Consumer complaint received 2017-05-02
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
Several months ago I began looking in to purchase a home. It was  XXXX  of   XXXX   to be exact. When I spoke with a lender, they told me that my credit was fine except there was  XXXX  collection on  XXXX  credit bureau for over {$3000.00}. I did n't recognize what it was so I disputed it with   XXXX   30 days later   XXXX   came back stating it was verified. It said  HSBC  under a collection company 's name of  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  but I have never done business with either company. I re-disputed it with   XXXX   and again the results came back with " verified. ''  XXXX  finally came around and I was having family over for the Hollidays so I decided to hold off until after the new year to complete an investigation.     Once  XXXX  came and all my family had left I went ahead and started investigating the account again. I looked up  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  since the credit report did n't give me any phone numbers and I could n't find hardly anything on them other that they were in Texas and they only had a BBB file opened less than 2 years ago. I started calling them to ask about the debt they had on my credit report and they would never tell me what it was for. I asked for documentation and they never provided it. I would call over and over asking for validation and they would always give me the run around.     Around  XXXX  I was fed up so again I tried talking to a mortgage lender and again I was told the same thing. This account was preventing me from buying a home. The lender even attempted calling herself on  XXXX   XXXX  and the collection agency would give her the run around too. I then tried in  XXXX   XXXX  and it was more of the same. Finally, on  XXXX   XXXX  I had enough and was ready to sue but I decided to cool off a bit and go talk to a credit professional. I went to a company named  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX .   I explained the situation to them and they gave me a copy of an F.T.C. booklet on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and told me to study it so I can learn to protect myself from predatory  collectors. H e also informed me that not providing me with documentation after asking for several months was a big offense in the collection world.   I felt so comfortable with them that I hired them to assist me.     My representative called  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  at  XXXX  and informed them that he was representing me as my POA in this matter. After verifying with me that they had permission to speak with him, my representative asked them for verification of debt as I had done for months. Then and only then did the lady say that she was just the payment processor and she could n't tell us anything ... Her name was  XXXX . She asked for a call back number and said that someone would call us back on Monday. Obviously things started seeming strange to my representative so he started asking questions. He asked what time their hours of operations were and the representative then saw the time and before answering said " they all left early for the day. '' Seriously? All t he collectors left 3 0 minutes before closing time and left only the payment processor at the office? I 've never heard of a collection agency being that generous and noble with their employees before. Regardless, I waited until Monday and sure enough no call was received. Today is Tuesday and the day is almost over and again there is no call..     At this point I am going to sue. I 've studied the F.D.C.P.A. and I 've learned that this company has broken it on many occasions. Subsections  807, 808, and 809 have all been broken as they  have constantly lied and misled me and my representative of everything regarding this account. They have failed to provide any documentation of any kind for this debt and therefore are collecting amounts that are not expressed in any contract whatsoever. Furthermore, they have broken the F.C.R.A. by misreporting wrong information and then claiming that it was legitimate or verifiable when it really was n't.     I am contacting you because my representative advised that you are notified into this collection agency 's illegal practices so that you may stop them from doing this to other consumers. If this does not get taken off of my report in 30 days I will sue them anyways regardless of the outcome of this complaint.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation