Time for Congress to look after citizens by ending the odious practice of businesses slipping forced arbitration clauses in contracts. Consumer Reports: "Companies increasingly slip legal language known as arbitration clauses into their standard contracts and terms of use, stripping consumers of their right to go to court if they’re harmed by a product or service. Instead, disputes get handled in private forums where many basic legal protections don’t apply and companies often have an unfair advantage. Typically, the only way for consumers to avoid arbitration agreements is to decline the product or service altogether, which is seldom a practical option." https://www.consumerreports.org/contracts-arbitration/building-a-better-world-together-june-2021/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_Arbitration_Injustice_Repeal_Act How you can beat companies at their own game if you're in a state where you can legally record your telephone call without informing the other party... make sure you record the call making your purchase (don't buy online) because it's the contract, not all the written stuff the company includes with the item they ship.
In my divorce, my ex's credit card debt was included on my credit report. I called the company to have it taken off because it wasn't mine (I never used it). They said they couldn't send me the paperwork that showed my signature authorizing me to be on the account. They claimed that it happened over the phone. I asked for the call recording which they wouldn't provide (and couldn't provide because that never happened) and because of these kinds of clauses there is nothing I can do until my ex pays it off. A couple years ago I took my vehicle to a mechanic. They didn't fix the problem because it was still happening when I drove off the lot. I took it back, they claimed they fixed it for sure but it still existed. I filed a complaint and the consumer bureau said they couldn't do anything because the location of the shop was outside their jurisdiction. I filed a complaint against the corporation (not the individual shop) and they said they couldn't help because that shop was in the suburbs. Basically, all of these consumer protection places just find reasons to NOT help. I would love to see this get resolved.
You're likely stuck for her debts because you were married. Recording calls is illegal without consent of all parties in many states and then there are federal laws, too. https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/felony-offense/can-i-record-a-conversation-between-myself-anothe Sounds like it may be a franchise, so you'd have to take the local outfit to a small claims court.
If you type in USA* (the missing letter * is the first letter of the alphabet) for a search you will find THOUSANDS of complaints for the same practice. Nope, just lazy, disinterested dispute (non)resolution staff.
Predatory behavior. I'm able to get around arbitration clauses by arranging sales over the phone and record the agreement. I make sure I get the sales rep to specifically agree to every important condition. The Achilles' Heel of large businesses is the poorly-trained sales agent anxious for a sale. I'm not out to cheat anyone, but I'm not prepared to accept the conditions included with online purchases.