Consumer complaint received 2024-01-24
Company: SUNRISE CREDIT SERVICES, INC
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Telecommunications debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
I was contacted by Sunrise Credit Services , Inc. ( debt collector ), claiming that I owe a debt to XXXX XXXX XXXX for a phone. I explained the situation to the debt collector, and was told to file a dispute and email it to them ( Sunrise Credit Services ). I filed the dispute with them on XX/XX/XXXX. I had not heard anything back from them, so I called on XX/XX/XXXX to follow up. I was told that they had heard back from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and to go forward with collecting the debt. Sunrise Credit Services never contacted me about the response from XXXX XXXX XXXX, so I would not have known this information had I not called back to follow up. They are trying to charge me for a phone that was returned on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX, with the return label that XXXX XXXX XXXX sent us. The tracking information is listed below, and I still have the receipt from the post office showing the return & tracking number. The letter below is the email dispute that I sent on XX/XX/XXXX that explains the entire situation : To Whom it May Concern, I am writing to dispute the charges of {$770.00} from XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX. My wife and I went to an XXXX XXXX XXXX store over the XXXX of XXXX to upgrade our phones. My wife had already been an XXXX XXXX XXXX member for years, so I decided to switch to XXXX XXXX XXXX as well. Once we picked out our phones, I paid the sales tax for the phone so they could activate it with my new account and the same phone number that I had before. The manager was having issues with activating the phone, and spoke with customer service several times while we were there. After hours of waiting in the store, we left with no new phones, and my phone number was now in " limbo '' for XXXX hours. The following day, we went back to XXXX XXXX XXXX and they were still unable to fix the issue. The manager XXXX XXXX XXXX assured us that he would take care of the phone issue, and that we were not responsible for anything. We then went to XXXX, where we both purchased new phones and were able to keep our existing phone numbers. 

Approximately two months later, we started receiving calls from XXXX XXXX XXXX saying that we had an overdue invoice. We spent many hours, and several phone calls explaining that we never got the new phone, and that the store was unable to activate a new account for me. My wife had been on the prepaid plan with them and was paid in full. We were told that the phone had not been returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX, and that they were unable to reach someone at the store we had gone to. We called several times, and made two more trips out to this XXXX XXXX XXXX  store in XXXX, NY ( which is 30minutes away from us ), to finally find out that they had the phone, but it was past the date that they were able to return it. We were basically told that it was our responsibility to return the phone to XXXX XXXX XXXX. Again- this is a phone that the store was unable to activate for us to ever use! After many more calls to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( which were all recorded ), they told us to go and pick the phone up from the store and return it to them to clear up the charges. I was emailed a return label on XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX. We picked the phone up from the store, and it was sent back on XX/XX/XXXX. The USPS tracking number was XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I also have the receipt from the post office, showing the return. 

We have not received any more phone calls from XXXX XXXX XXXX since that time. We also never received the sales tax money back that we paid at the store. We were told that once they received the phone back, we would get a refund for the sales tax amount. Instead, I got a letter and a phone call on XX/XX/XXXX from Sunrise Credit Services , Inc . I also tried to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX directly, and their automated system would not allow me to talk to a representative. I am disputing all charges, and would like to get my money back for the sales tax charged by the store. The receipt ID number was XXXX from the XXXX, NY XXXX XXXX XXXX store . 

Thank you for your time to review this. 

XXXX & XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation