Consumer complaint received 2023-07-05
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: WY
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:
I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX saying I owed a debt to XXXX XXXX. The letter stated I needed to contact them by XX/XX/XXXX. I kept a log of my contacts : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I rang the number on the letter ( XXXX ), after it rang for a very long time the call seemed to be answered, there was silence for 29 seconds ( with me repeatedly saying hello, asking if they could hear me ), then the line went dead. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I rang again, this time I got a voicemail system, I left a message asking to be called back. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I rang again, voicemail again, this time I left a detailed message explaining that I didn't know which account this was for and I requested proof that I owed the debt in question. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - having not hear back I went to their website, as suggested in the letter, and used their form and gave the same details of my voicemail, requesting proof of the debt. 

I never heard back from them. 

XX/XX/XXXX I noticed my credit had a derogatory remark on it re debt collection. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I called again, this time got a human spoke to XXXX who was apparently a manager, who gave me a contact at XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I calleXXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX ), spoke to XXXX XXXX who was able to give me more details, and I explained that I closed the account in XX/XX/XXXX, and HSBC had made a mistake in the closeout figure, which they'd subsequently tried to credit in XX/XX/XXXX, where they'd made another mistake in the credit, and so this was not a debt I owed. She gave me an email address to send her a copy of my closure letter. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I emailed XXXX the closure letter. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I received a bunch of HSBC statements from XXXX XXXX dating back to XX/XX/XXXX, although these did not show a debt dating back to XX/XX/XXXX, it DID show the attempted credit in XX/XX/XXXX, and the XXXX balance that the HSBC support representative left in the account, and it showed that XXXX ballooning into the {$140.00} that XXXX XXXX was now trying to collect. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - I emailed XXXX again, stepping her through the statements, and demonstrating how they supported my claims that this was an HSBC error, and not a debt I owed. I never received any response from XXXX, but the derogatory mark on my credit was removed a few days later, so I assumed the matter was finished. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I received notification ( from XXXX XXXX ) that our credit report had changed. Logging in I see that the HSBC account is now showing as " charged off '' and has XXXX late payments listed. 

I have now rung HSBC twice, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) XXXX times, XXXX XXXX multiple times ( I can never get through ), as well as two other collection agencies that XXXX referred me to ( XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ). All information I have is that XXXX XXXX are acting on the debt and are the ones who have reported the late payments and poor account standing, and yet I am unable to reach them to sort this problem out.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation