In 1998, my husband had a credit card with Providian. He had an excellent track record of making payments on time. Then at the worst time possible, when he lost his job, there were charges on his card he did not make. Worse yet, we never received the bill saying he owed until it was threatened to go to collections.
We disputed the charges and have not heard anything from Providian. Then about a year later, a collection agency asked when we were going to pay the outstanding charges of over $5000 which included interests, late fees, and legal fees. We explained to them this was a disputed charge and we did not feel we owed this money. THEY referred us to speak with Providian and have them send the paperwork which would prove we owe the collection agency the money. We did and we still disputed the debt. We did not hear from either the collection agency nor Providian and assumed it was closed.
Another year passed and now it is Arrow Financial trying to mess with us. They claim we now owe Providian $7000 in fees and legal expenses, but they are willing to settle for less than that amount. I explained to them we did not feel we owed that amount at all and they kept pressuring me to owe up to the debt or at least make a small payment. They have tried all kinds of threats and intimidations to get me to pay a debt I do not owe which is in my husband's name. I do not feel this is right - how on earth can people harass a person in their own home and force them to pay a debt they do not owe by means of intimidations.
If these were mobsters, they would be properly called for these strong armed tactics. This is extortion plan and simple. They will not leave me alone unless I pay even a fraction of the money they say I owe which I do not owe. They keep calling and hanging up on me [I know because I have caller ID.]
I know that Providian has most likely sold this "debt" to Arrow because they cannot legally collect it. Arrow buys debts that cannot otherwise be collected for pennies on the dollar and use their intimidation team to threaten and harass people into paying debts they now own. The original creditor never sees the money because they have already written it off as a loss. That's how companies like Arrow work.
If you ever have the misfortune of dealing with these "people", do not fall for their tricks. If you do not owe a debt they claim you owe, it is up to them to prove you do. They have 30 days to prove it when you request proof in writing. You also have the right to send them a cease and desist letter telling them to stop calling you at home or at work or both - send it certified signature mail! If you do both, and they fail to give you the proof you owe, they have no legal leg to stand on. It does not mean they won't try to harass you again in the future, but if they do you have grounds to sue them for harassment.
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