So my question is a bit of a mix between both r/legal advice and r/personalfinance. I've posted to legal advice already, but I would also like a financial take as well. Here is what is happening:
So my job is a bit demanding, and last year (October) I got sent away for approximately 6-8 weeks for a project. Instead of keeping me in a hotel, my company had rented an apartment for me to stay in. This included setting up tv/internet for the place since I needed internet to do my job. My company provides everything for us when this happens so there was no account for anything set up with the expectation of me to pay.
Once I was there, my name was given to the internet company since I was the person that would be at the residence to let the technician in to hook up services. I thought all was good and well when, at the end of it all, I returned the equipment to the company and went on my merry way.
It's now nearly a year later, and I have found out that I personally have been sent to collections by this internet company for a bill that was not paid by my company (it was mailed to the address I moved out of and not to my company accounting team, so we didn't even know it existed). Every time I call collections I get the runaround about how they will only speak to me because it's my name and phone number on the account, even though I keep trying to tell them it isn't my account at all. They're calling me and going after me because somehow it's only my name and number they have.
The thing is, I never paid for or called for anything to do with this. It was totally my Companys account financially. There was no expectations for me to pay for it and I didn't pay for it while I was there. As far as my company is concerned they closed the account paid in full. I'm also curious how the previous bills made it to the correct place (my company accounting team) but all of a sudden they don't have that information.
When I called the tv/internet company, they are saying that since I allowed the technician in, I am responsible for the outstanding fees. They believe that since I was the end user, I'm fully responsible and my credit is now going to take a hit because my name and number is what they had for the technician to contact.
My legal question is, how can someone else (re: my company) set up an account totally in my name, without my permission or signature or anything, and have me sent to collections for unpaid bills?? I'm not understanding something here. I asked the internet company how they can allow someone to set up something like that totally in my name, and they are currently going back to listen to calls and see what happened. I want to be prepared before they call because as far as I'm concerned I did not sign up for this account.
My personal finance questions are, how can I fight this and keep it off my credit record? I've never been sent to collections in my life, and I ALWAYS make payments on time. I've never missed one ever and I take pride in having a good score. This isn't my personal account so I'm livid that I'm taking the hit for something like this.
To be totally fair to my company, I believe that they did everything they could to avoid this, I think the internet company effed up here big time. My company did not intend for me to get caught in the cross fire here.
Is there anything I should know going into this? I'm prepared to fight this hard but I want to know my standing here, and what the risks are for me financially.
If this helps, I'm located in Canada.
Submitted August 18, 2018 at 07:50AM by Dirtgirl89 https://ift.tt/2vSCzQ1
