Consumer complaint received 2020-06-19
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Used obscene, profane, or other abusive language

Complaint:
Midland Credit Management , Inc. based out of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX company makes it very difficult for consumers to call and settle debt accounts. The employees at Midland Credit Management are very rude and talk over customers. Company lacks compassion when dealing with customers during this difficult time of COVID19. Midland Credit Management wastes consumers time by having inordinate hold times. I made an arrangement to settle my debt with a payment plan on XX/XX/XXXX and the account manager XXXX XXXX made it sound very easy to call and make a payment going forward. I called today XX/XX/XXXX with plans to pay off the account and it took approx 45 minutes for me to reach XXXX XXXX in order to have a payment processed. I tried to have the supervisor XXXX XXXX process my payment and he said that he was unable to and that I needed to speak with XXXX XXXX. The company transfers consumers all around their office forcing consumers to have to give their name, account number and other personal information to repeatedly verify the account. Every time you are transferred to a new person, the new person asks for you to verify your information all over again including account number, name, and other PII and they again say this is an attempt to collect a debt. When I was speaking with XXXX XXXX today and he mentioned he could not take my payment then the call was disconnected. I called back and spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX from the office in XXXX and he talked over me and then told me that this call is going nowhere as I had asked him to please transfer me to XXXX XXXX as the call was disconnected and I had already verified my name and information with at least two reps on previous call including the supervisor and the call went nowhere. After I advised that I would be filing complaints with FCC and consumer financial protection bureau, XXXX then said he would help me. He then said he would transfer me to XXXX XXXX as XXXX had texted him. He then said please hold and I will transfer you. I inquired as to how long I would be required to hold as I only wanted to make a payment. I then asked XXXX I thought you said you would help me. He then said that he had to transfer me to XXXX. Finally after being on the phone for over 40 minutes I was connected to XXXX and I made the payment to pay off and close the account. This company harasses people by even making it difficult for people to call in and make a simple payment. I have access to view the account online but customers are made to call in to be verified countless times, transferred countless times, talked over by rude workers all because we are trying to make a payment to settle the account. This is not right!! Midland Credit Management purchases debt for pennies on the dollar, outsources to XXXX so they can reduce operating costs, and then makes it practically impossible for a customer ( for lack of a better word XXXX to call in and make a payment. They hold debt over consumer 's heads and harass them by making it exhausting to make a simple payment! This company engages in abusive and harassing business practices. You can monitor any block of calls from any given day to see what I am talking about as I am sure everyone goes through this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation