Asset Recovery Solutions said my balance was "increasing" but couldn't explain why. Anyone else deal with this?
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2026 8:42 am
Sharing my experience because I wish I had known this earlier.
Asset Recovery Solutions bought an old debt of mine and sent me a settlement letter a few weeks ago. The letter said I owed a certain amount and that the balance was "subject to change" because of accruing interest and fees. The thing is, the original account was closed years ago. How is a closed account still growing?
I called to ask for a breakdown of the numbers and the rep got defensive, then started pressuring me to pay that day or the offer would expire. He also would not send me anything in writing proving they actually own the debt or explaining where the new balance came from.
They have also been calling my sister. I never gave them her number and I have no idea how they got it. I told them to stop contacting her and they did it again the following week.
I ran across this while researching: https://protectionforconsumers.com/stop ... arassment/
It says this company has been named in federal lawsuits over settlement letters that implied a static balance was growing through fees that were never disclosed. It also says debt buyers have to prove the full chain of custody, meaning the original agreement and purchase records, and that missing documents can mean they cannot legally collect.
So my plan right now is to send a written validation request within 30 days, demand the chain of custody paperwork, and keep a log of every call including the number that showed up. I am not paying or acknowledging anything until I see proof.
Has anyone here actually gotten one of these debt buyers to back off by requesting validation? And did disputing the balance with the credit bureaus go anywhere for you?
Asset Recovery Solutions bought an old debt of mine and sent me a settlement letter a few weeks ago. The letter said I owed a certain amount and that the balance was "subject to change" because of accruing interest and fees. The thing is, the original account was closed years ago. How is a closed account still growing?
I called to ask for a breakdown of the numbers and the rep got defensive, then started pressuring me to pay that day or the offer would expire. He also would not send me anything in writing proving they actually own the debt or explaining where the new balance came from.
They have also been calling my sister. I never gave them her number and I have no idea how they got it. I told them to stop contacting her and they did it again the following week.
I ran across this while researching: https://protectionforconsumers.com/stop ... arassment/
It says this company has been named in federal lawsuits over settlement letters that implied a static balance was growing through fees that were never disclosed. It also says debt buyers have to prove the full chain of custody, meaning the original agreement and purchase records, and that missing documents can mean they cannot legally collect.
So my plan right now is to send a written validation request within 30 days, demand the chain of custody paperwork, and keep a log of every call including the number that showed up. I am not paying or acknowledging anything until I see proof.
Has anyone here actually gotten one of these debt buyers to back off by requesting validation? And did disputing the balance with the credit bureaus go anywhere for you?