Consumer complaint received 2024-01-04
Company: Benuck & Rainey, Inc.
State: ID
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
In XXXX I received a statement for a medical bill from XXXX for around {$420.00}. This bill was for a XXXX XXXX my daughter following a XXXX XXXX. The doctor had me sign a document at the time confirming they would bill me separately and informed me the XXXX  generally cost around {$50.00}. To my surprise, the bill was over {$400.00}. 

I called XXXX after receiving the bill in XXXX and asked to set up a payment arrangement. The advisor confirmed a payment plan was set up for {$78.00} a month. I made a {$78.00} payment in XXXX. In XXXX, I did not receive a bill outlining a new minimum payment. I called in XXXX after realizing I never received an updated statement. In XXXX, the advisor informed me the prior advisor did not set up a payment plan, apologized, and confirmed she would set up a plan for {$60.00} and stated I needed to make the payment by my payday as promised. She confirmed I would receive a statement outlining a new minimum payment and due date. I never received a statement with this information. I went ahead and paid the {$60.00} payment in XXXX and XXXX online with the understanding my account was now on a payment arrangement. 

On XX/XX/24, I received a letter from a Benuck and Rainey Inc, a collections agency stating I owed a debt for {$290.00}. I did not recognize the company who was listed as XXXX XXXX, or the amount so I called the collections agency. They informed me this was a bill from XXXX. Despite doing my due diligence and calling on multiple occasions to set up a payment plan and making XXXX payments, XXXX sent my account to collections. 

This practice is unethical and unacceptable. On top of billing exorbitant prices on a medical product that was misrepresented at the time it was received, theyve also not honored their own payment plan, they have lied, and misled me as a customer. 

I called XXXX today and spoke with an agent who had the audacity to tell me this bill was sent to collections because I made my payments online and not over the phone and phone payments wouldnt work for a payment arrangement. Which no one ever informed me. How would a customer magically know this? This is consumer XXXX  to a family who was doing their due diligence to make payments on a debt. XXXX has exhibited unethical billing practices and these actions should be illegal. XXXX should be required to honor their commitment to a payment plan even if they provided incomplete or incorrect information to consumers. 

XXXX informed me today that they would be doing nothing and I needed to make my payments to the collections agency. This is gross misconduct and the company needs to rectify their error. Their agents misled me, did not fully inform me about their payment plans and flat out didnt set them up. 

The company needs to remove my account from collections and once its no longer in collections, I will pay it off right away so I dont have to deal with this shady company who seem perfectly content with customer financial abuse.

Company public response: Company believes complaint caused principally by actions of third party outside the control or direction of the company
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation