Consumer complaint received 2020-01-25
Company: TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC
State: AR
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was result of identity theft

Complaint:
I have sent the following two ( 2 ) letters to Transworld Systems Inc, filed a Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Report, and am now filing this complaint for their recent violation of Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, including 809 Validation of Debts 15 USC1692g. TSI is attempting to collect a debt which I do not owe and for which I am not responsible. I believe their most recent actions have been taken in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment. 

First letter, mailed XXXX XX/XX/XXXX : Transworld Systems Inc. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX, DE XXXX Wednesday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX To Whom It May Concern : Today I received a notice of debt, dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, account # XXXX, former creditor account # XXXX, in the amount of {$1600.00} for service allegedly rendered on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I am writing within 30 days to dispute the validity of this debt in its entirety. 

Please provide me with the original itemized invoice, including the service location, service provider, diagnosis, any medications, et cetera to substantiate this alleged debt. 

Furthermore, I suspect this is medical fraud. Thank you. 

All the best, XXXX XXXX XXXX Second letter, mailed XXXX XX/XX/XXXX : Transworld Systems Inc. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX, DE XXXX Transworld Systems Inc. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX Saturday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX RE : Account # XXXX, Former creditor account # XXXX To Whom It May Concern : This letter is to follow-up my previous request, made Wednesday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, to dispute of this debt in its entirety and requesting an original itemized invoice, including the service location, service provider, diagnosis, any medications, et cetera to substantiate this alleged debt. I made this request following receipt on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX of the initial bill you provided for alleged services, dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of {$1600.00}. 

The documentation you provided, which I received today, Saturday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, including your cover letter dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and a XXXX  Statement of Account, dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, received by mail on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, does not sufficiently answer this request. No original itemized invoice, diagnosis, any medications, et cetera were provided. The XXXX  Statement of Account, dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, stated merely the date on which service was allegedly rendered, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX, three CPT codes ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ), accompanied by inadequate descriptions ( emergency interp XXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and emergency XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX ), XXXX XXXX as the provider, charges for {$110.00}, {$48.00}, and {$1500.00}, and the total charges {$1600.00}. 

This documentation is insufficient and lacks diagnosis detail, justification of charges, doctors full name, medications prescribed, and other pertinent information such a signed contract or note to determining the legitimacy of this debt. Additionally, since the response was sent presorted first-class mail U.S. postage paid DPCH and lacks a time and date stamp, I have no way of knowing on what date you mailed me this letter, since your cover letter is dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and the XXXX  Statement of Account is dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I conclude this response to my dispute was mailed to me on or after XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. 

At no time prior to XXXX XX/XX/XXXX did I receive a single contact regarding billing for these alleged services, from the former creditor you list, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, or any other party. The XXXX Statement of Account classifies the debt as past due and adds additional language, Your account is now seriously past due, and a delinquency review is being conducted. Were this a true and legitimate debt, why would the debt have taken approximately 365 days to go into collections, rather than the industry standard between 90 to 180 days on non-payment? 

I reiterate my initial written dispute as to the validity of this debt in its entirety, which dispute I originally provided in writing on Wednesday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I do not have any responsibility for the debt you are trying to collect. 

Stop all other communication with me and with this address, and record that I dispute having any obligation for this debt. If you stop your collection of this debt, and forward or return it to another company, please indicate to them that it is disputed. 

I wrote you within thirty ( 30 ) days to inform you I dispute this debt in its entirety and request detailed documentation of alleged services provided. Since you already reported this debt to a credit bureau ( s ) on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, before replying to my written dispute, you should also have reported to any credit bureau ( s ) at that time that the debt is disputed. You failed to do so.

Your failure to indicate the disputed nature of this debt when reporting to credit bureau ( s ) on or before XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, prior to responding to my written dispute of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX in a cover letter dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, with insufficient invoice documentation dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, no postmark provided, earliest possible mailing being presumed XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, could be perceived as an action taken in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment in direct violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, including 809 Validation of Debts 15 USC1692g.

Please note, your violation of my consumer rights has forced me to file a dispute of this debt with XXXX  directly, since you failed to cease attempts to collect the debt and instead acted in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment and reported the debt while failing to advise the credit bureau ( s ) this debt is disputed. Your bad faith actions have already resulted in negative impact on my credit.

I pay medical debts for which I am responsible. I am not responsible for this debt. Furthermore, I still suspect this may be medical fraud, now worsened by your bad faith actions for the purpose of harassment made in direct violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, including 809 Validation of Debts 15 USC1692g.

I have filed an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission regarding this matter ( XXXX ) and am filing a formal complaint with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Thank you. 

All the best, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation