Consumer complaint received 2021-05-03
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: TN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021, I filed a complaint with the CFPB case id # XXXX against XXXX  for allowing Midland Funding LLC to report on my credit report more often than allowed. XXXX  's 3 agents I spoke with agreed Midland had violated reporting practices but XXXX  would not take action. So I filed a complaint. XXXX  after the fact did an investigation into the matter and contacted Midland Funding, their client, who responded with retaliatory actions to all 3 reporting agencies especially XXXX and XXXX. Reporting false information that caused my XXXX  score to drop 17 points. By changing the amount owed to a dollar higher than days later changing it back to the originally reported amount and then adding comments they were FRCA compliant and that I had disputed the accounts with Midland. These actions happened within a few days of the closing of the CFPB complaint and continued into XX/XX/2021. I called Midland on a consented recorded call and informed them I knew my rights and their reporting practices and retaliation practices were not FCRA compliant. In fact their violations of the FCRA. Midland has reported the account as new in collection twice within a week 's time. In retaliation for filing a complaint against XXXX  questioning Midlands unconscionable reporting practices, they made a conscious effort to further damage my credit score by reporting false information via the amount and then changing it back within days to the original amount with reporting agencies erasing their tracks all to further damage my credit report. Basically just to show me they can without consequences from reporting agencies. 

After the CFPB closed my complaint XXXX  continued an " investigation '' into the complaint in a week or so time concluded the investigation state in an email and written letter they had updated the information. When I logged on to check the information the amount had increased by {$1.00}. Then days later I get a notification through XXXX XXXX that my XXXX  report had changed due to activity on the Midland Funding, LLC account. When I checked my XXXX  report the amount had been increased by {$1.00} and comments had been added by Midland that I disputed the account and my XXXX credit score dropped 17 points as a result. With XXXX, the amount did not change but comments were added by Midland that I disputed the account with Midland and their reporting met FCRA requirements. Days after that I received another email from XXXX XXXX that the amount alleged owed to Midland had decreased. When I checked my XXXX  report the amount allegedly owed had decreased by {$1.00} but the credit score remained the same and has not gone up since.

First I have never disputed the account that Midland has reported on my credit report to date ... [ That is subject
to change ] ... to Midland or anyone else. I disputed XXXX 's actions to refrain from allowing their client to abuse their system. To XXXX and to the CFPB, never to Midland have I filed a complaint until now or a dispute of the account reported on my credit report to date. 

Midlands actions towards the account and the way it was reported repeatedly over a few weeks after being contacted by XXXX was retaliatory and unconscionable. It caused great physical and emotional distress and other factors such as I had an application filed with the SBA for a COVID relief grant and the SBA checks credit scores. Scores Midland tampered with mean spiritedly intentional actions to cause a negative impact by reporting knowingly false information. In my consented recorded phone conversation the Midland agent had no response and said he would pass along the information to the department that does the credit reporting.

After XXXX  reported a {$1.00} increase [ which has also been decreased by {$1.00} days later ], they would not allow me to dispute the increase since I had filed a previous dispute over the way XXXX handled the matter with Midland.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation