Product: Debt collection

In the Fall of XXXX we made the decision relocate to Florida. I spent several months investigating various communities that would meet the needs of my family and that we could afford. 

I submitted an application for a four-bedroom unit advertised as AVAILABLE for our tentative move-in date. XXXX does hourly/daily updates of availability of properties. We paid the required two applicant fees of {$170.00} with a deposit of {$350.00} to hold the floor plan we chose. Nothing in the Contract we received alluded to anything about these fees being non- refundable prior to submitting the payment information. The fees were immediately subtracted from our bank account. We received a letter of approval and congratulations affirming our contract. 

The following day after having received this letter of acknowledgement, we further received, via email, notification that there were no four-bedroom units available to us ; and should we choose not to be placed on the waitlist automatically, we had 48 hours to reach out to the property to cancel the contract. Waitlisting was never stated as a possibility in the contract we signed. It was a violation of the aforementioned. AgreemenXXXX. 

There were 3 different extensions which I dialed so that I could straighten this out with a live agent. NO-ONE answered. We then sent out email inquiries through the page of XXXX XXXX XXXX, and once again received NO RESPONSE to our attempts to reach a live representative. Each time we made phones calls we left voicemails requesting that an agent return our calls. NO ONE called back, ever. I left a XXXX review in hopes that someone at the office would reach out to us in response. Sadly, we realized that we were defrauded ; neither phone calls nor our good faith deposit were returned. 

We contacted our credit card company to cancel the payment ; fees totaling {$520.00}. 

Months later we received threatening emails and calls from XXXX XXXX telling us that our account was being sent to Collections ; and legal action against us was initiated. We called AGAIN and this time, someone, named XXXX XXXX, senior collector answered. After explaining our situation, he was hostile, disrespectful, and said he is submitting our account to collections at that moment. I requested to speak to a higher-level management representative who was also of NO HELP and dismissive. I emphasized that due to my husband 's prospective employment ; our childrens school dates, and the termination of our current lease- that flexibility in move-in dates were not an option. 
Reviews on XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX from others who had similar experiences, confirmed my allegation. As a result, my husband lost over 100 points on his credit report while my credit dropped XXXX points. Ultimately, the points were reinstated after I filed disputes with each credit reporting agency. Subsequently, we learned that a collection of {$520.00} was again placed on our credit report through a different collection agency, National Credit System. I have emailed them a copy of my above letter and thus far received no response. 

We filed a dispute with all three credit reporting agencies, and had the collection removed. Nevertheless, shortly afterwards, the collection demands reappeared on our rating. This has been going on since XX/XX/XXXX. 

We are in the process of trying to buy a home and this false credit report is preventing us from good faith negotiation.