Consumer complaint received 2023-01-19
Company: T.S. Holdings
State: IN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Used obscene, profane, or other abusive language

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX, XXXX at approximately XXXX, I was contacted by IQ Data International. The agent would not provide the company name, and would not repeat his name when asked -- he said it extremely fast and mumbled so I couldn't hear it and wouldn't repeat it. I later found out from calling the company and speaking with another agent that the person who called me was XXXX XXXX. The agent, XXXX, began to ask me personal questions about prior addresses and contact information but still had not told me the name of the company, what was going on ( he was attempting to collect a false debt on behalf of an apartment complex ) and was incredibly abusive and threatening. He read off an address to me that I informed him was never my place of residence, and that he likely had the wrong person -- I told him I'd recently had information stolen and I often have accounts confused with another person of the same name from doctors, hospitals, etc, so I was not comfortable answering any questions without knowing what was going on and because I didn't feel safe. The agent then said that no one commits fraud on apartment applications and read off my phone number and name again, and then read off my father 's name with more incorrect contact information. Throughout the call, I never was informed of any amount owed, but was threatened and harassed multiple times. I also informed the agent I had received no communications about any debt I owed, via phone or mail, and that made the conversation more confusing and upsetting. Specifically, the agent told me to " cut the theatrics and drama '' when I said I wasn't comfortable answering the questions and when I specifically told the agent he was making me feel unsafe, he mocked me and there was a laugh in the background of the call. I was called a liar, directly, multiple times. The threats included " taking action against you '', " who is [ father 's name ] on the application? Should I call him and tell him what's going on? '' and when I said I wanted him to stop contacting me and then when I said I would be ending the call because I felt so threatened, he said " that's fine, but I want you to REMEMBER this call when we take action against you. '' After repeated requests for a manager after that comment, he finally agreed but refused to give me the phone number, the manager 's name, and again refused to repeat his name in a way that was audible. I was on hold after a transfer until the call dropped. 

Following this call, I began a police report because I was so afraid of the random call I received from someone who wouldn't identify themselves and had gotten a hold of some kind of information about me. I called the number back and got the company name from a prerecorded greeting, and I was eventually transferred to a second agent. The second agent confirmed that the first person I spoke with did work for the company and that she didn't believe I was in danger. She explained what the alleged debt was ( the amount was significantly more than what they alleged the original amount owed was, and the first agent had given me completely incorrect information about the address associated with the debt and no information about what the debt was ) and attempted to collect payment, informing me that this would affect my credit. I told the agent that not only was this not on my credit, but it was removed over 4 years ago when I contacted the credit bureaus with proof that I had paid the original creditor ( at the time I submitted a scan of the check that they had cashed ) and that IQ Data International had no right to collect it. I informed the agent of this, and also informed her that if they are saying I owed for a lease fee from XXXX of XXXX that the statute of limitations had long since expired, as it was almost 8 years from the time that the supposed final payment was missed. The agent told me I should still pay " regardless of any statutes '' because otherwise I would accrue fees and additional interest on my account with IQ Data International, and " action would be taken against me '' and it would " affect my credit ''. I believe there was an attempt to coerce me into making a payment in order to begin the clock over on the collections window per Indiana statute. I was told to make a payment of any amount to bring down the balance, but since the statute of limitations runs from the time of last payment, I believe this was a deceptive tactic. I had to mute the call with the second agent several times to gather myself because I was so terrified by my conversation with the first agent. I understood after speaking with the second agent what was going on, but I was having a XXXX XXXX from the first agent triggering my XXXX with his abusive language and threats. At the end of the call with the second agent, I was forwarded to the voicemail for a manager ( I believe his name was XXXX XXXX and informed him of what happened. I've never been contacted with a resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief