Debt Agency / Phone Purchase

Hello everyone,

I have a question for you. I feel a bit ashamed, and it weighs on my morale from time to time.

In 2016, I accepted a job offer in Montreal (I’m French). I had to get a visa urgently since my start date was just two weeks later. Once I arrived there, I bought a phone by taking out a sort of "credit" with the carrier, meaning I paid them a monthly amount that covered both the phone purchase and the phone plan.

The job was terrible—I was working around 75 hours a week, it was hell. I even remember a doctor putting me on medical leave because I was completely exhausted. So, five months later, I left as quickly as I had arrived, almost overnight. I was drained, lost, and felt very alone. I also had no money left—literally. This experience left a deep mark on me, to the point that even today, I have trouble talking about that period.

Once I returned to France, I closed my phone account. However, there was still about $300 left to pay to fully cover the phone purchase. I didn’t have the money at the time. I let it slide because, emotionally, it was too difficult to revisit anything related to that time in my life.

Now, nine years later, the company is demanding the money I owe them. They send me emails every two months, sometimes even every month, and the last time I opened one, I saw that I now owe them $1,800 (probably due to interest). I believe a debt collection agency has taken over the case.

My question is: after nine years, do they still have the legal right to demand this payment? And if I do have to pay, is there a way for me to only pay the original amount I owed (around $300)?

Thank you very much for your help.