Consumer complaint received 2018-09-24
Company: Century First Credit Solutions
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX my husband and I entered into an agreement with XXXX XXXX XXXX ( who later merged with Century First Credit Solutions ). Century First agreed to settle 23 credit card accounts on our behalf. We agreed to pay Century First {$940.00} per month for 48 months. {$940.00} was automatically deducted from our checking account at XXXX XXXX ( now XXXX XXXX XXXX ). We paid 44 payments to Century First in the amount of {$41000.00}. Out of the 23 accounts that were to be negotiated only 9 accounts were settled and Century First paid {$25000.00} to 9 different creditors on our behalf out of the money we paid to them every month. Unknown to my husband and I, out of the remaining 14 accounts in which settlements were to be negotiated, 11 accounts were charged off in XXXX and XXXX. We only found this out because we got our credit reports and saw the charge offs. During XXXX and XXXX we continued paying {$940.00} per month when that amount was not necessary because out of 23 accounts Century First in reality only had to negotiate settlements with 12 creditors ( the 9 they negotiated settlements and the 3 that are still remaining ). There are now 3 remaining accounts that have to be paid. These accounts were  supposed to be negotiated on our behalf through Century First and  they were not charged off. I am now in communication with these 3 creditors and will have to begin making monthly payments to them. I should not have to be using my own money to do this when Century First has {$16000.00} of my money which remains in our escrow account that they were supposed to use to negotiate settlements on our behalf. How I found out that Century First stopped paying creditors on our behalf was when I was served with papers from XXXX. The papers indicate that an agreement was reached between Century First and XXXX in the amount of {$4000.00}. It was agreed that {$250.00} would be paid by Century First on our behalf beginning XX/XX/XXXX and ending XX/XX/XXXX. According to the lawsuit filed by XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX, they received payments from Century First in the amount of {$250.00} each beginning XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, when payments suddenly stopped. When I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX and explained to them that Century First was supposed to be making the payments to them, they said that they had not received anything from Century First since XX/XX/XXXX but that they would honor the agreement in place if I agreed to pay the remaining {$2000.00} that was owed to them. So that we wouldn't lose the deal in place my husband and I paid XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX the remaining 8 payments by paying {$1200.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, {$250.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, {$250.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and {$250.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( which payment is scheduled to be taken out of our XXXX XXXX XXXX checking account ). We also had agreements in place with XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX in connection with our XXXX XXXX account in which an agreement was made that Century First would pay XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX the amount of {$5100.00}. Century First paid XXXX XXXX XXXX {$4400.00} from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX when, as I was told by XXXX XXXX, XXXX, that payments suddenly stopped. So we wouldn't lose the agreement in place with XXXX XXXX XXXX my husband and I had to pay from our own money {$630.00} to complete the payment agreement. This was supposed to be paid from the money Century First took from our checking account every month. The last account that was in pay status that Century First was making payments to on our behalf and suddenly stopped was the XXXX XXXX in my husband 's name ( XXXX XXXX ). I spoke to XXXX XXXX, XXXX. from XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX who advised me that an agreement was entered into between Century First and XXXX XXXX XXXX in which Century First was to pay them {$500.00} per month from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX paid XXXX XXXX XXXX {$500.00} per month for 12 months but failed to make the last payment which was due XX/XX/XXXX. My husband and I made that last payment from our own money instead of Century First using the money that was in our escrow account. I have reached out to Century First many times to try and find out why they stopped making payments on the 3 accounts that were in pay status and why they stopped trying to negotiate settlements with the other creditors ( keep in mind that we did not know that 11 accounts had already been charged off years ago ) but they have not returned any of my calls, nor answered any of my emails. On XX/XX/XXXX my husband and I sent a letter to Century First requesting the return of the {$16000.00} that they took from us monthly but did not use to pay our creditors. To date we have not received any response. We are now reaching out to you to please help us to recover the {$16000.00} that Century First took from us.

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