Consumer complaint received 2022-03-02
Company: Law Offices of Robert S. Gitmeid & Associates, PLLC
State: RI
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

1. Been in program since XX/XX/XXXX with an apx $ XXXX payment. 
2. Has collected 7 payments {$460.00} = To date not including XXXX I've paid {$4600.00} payments = {$3200.00}. 
Fees totaling apx {$2300.00} that was reflected in the portal. 
Money that was not applied to debt. Please help me understand where that money is delegated. Additionally, help me understand the breakdown in the disparity between apx {$2300.00} in fees+ less than {$500.00} debt paid. 
Claims to negotiate debt however is actually taking all the money in giving them. 
XXXX. They then claimed one large creditor that they settled with and gitmeid took close to {$1500.00} from my " savings '' ... they claimed the creditor dropped the program. I was told I could pause a payment to their office, which I did following the death of my XXXX  XXXX Olds father in XX/XX/XXXX. When I called the creditor they told me they didn't ask to be removed from the program and gitmeid law was still listed with an agreement and as the attorney on file responsible. I've since not had a response from them. 

" In response to this i need to consider where my hard earned money is being distributed first. In not sure why the 23 % is not taken from you in installmentsin the same manner and fashion you pay to the creditors. The agreements you're proposing in accordance with the months your proposing to pay off this debt is serving you. This is not helping resolve my debts faster, instead it is causing these debts to remain unresolved and owed for a great deal of time. That {$2500.00} plus you took caused an even greater hardship upon reestabling my credit at a faster rate. You are keeping accounts open and taking your entire piece of the pie while I continue to sit here dumbfounded. I could have made these 3 phone calls and allocated the thousands you took first, to apply to my debt which would have helped close the accounts sooner. 

The representatives that have incessantly contacted me have continuously threatened if I did not come up with more money, you would discharge these accounts and the money you took preemptively on your behalf, to my expense would be further funds I lost. 

I'm not a low life who doesn't pay her bills. 
In XXXX I have birth to my now XXXX XXXX XXXX. I found out her father was a struggling XXXX. I left in XXXX and fought 5 years for his life, his XXXX, child support. He went two years without a dime while I continued to support myself and my child. In XXXX my daughter was diagnosed at XXXX old with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX of XXXX she began using XXXX  XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX underwent XXXX  XXXX  XXXX for her left ear. I maintained full time employment at an establishment I remained at for 13 years until I exhausted fmla intermittent leave in XX/XX/XXXX. I was then let go. Fortunately I had my second job as an XXXX XXXX for a XXXX XXXX  where I continued to work until a few months after covid. I seamlessly left and opened my XXXX  doors the next day XXXX of XXXX. Along with this, I left my home in XXXX as my daughter 's father could not get well. I continued to pay all the bills to help him. I also paid my own. I was approved for a mortgage with a XXXXredit score in the 700s in XXXX. I was approved and went through paying all the fees for inspection etc up until 3 days prior to the closing. The bank pulled out in XX/XX/XXXX. They did so because despite my consistent work, my income etc, my work at the XXXX XXXXXXXX did not show longevity. As a result I was forced to rent. During that time her father continued to not pay support and the medical bills, childcare cost for a XXXX old amongst medical appointments etc was exorbitant. I did my best. In XXXX of XXXX, apx 18mo after my daughter 's XXXX and 1 month prior to covid, I was notified by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that the XXXX that was XXXX  XXXX  ( a 6hr XXXX with half her head shaved )... the device was recalled by XXXX XXXX. This resulted in then an a now continuation of monthly Monitoring as her internal device is failing. Despite all of that, I continued in court... fought for her safety... tried to continue to get her father help. Ultimately being owed over XXXX in child support and unsustainable amount of medical bills. 

I took covid by the XXXX  and opened my own XXXX  which continues to be impacted by covid shut downs, testing, school closers etc. As a result, I had no other choice but to decide whether to pay the credit card debt I was left in or maintain my rent, car, utilities, food etc. As a result my good credit continued to decline. I watched the home I wanted for my child disintegrate. I watched her father die, whom Ultimately passed XX/XX/XXXX. 

Meanwhile, I still attempted to take handle and act in good faith to resolve this debt. I put trust yet again that my money I desperately need would pay off this debt to help get us to a better place. After review of 3/4 of what I've paid has gone into the pockets of your attorneys instead of towards my debt, I sit here tonight in utter disbelief this is the system we live in. 

Instead of a supportive program, I have been meet every single time with phone calls threatening me if I don't give more funds I will lose a creditors agreement all the while my funds were applied to your pockets. 7 payments i made since I started the debits in XX/XX/XXXX. 9 months in the program requesting 2 payments to not be taken following the death of my XXXX XXXX Olds father. Instead of empathy I was met by your representatives who held me in the phone for literally hours telling me I needed to come up immediately with thousands or else I would lose agreements. Do you know what that feels like? 
I've been told 55 different stories by the people who work for you all within one phone call. So you know how much free time a single mother to a XXXX child trying to run a business has? Not enough time to entertain the circus and hoops or threats with gitmeid phone representatives. Your calls have filled my voicemails in a matter of days. That is so overwhelming. 

It's apparent there has been no resolution to this. This is absolutely not a way to help people and not a way to do business. This is taking so much time away from the things in life that matter. The whole reason I'm doing this was to help alleviate the phone calls and put trust in a company. Instead I am bullied. 

I've spent so many years doing the right thing. I will never lose faith others will as well. I will pay the debts owed with or without you. With you will cost me my left leg. But it can not also cause me ongoing piece of mind. 

I need your company to focus on paying off debts one at a time at a faster rate that spread out the way you have. The manner you've done so is only due to the fact you are taking your piece of the pie first. That is absolutely not a company putting their clients needs in alignment. That's called greed. 

You claim you've settled XXXX XXXX... you haven't. You settled it for yourself to be paid only to then threaten me that my other creditors will leave the program because there are no funds. If you cared, you could have reached out and paid the {$650.00} something settlement offer your trying to get me agree to now in 7 month installments by using the $ XXXX you took to pay you. Instead I spent hours on the phone being bullied telling me I have no funds and you'd have to drop them. 

That's so wrong on so many levels. 
Although I don't have faith greed will not continue to be the blinders you work behind, I do have faith no matter what I will overcome this XXXX XXXX as well. I didn't deserve this. None of it. '' Please help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief