Consumer complaint received 2018-03-23
Company: Amsher Collection Services, Inc.
State: AR
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from Amsher Collections about a bill of {$550.00} owed on behalf of XXXX XXXX. I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX who couldn't confirm before returning a call to Amsher. I went through the verification process which gives the option to verify by way of social security number or full address. I chose to use my address. I explained that XXXX XXXX couldn't verify any of their claims which lead to heated language from their representative. I then asked that they send the legally obligated letter confirming that they indeed had an account to which I was told that it's not their policy to send letters and that the representative had never heard of any company doing so. 

I didn't hear back form them until XX/XX/XXXX. By then I'd assumed it was a scam as XXXX XXXX couldn't confirm their account, and they wouldn't confirm their account. I again asked for the paperwork that they're legally obligated to send only to be told that they had already sent it on the XX/XX/XXXX and that I should've received it. I told them that I hadn't and that I would call back if I did indeed receive a letter. Again this lead to heated words from their side and a hangup in the face. 

After this, I began to record our conversations. During various other attempts to gain more information, I continually requested for a legally obligated letter to which a few of the responses were " We sent that in XX/XX/XXXX of last year '' " You received a letter in the mail on XX/XX/XXXX '' " We had the wrong address '' " We don't send letters in the mail to our customers '' etc. All the while XXXX XXXX still hadn't confirmed their account. Some conversations were actually professional but the majority were anything but. I was told repeatedly that they were offering me a special deal but only if I took it right then and there. Each time, I asked for that deal to be put in writing as I figured if it were a true offer it would accomplish two things : I could take it to XXXX XXXX and or my lawyer to have the account finally confirmed and it would hold the deal in place as legally binding. Each time they refused but made promises that if I worked with them, it wouldn't go on my record. 

Fast forward at the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX, I called a newly promoted friend within XXXX XXXX to ask about this issue. After a few hours, they called back to confirm that Amsher held an account. However, they a ) couldn't understand why Amsher wouldn't give me the same information and b ) confirmed that it shouldn't have gone to collections in the first place. They confirmed that they were in contact with Amsher and their financial department to attempt to recover the account. I called Amsher to share the news and let them know what I knew. The first conversation and agent was pleasant and just asked that I inform them if I learned anything before they did. A day later, a highly aggressive guy called and told me that I'm going to pay and I can choose my method or be reported. I explained the same situation to which he said " I don't care. I don't know about XXXX XXXX so will you pay today with card or cash. '' I offered to three way in XXXX XXXX to confirm this and he continually talked over me, pretended like I didn't say anything, started harassing me to the point that I simply had to hang up. 

That same day, XXXX XXXX informed me that I didn't need to go through Amsher and that things were worked out to an extent. They made allowances and we came to an agreement on the best path forward. I called Amsher to give them the update. Shortly after, as what I believe to be a retaliatory move, they listed the debt on my credit reports. 

I have recordings of all of our conversations that highlight aggressive tactics, attempts at intimidation, inconsistent communication regarding when the legally obligated paperwork was supposedly sent, etc. They never crossed the line of threatening to sue or profane language, but just about every other topic that they could be reported for was experienced. It's my belief that based on their aggressiveness after XXXX XXXX said that they were working on the issue, they were indeed contacted by XXXX XXXX and attempted to ramp up their tactics to get me to pay before things were taken out of their hands.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation