Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates Shady Dealings

Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates has been contacting me since 2020 with regards to a contract that my husband supposedly took out with MTN in 2016. Neither my husband nor I are aware of this contract and at no time did MTN email or phone us from 2016 advising that there was a contract in his name that was in arrears or any such information. We were not aware of this account until we received the first call from Shapiro Shaik Defries & Associates in 2020 . Yes it does belong to a number that he had many years ago. As such we have requested a copy of this contract as we would like to see the signature on this contract, as we are not prepared to pay for a contract taken out by someone else who was allocated his old number.

To date we have not been given a copy of the contract and have been told 1. we should have a copy of the contract already 2. we must go to the MTN branch where he took out the contract and they will provide a copy 3. we should remember if he signed a contract over 4 years ago. If we had a copy of the contract we would not be requesting a copy, how can we go to the branch to get a copy when we don't even know where this contract was taken out and lastly neither of us remember him taking out/renewing a contract in 2016. I have also been told we must provide a copy of the cancellation of the contract if he cancelled it. When my husband had this number it was a work number and the company closed down long ago.

Firstly as far as I am aware the debt collection company is supposed to provide a copy of the contract on request thereof, why have they not done so? Secondly why is this not prescribed debt as when it was handed over to the debt collectors the debt was older than 3 years and the Consumer Protection Act says debt older than 3 years becomes prescribed debt?