliomci.com
that email address is to the president of PMCI, the numbers are main numbers so if you are looking to contact someone here ya go, to avoid the transfer here and their.

 

[temperance]

We have had a credit place call us for 2 years now ,they have the wrong person ,I tried telling them reported to ombusman and Bell we ignore the call ,I know I could change the number or futher my complaint but Im not wasting my time or money screwing with thses people I wrote a letter even .
All to no avail --
5 bucks a month to block the call
-they use diffrent number
-no not paying -
-screen calls
the goverment wanted us to do all this paper work and then they'd see what they could do
At the begining they ask all these question and I told other halpf hang up tell nobody nothing if the place is legit they would know who you are
I dont care anymore --
They leave a tape recored message

Im not paying to get rid of these people --why should I

 

[excollector]

We have had a credit place call us for 2 years now ,they have the wrong person ,I tried telling them reported to ombusman and Bell we ignore the call ,I know I could change the number or futher my complaint but Im not wasting my time or money screwing with thses people I wrote a letter even .
All to no avail --
5 bucks a month to block the call
-they use diffrent number
-no not paying -
-screen calls
the goverment wanted us to do all this paper work and then they'd see what they could do
At the begining they ask all these question and I told other halpf hang up tell nobody nothing if the place is legit they would know who you are
I dont care anymore --
They leave a tape recored message

Im not paying to get rid of these people --why should I

What is the name of the credit place, and who are they asking for, do you ahve a main number for this place?, What you need to dois contact the Ministry of Business and Consumer Affairs, they will need to know the name of the credit place, and what you have done, re your post letters etc. Now remember "a credit place" and collection agency" are two different aspects, credit issues credit, collections collect.
The ministry will look into this for you and in most cases will investigate, and will give a very strong warning. Now also keep in mind, that anytime they call, anybody can say they are the wrong person, just to avoid calls, the Ministry may also require you to provide them the Ministry with adequate proof. because any one on the other end can say you got the wrong person, I have experienced those calls and it turned out it was the person that owed the debt, not saying it is you, but just step back and think about the whole subject......

 

[unclef]

Hey excollector -- nice to see someone who knows what's going on here.

Just wondering -- I have a lot of bad debt from when I lost my high-paying job 5 years ago. I'm self employed now and my earnings are, well, pathetic, frankly. At the beginning of my saga I was honest with Portfolio, sent a letter stating my situation and why I couldn't pay. I had and have no assets of any value and pretty much what I have is covered by bankruptcy exemptions anyway. I chose at the time not to go bankrupt, believing my situation would be very temporary. Didn't quite turn out that way.

My question for you is, how often do companies like PMC sue, and is there a threshold? Do they know somehow that they wouldn't get anything out of me by suing, or are they blind that way? I owe a substantial amount to Canada Revenue (which I've been chipping away at), I'm assuming they'd be aware of that and realize CRA is first in line... or do they.

I read the actual act in BC (my home province) on limitations, and it states from what I understand that an action (court proceeding) cannot be brought more than 6 years from the date that it became possible to do so. Like I said, it's been 5 years since my last activity on my bad accounts. I read elsewhere in here that in other provinces that they can renew the statute of limitations just based on a phone conversation where you acknowledge owing -- do you know anything about BC?

 

[excollector]

Hey excollector -- nice to see someone who knows what's going on here.

Just wondering -- I have a lot of bad debt from when I lost my high-paying job 5 years ago. I'm self employed now and my earnings are, well, pathetic, frankly. At the beginning of my saga I was honest with Portfolio, sent a letter stating my situation and why I couldn't pay. I had and have no assets of any value and pretty much what I have is covered by bankruptcy exemptions anyway. I chose at the time not to go bankrupt, believing my situation would be very temporary. Didn't quite turn out that way.

My question for you is, how often do companies like PMC sue, and is there a threshold? Do they know somehow that they wouldn't get anything out of me by suing, or are they blind that way? I owe a substantial amount to Canada Revenue (which I've been chipping away at), I'm assuming they'd be aware of that and realize CRA is first in line... or do they.
First to your situation I am with you on that we find that in life, jobs change and we cant manage the finances as we used to. Sueing dpends on the creditor, a collection agency must always seek permission, and the court costs do add up, so in most cases they use that as a threat, "sue". If they did sue, then the issue would be this, what type of self employment are you in, and if you receive commissions then they can garnishee 100% of those. In rare cases, you must have a high paying self employmnet like a company, that employs lots of people.
If you owe Rev Canada, most likely they will not sue, Rev Canada has over billions of files just like you that owe, they will take that from any Gst if applicable or any taxes you do inthe future if you receive a refund they will scoop that. All Federal debts are first in line, and furthermore, you dont have just one creditor, so here is the key, if lets say they sued you for a debt, then all the other creditors woudl have to be involved, when you present your case, in front of a judge, for it is against the law to have debt preference, so it would not make sense for them to sue you based on the amount of other creditors you have.
Here is a perfect example on how crazy collection agencies are, I have a CDN Tire MC, it went into collections because, due to personal reasons, I canno longer work, so the collection agency that the account will be turned over to a lawyer......so i got a letter from a lawyer last week or so ago, stating that they will investigate and start legal proceedings, first to me it is hogwash, first of all no agancy will sue a person if they are not working, secondly, they cant garnishee any odsp, or welfare items.
So if this lawyer is sueing me, then the collection agency really has not done the adequate job to get the information needed for such a lawsuit. Besides I would so love to go to court on that, cause what will happen is that they will find that living on assitance (odsp) that they cant do anything, I have no Value.

I read the actual act in BC (my home province) on limitations, and it states from what I understand that an action (court proceeding) cannot be brought more than 6 years from the date that it became possible to do so. Like I said, it's been 5 years since my last activity on my bad accounts. I read elsewhere in here that in other provinces that they can renew the statute of limitations just based on a phone conversation where you acknowledge owing -- do you know anything about BC?
I am not familiar with BC collection laws, but no one can renew a statue of limitation, once it is stat barred it remains that way, based on a phone conversation is not a renewal, because first of all you have not paid to it, and if you state the file is stat barred then they have to close the file as that, collection agencies will use that tactic of saying they will renew the statue of limitations they cant, example i got a call from ARC about Consumers Distributing, I told them I knew about that account years ago and told them I was aware that it did go unpaid, but then I stated it is stat barred and you cannot collect on stat barred accounts.......never heard back.

Just to summarize, if you ever get a letter from a collection agency then later a letter from a lawyer, it is usually a scare tactic becuase most collection agencies will pay a lawyer just to send a formal legal letter......the creditor has to approve legal suit. Collection agencies do sue accounts that are a high value, and if there is a form of obtaining funds, a person needs to be employed, hold a full time job. But just remeber that if it is an account that the creditor has given permission to sue, then the best thing would be to look at the avenue if bankruptcy.
If Rev Canada is getting payments from you, they will not sue, because you have made partial payments, besides if they were gonna sue then they would have already commenced legal action.....
Hope this helps

 

[unclef]

Just to summarize, if you ever get a letter from a collection agency then later a letter from a lawyer, it is usually a scare tactic becuase most collection agencies will pay a lawyer just to send a formal legal letter......the creditor has to approve legal suit. Collection agencies do sue accounts that are a high value, and if there is a form of obtaining funds, a person needs to be employed, hold a full time job. But just remeber that if it is an account that the creditor has given permission to sue, then the best thing would be to look at the avenue if bankruptcy.
If Rev Canada is getting payments from you, they will not sue, because you have made partial payments, besides if they were gonna sue then they would have already commenced legal action.....
Hope this helps

Thanks muchly. Yeah I cringed pretty hard when they first threatened to sue years ago. But they didn't, and it's been 5 1/2 years and they're still threatening. I figured any creditor looking at my credit report, with that many bad things on there, and my being totally self-employed with nothing commission-wise, etc to go after would probably conclude it wasn't worthwhile. But you never know.

I had one guy from PMC tell me that they could apply a 'pre-legal judgement' or something about that and take 20% of whatever I earned right away. That was one of the early ones I actually talked to someone on. I told him that I had 10 creditors, and, well, do the math.. how is *everyone* going to get 20%?

To be honest, not having lived up to my obligations is something that haunts me every day. I had perfect credit, no blemishes at all until losing that job. I've not paid anything on that debt since, but I've had 5 1/2 years in the hole with no ability to get credit, not even a chequing account at a bank. I'm definitely getting some (deserved) punishment. I keep saying yeah, I'll pay it off.. but it just isn't happening. Isn't enough to go around yet.

 

[kokoro]

Does anyone here have the phone number to contact the Montreal office? :-?

 

[Just4Me]

Always ask proof of the debt, despite what the credit people say, as long as you state the debr is stat barred, they have no ramifications against you, I had a collection agency call me about comsumers dist. well I told them it is statted barred, and i spoek to the manager which I worked with years ago and they took it off the data base.
You alos do not have to give them your tel# infact you can request that you be contacted by correspondence only, mail that is. It is under the collection act.

I received a call from the "Pre-Legal Department" from a guy who was much less friendly than the last guy (see my previous comments - page 2). I had requested proof of the debt be mailed to my house and for whatever reason it never arrived to my house, although it had apparently been mailed. I really would like to read it! In any case the person says this debt is mine, I owe it, bottom line. The next documents I would be receiving are court documents.

According to what he's saying, I entered into an agreement in 1989 and my last payment was in 2004. Someone earlier said that the debt would be taken off 6 years after my first delinquency - which would have been years ago, sometime in the 90s I'm sure. Nothing else I've heard or seen here backs that up, instead the idea of "stat barred" of 7 years since the last acknowledgment makes more sense. If so, does that mean that since I made a payment in 2004 that I am well within the "fair game" period? Does the fact this might be an Eaton's debt mean anything?

Contrary to what some may think, I'd love to get this matter straightened out. The fact is I'd be lucky I have $50-60 month left over at the end of the month after my rent, lease, and other bills. There is no room to pay them anything more than that. Do they have to take that? I'll give it to them if it's in my best interest. I don't want to deal with bankruptcy and there is no question - I have no credit worthiness to borrow the $4000 I owe.

I am totally stressed. The phone call with this person has left me shaken. He was very sarcastic, accused me of shirking my debt and I want to meet my legal requirements - no more, no less.

Thanks so much!

 

[credit]

Hi .
Last payment in 2004 is still on your credit report making it fair game.
Be sure, check your credit report.
Contact Equifax or Trans Union.
Any info they ask they will already have. They just have to verify its you.
Good Luck.

 

[rocyn]

Portfolio Management help!

A woman called from Portfolio Management today asking for my husband (well sort of, her accent was so thick and her pronunciation of a common name so poor it's amazing I could eventually figure out who she was asking for.) He wasn't here, so she asked who I was (I just said "his wife" and left it at that) so she gave me the 866-701-5184 number and said it was important he call and it was a financial matter.

So, he just called her and she claims we have an outstanding debt of almost $300 from Aliant/NBTel with a last payment in November 2002, on a cell phone. Yes, we had cell phones with them a long time ago. Yes, we probably owed a balance the day we closed the account to switch companies. However, I am 100% sure we would not skip out on the debt. In any case, I do not have records of my transactions for the past 5 years around. How the heck am I supposed to prove I don't owe this? My financial institution charges me a significant fee to search prior financial records, and for such a huge span of time, I simply cannot afford this. I can't pay to prove that I don't owe something. I'm not even sure my bank can go back that far.

Can we just keep saying we don't owe and hope they eventually leave us alone? I'm stressed to the max. I'm a SAHM and we are barely making ends meet. I don't owe this. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[rocyn]

FYI, we have gotten credit in my husband's name in the past five years without issue. One would think if something was on the credit report, banks wouldn't be giving us money? As well, we retained local phone service with the same company until 2006 without issue.

 

[credit]

Hope this helps

Porfolio Management buys uncollectable debts from businesses then they try to collect them.
Check your credit history at equifax or trans union.
Free buy mail once a year to anybody.
You'll pay online for acces to your history.
Don't worry about giving them info. They already have your info. They just want to verify its you.
See if this cell phone bill is on your history as past due, bad loan, bad credit or some such wording.
If not don't worry about it.
Only you can reinstate this bad account onto your credit history by acknowledging it.
Acknowledging being paying some monies to this account through Porfolio management or through any other debt collecting company also signing any papers agreeing that yes you do owe monies to this account. I would also not agree that you owe money to this account over the phone as I learned conversations may be recorded legaly with only one party knowing the conversation is being recorded.
Debts are on your credit history for either six or seven years from the last date of activity.
I forget right now.
Activity being last payment usually. Last payment either through the original company or debt collecting company.
Ask the person at porfolio Management when was the last date of activity regarding this account i.e.
last payment date applied to account.
This is how you will find the info you need, they must tell you.
Say you need more info. Ask them. Be persistant. They will try to state they don't know. they lie they have all the info regarding this account.
If this date exceeds the six or seven year rule the account is "Stat barred". A term used by debt collectors indicating the account is closed and can not be collected according to debt collection laws provided by your government.
Infrom P.M. the account is stat barred and they will then sell your account to another debt collecting company who will try to do the same.
They prey on peoples ignorance regarding debt collecting and try to get you to acknowledge the debt thus reactivating it onto your credit history now giving them all the rights under debt collecting laws.
Thay know what stat barred is they just rely on you not knowing your rights.
Good Luck

 

[disgusted]

Portfolio Management left messages for me about 5-6 times in the last month. I didn't know who they were, and I'm a working artist, so I thought I'd call, but never got around to it. This morning they contacted my husband and he inquired what was this about (hoping they really managed porfolios). They said they wouldn't discuss it and his wife better phone or they would be phoning as much as they liked, and there was nothing he could do about it. He contacted me immediately and I could tell he was upset, he said phone them and see what was up.
I don't owe anyone any outstanding money from anytime, ever. I carry numerous credit cards and was told I have a triple A credit (the best )on our last mortgage application. I will check myself to see if that is the case after reading this forum.
I called this morning a "Laurie Judge" I first got her voice mail and left her a very succint and terse message."I don't know who you are, I've never contacted you, why are you trying to contact me? Why were you so rude. She returned my call. "Are you(name)"? Yes "Have you ever lived at (address)". No.
What's this about? I asked. "None of your business" she replied sarcastically. I said "you phoned me"
"GET OVER IT" she sreamed, I answered "what" "OH GET OVER IT" she sreamed again.I hung up in her ear. I was so shaken up, but composed myself and called again to let her know how unacceptable her behaviour was. She screamed at me again and said I BETTER NOT PHONE HER AGAIN, she had told me before she would take my name off her list. I said "well you never said that "and she said If I would just shut up and listen, I would hear. I said I wanted to speak with her supervisor, she said over a wrong number, no.
Well, anyway, I did contact her supervisor a "Spence Marshall", he did his best to appease me and I don't know if they're not all in one office winking and egging each other on. He assured me I'm not on their calling list anymore,we'll see.
I believe it is all a scam, even if they have bought the bad debt ,there is nothing they can do to collect it, no matter what they try. I bought some debt with a business some years ago, accounts outstanding and was told if they didn't want to pay me there really wasn't much I could do. These names sound ficticious and I wouldn't pay them a cent. If you owe anyone in the past, check it out. They bought bad debt, that is what it is. These are just thugs or crack heads trying to squeeze out money, they are not lucid or reputable, DON'T GIVE THEM ANY MONEY. Really, I think it would be worth it to change your number, if they continue.

 

[Unforgiven]

There are some specific rules that collection agencies must abide in Canada. It varies from province to province but here is a link that helps with some of the information that is good to know.

http://www.strategis.gc.ca/epic/site/oca-bc.nsf/en/h_ca02149e.html

 

[Hailey]

Wow

Well this was an awesome thread to find. I actually justed Googled this companies name, because they called my mother's house looking for me. I founds this weird because I haven't lived home for at least 5 yrs. I'm glad you all posted and I found it before I wasted my time calling. THANX ;-)