Consumer complaint received 2023-05-14
Company: CCS Financial Services, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
My complaint is about XXXX XXXX ( previously XXXX ) And Credit Collection Services at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX ). 
XXXX provided Internet and California Lifeline phone services, which I paid monthly by direct debit. 

XXXX XXXX wrongfully charged me a restocking fee for returned equipment three months after I canceled my service on XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, a XXXX Representative told me my account was credited to outstanding charges, and I had a XXXX  balance. 

Here is what happened : XX/XX/XXXX Auto Payment of {$56.00} for service period XXXX to XXXX. EXHIBIT 1 XX/XX/XXXX - I moved from my previous residence at XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX - I called XXXX and told them we vacated the property on XX/XX/XXXX ). I said I would return the equipment when I returned to CA and no later than XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX 's phone call to XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX directions to return equipment. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I received a Cancellation Summary that includes a restocking fee of {$20.00}, plus a State Lifeline charge of {$.00}, plus a Federal Lifeline charge of {$8.00}, total = {$29.00}. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I returned the XXXX  equipment ( XXXX pieces ) as instructed at XXXX XXXX 
EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - Auto Payment of {$56.00} for service period XXXX to XXXX. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I canceled the auto payment on my XXXX account. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I Received a new bill for service from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX after I had returned the equipment and had no service since XX/XX/XXXX. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I returned from XXXX out of State and opened the XX/XX/XXXX bill for service from XXXX to XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX to dispute any and all outstanding balances after cancellation on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX - On that call, the XXXX representative said he was giving me credit for all outstanding balances. He unequivocally told me my account was paid in full, and I had a XXXX balance. The Rep told me it might take one to two billing cycles for the credit to show up. 
XX/XX/XXXX 15 days after I was told I had a XXXX balance, XXXX sent me a bill due on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, for a balance of {$27.00} with unspecified charges. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I called XXXX and spoke to supervisor " XXXX XXXX I said I was told I had a XXXX balance and wanted the {$27.00} credited to my account. 
XXXX told me she would submit a form to the back office asking them to credit or delete the {$27.00} from my account back to a XXXX balance. She said it shouldnt be a problem because it had been written off. She said it would take 30 days for the credit to show up on my account. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I received a letter from Credit Collection Services claiming that I have a debt of {$27.00}. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - I called Credit Collection Services and said I did not owe this amount and had a XXXX balance. 
They told me I had to take it up with XXXX. I said I spoke to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, who told me she submitted a form to have the {$27.00} removed or credited to my account. Credit Collection Services told me they dont communicate with XXXX XXXX and XXXX has to tell them to cancel the debt. Never at any time did CCS tell me they had purchased the debt, and I had to deal with them. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX to confirm the back office had credited my account {$27.00} and had informed CCS to remove the collection. I spoke to another supervisor, XXXX, id XXXX. XXXX told me the application had been denied by the back office. 
XXXX told me the {$27.00} was not part of the credit to pay off my balance. He further told me that if I wanted the restocking fee credited, I would have had to ask for it when I first spoke with the representative on XX/XX/XXXX to get a credit. I said that would have been impossible since XXXX did not inform me until XX/XX/XXXX, that the {$27.00} balance was a separate restocking fee. 
XXXX told me that since XXXX wrote off the debt, they couldnt take it back from Credit Collection Services. What? If it is written off, why is it in collections? 
XXXX then told me he would submit another request to the back office to remove the {$27.00}, but there was no guarantee, and it would take at least 30 days for them to decide. I asked for the contact info for the back office, and he said I wasnt allowed to talk to them. I asked, how will I know if its approved? XXXX said to call back after 30 days and talk to customer service again. EXHIBIT XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX one last time to try to resolve this. Spoke to Customer Service XXXX XXXX. I asked to speak to a supervisor so that I didnt have to go over the story all over again with someone who has no authority to help. After asking me a million questions and justifying the debt, XXXX asked me to hold while he got a supervisor on the line. When he came back online he told me the supervisor refused to speak to me. He said the debt was sold to the collection agency on XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXX couldnt or wouldnt do anything about it. EXHIBIT 12 XX/XX/XXXX this was the first time XXXX told me the debt was sold to a collection agency. 
Credit Collection Services never told me they purchased the debt and that I would have to deal with them. 
It was sold on XX/XX/XXXX before I spoke with Supervisor XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 
It was sold before well before XX/XX/XXXX when Supervisor XXXX told me he was submitting a second application to the back office to credit or remove the {$27.00} charge. 
It is outrageous that XXXX sold this so-called debt to a collection agency and yet wrote it off like they were doing me a favor. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION : XXXX  entire cancellation policy is designed to be punitive to loyal long-time customers who pay their bills on time every month for the purpose of boosting their own profit. 
XXXX created a Junk Fee scam by creating an unfair and unnecessary restocking fee. It inflated the price consumers pay for internet and phone services. As everyone is acutely aware, consumers are stretched to the limit with this type of Junk fee. 
If only XXXX California residents moved and needed to cancel XXXX service, the restocking fee profit would be {$540000.00}. Im sure my example is a drop in the bucket for the number of folks that move every year. 

XXXX  policy creates this false debt and sells it to Credit Collection Services so that both XXXX and Credit Collection Services profit from a wrongful charge. If XXXX wrote it off, why should they profit by selling a debt for profit? 

Its ironic that XXXX cant get their story straight. In their XX/XX/XXXX Cancellation summary, they quote a restocking fee of {$20.00}, not {$27.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX told me I had a XXXX Balance. XXXX Supervisors twice lied to me saying the back office has the authority to remove/delete any fees. 

During our XXXX service they sent us two additional pieces of equipment we didnt order, didnt need, and didnt use. At first, when I attempted to return the two additional pieces of equipment, XXXX told me XXXX only wants XXXXXXXX XXXX. XXXX suggested I throw them away. 
I insisted that they be returned, and I had a receipt for all three pieces because I didnt want to be charged for them later. 

So, if XXXX is sending out costly equipment they dont want to be returned, why on earth should I pay for a person to carry one of 3 pieces of equipment to a storage shelf? And did they throw away the other two pieces of equipment that were returned? This makes no sense. 

XXXX says I have to talk to Credit Collection Services to clear the debt. Credit Collections Services says I have to talk to XXXX to clear the debt. In the meantime, this false debt affects my credit report in a negative manner. 

I assume XXXX gave Credit Collection Services my phone number and now I get one or two DEBT COLLECTION texts a week FROM CCS.

Company public response: Company believes the complaint is the result of a misunderstanding
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation