Exactly cheapandeasy. I have battled the worst of the worst in the last year including the royal bank of canada (the biggest of biggest crooks going) and after sitting in a bank and them telling me that I was no longer welcome after paying out my mortgage or they would charge me for kiting I think a collections service that sends me a letter and cannot even afford proper letterhead is going to have to do the footwork. I know that this is happening everyday to people who are terrorized into paying over and over because the collection agent almost comes to the point of threatening their life bends over and pays and pays. It has to stop and the more that people speak out and educate others the better it will get. I never keep quiet about the things that go on and the more I talk it seems most people are having same issues or similar. This site is a wonderful place and it makes some of the stress go away just to be able to vent and have other people on here rowing in the same boat

I hear you Paws...
It is against the law.
I found the exact document online last summer when a collection agency told me I owed them money on an already settled and paid debt.
They told me to send them the release letters and I was like, hell no!
Why should I do their work? Also, why should I send my sensitive information to complete strangers.
They also wanted me to sign a document saying they could look at my credit history which I laughed off heartily. I mean, if the company doesnt have access to that, why on earth would I approve of it??
So I didnt. Instead i cited that legislation (which I can't find now! ARGH)
and told them i would report them in violation of whatever the Act was and they immediately changed their tune.
The way I remember it, is if you tell the agency the debt has been settled, they cannot tell you it isn't and demand payment.
I believe they also have to call the agency that hired them in the first place and check that themselves.
It makes me laugh how seriously bill collectors get, like its their personal debt or something.
Besides, once youve dealt with the Gov's collectors, these impotent little companies are fodder for the humour appetite.

I got another letter today. Same account that has been paid one to american express is now being collected by MJR collections. Now I don't know about the rest of you but I am sick of this. This is against the law. They are trying to obtain money from me in a fraudulent manner and I don't know about the rest of you but if I did that to someone I would be looking out behind bars. Now this is time to declare war on these two bit pieces of dog .... I deserve to live my life free of stress and the phone ringing with some tire biting person on the other end trying to get my money over and over. Tell me something.. Do collection agencies sell their information over and over ever new year so that we can start a new year with a new pain in the butt calling my house.

No, the onus is on you to provide proof of payment so the collection agency closes your file. Their clients aren't always stellar about reporting payments made directly to them, and when that happens your file with the collection agency stays active until they are notified. Don't wait on the company you owed the debt to report the payment. Take your reciept and fax a copy of it directly to the collector in charge of your account. They will call for verification to their client and will immediately close it.

Isn't it against Provincial law for Collection Agencies to continue calling after you've told them the debt had been settled and paid?
Also, would anyone know what the legislation is called so I may find a copy for my own reference?
Thank you