Consumer complaint received 2018-11-10
Company: Designed Receivable Solutions, Inc.
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to a local credit union to apply for a home improvement loan. They pulled up my credit report and informed me that I had an uncollected debt from XXXX of XXXX that had not been paid XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Hospital in XXXX XXXX, California. 

I found an old paid bill from the emergency room at XXXX XXXX 's and called them. The bill was paid in full on XXXX. They transferred me to the main hospital ( which has since been sold to XXXX Hospital ) they found my record and informed me that they had tried calling me and sending me bills in XXXX. The numbers they had on file, were not my phone numbers ( one was a California area code ) and the address they had on file was an address in XXXX. They had apparently, turned over to Designer Receivables in XXXX. I called the collection agency to discuss the bill and find out why I hadn't been notified. They told me that the original bill was for well over {$4000.00} and the 4 years of interested amounted to over {$2000.00}. The address they had on file for me was the address of a rental home I used to own in California but never used as a mailing address because I never lived there. They admitted that all correspondence had been returned to them. I asked how it came to be that the emergency room at XXXX XXXX 's had my correct and current address, but the hospital did not. They had no answer. Until this week, I had no idea I owed XXXX XXXX 's anything. I have several bills from them in my file that are all paid. I did not realize I owed the hospital anything. 

Design Receivables ( the collection agency ) informed me that if I paid the entire bill including interest, they would take it off the credit report as if it had never been turned over to them. If I paid the total less interest, they would take the debt off the report, but the history would remain. They told me that the offer was only good that day. I argued with the operator and her supervisor, but they did not budge, saying that I should have known. I felt I had no option but to pay the entire amount. I paid that amount on XX/XX/XXXX. Almost {$7000.00}. 

I feel cheated, scammed and frankly livid about the entire transaction and phone call. I was never contacted by the hospital or the collection agency and both agencies verified this for me. Both agencies admitted that they could not get ahold of me, but every other doctor and medical provider was able to ( including the emergency room at the hospital ) I have paid bills from several providers that I can produce and I can also verify that the providers told me that they attempted to reach with ( using incorrect information - that I did not provide ) The hospital submitted my information to my insurance company ( XXXX ) and received payment from them. How in the world could they never get my contact information from XXXX or the emergency room department. This had gravely affected my credit, my reputation and my emotional state.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation