Consumer complaint received 2018-02-08
Company: Collection Bureau Services, Inc.
State: MT
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
XXXX In XXXX my family and I moved back to XXXX from XXXX I had been hurt while performing duties as a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and moved back to my home state. The injuries generated, and were further aggravated, from initial military injuries that I received while deployed to XXXX in XXXX. 
My family and I lived in two different homes after our move to XXXX. Both of those homes where serviced by XXXX XXXX using their budget billing process. During the service years from XXXX through XXXX I had no problems with XXXX XXXX and all bills where paid on time. 
In XXXX my family moved to XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX. We transferred our XXXX XXXX   policy to this address. XXXX XXXX services this home through XXXX XXXX. In the winter of XXXX we had a house fire and suspended our account until approximately XX/XX/XXXX for this address as the home was being rebuilt. When we moved back into the home in XXXX we again started the budget billing process for our propane usage. 
When we restarted our account with XXXX XXXX  in the fall of XXXX fuel prices where very volatile. Prices were going up, so my wife and I were concerned that we would not be able to have an escalating propane bill because of my injury status and being on a fixed income. My wife and I went to the manager at XXXX, in the XXXX office, propane and asked them if they could fix our price so that we would have the same bill every month. We told the lady that if we could not come to some type of agreement we would be forced to consider other options for a carrier as the price of propane may become too expensive for us. 
After having this conversation with the manager at XXXX XXXX in XXXX she said that she would consider options for us. Approximately a week later she contacted me and told me that management had looked at my account and said that they would deliver propane to my address for a flat fee of {$2.00} a gallon due to my use and account history. My family agreed to this fee and remained with XXXX XXXX 
In the spring of XXXX I woke up one morning to a very cold house. I built up the wood stove to get things warmed up for my family and then started to research why everything was so cold. I found that the propane tank was completely empty providing no heat. 
I called XXXX XXXX to inquire why my tank was empty because I was on budget billing and the tank should have been monitored monthly and kept full. They sent XXXX XXXX out to look at the tank and fill it for us. When XXXX arrived, he was very apologetic. He stated that he had not been tracking our tank for several months as we had not used propane very much for years. My primary source of heat was wood so the only thing the propane was used for was the cook stove. XXXX XXXX stated that he stopped monitoring our tank months earlier because we were never showing any use. 
I informed him that over the winter I had my XXXX mother staying with us and I needed to keep the house at a move even temperature and was using the propane as a secondary source to do so. XXXX had his safety people come and do a safety check on the line and then he filled up the tank. 
The supervisor at XXXX XXXX  called us to apologize for the lack in service and offered to give us a cut rate on the propane in the tank. So, she computed the usage for the amount filled, subtracted what I had paid, and then gave me a further deduction for them not servicing the tank on a regular basis. My mother paid the account in full through her checking account because the propane was being used primarily for her. 
Approximately two weeks later I was contacted by XXXX XXXX. The man stated that we did owe a further bill on our account. I was mystified. How could I owe you if we paid our budget billing and then satisfied the account once they had refilled our tank due to there lack of service. He stated that the lady that managed the accounts was billing us at the 2.10 rate and then was keeping a side ledger, off the books, of overages. I told the individual that I could not make any sense out of what he was talking about. We had always paid our bill on time. Our tank ran empty and then we paid that bill in full when the tank was made full again. 
He stated that the other manager did not have the authority to give us a contract for the 2:10 rate and because she had done so, to keep our services, she maintained a side account that showed an overage. My wife and I told him that we would come down to look at what he had. When we arrived at XXXX the gentleman told us we owed his company funds. At that time, we asked to speak with the lady that gave us the contract. He informed us that she had been fired. We asked to see our contract with our signature. He informed us that they could not find a contract with our signature giving us the rate of XXXX. We then asked to look at the side ledger that was being kept and he refused to let us see the document. 
I informed him at that time that I would not pay any further on the account until he could show me proof that the money was owed. I wanted the contract, to speak with the lady who gave us the contract, and I wanted documented proof of the side ledger. He refused. My wife and I left the building. 
We contacted XXXX XXXX and hired them for our propane services. We contacted XXXX XXXX  to have their tank removed from our property, they complied. XXXX XXXX XXXX the property until it was sold in XXXX. 
Over the following two months after the removal of the XXXX XXXX tank XXXX sent us a bill for the overage on the account. Each time my wife and I went to the XXXX building in XXXX and asked to see our contract, speak to the lady that gave us the contract, and see the side ledger for the overage. Each time the contract could not be found, and we were denied our other two requests. We informed XXXX at that time that we would no longer be dealing with them and that all accounts were satisfied and paid in full according to us. XXXX no longer sent us a ledger. 
We moved from the residence on XXXX XXXX to XXXX, Idaho in XXXX and sold the home on XXXX XXXX in XXXX. During that time XXXX XXXX had no further contact with us about the issue. We figured that matter was closed. 
In the fall of XXXX as we were contracting to move back into a home in XXXX  we were contacted by a collections company about a bill for XXXX XXXX from XXXX. We had no accounts with XXXX XXXX in XXXX. I contacted XXXX XXXX in XXXX and asked them why I was receiving a bill from a collections company. The lady stated that the company had been reviewing old accounts and ours came up as past due so the bill was sent to collections. After speaking to her about the history of the account I again asked for the missing contract, the ladies name and contact information that gave authorized the contract, and proof of the side ledger. She could not provide those documents. I Informed her that we would not be making any payments on an account that had been satisfied in full on the day XXXX came up to fill the tank after letting it run dry. I asked that the company foreclose on the account and take me to court to speak to a judge about the account. 
I contacted the collections company and informed them that I was disputing the account. I had no account from XXXX in XXXX. I contacted the credit monitoring companies and disputed the account. I asked The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Spruce XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to verify this account and send me the contract and all information to prove this debt within the thirty day window to dispute the account. Nothing was ever sent or received by me. 
At this time the XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, account is being shown on my three credit report files as late past due since XXXX. Several companies have denied me credit for purchases and I have received higher credit amounts for accounts that I have opened due to XXXX showing a false account on my credit reports. XXXX refused to foreclose or provide documentation as requested for this matter. 
I have contacted both XXXX XXXX and the XXXX XXXX several times about this matter. Each time I have asked for proof of this debt but have been denied. The account is showing it is from XXXX instead of XXXX. No contract, side ledger, or information from the manager that issued the contract has been sent to me. The new manager at XXXX stated that the old, fired manager, did not have the authority to enter into the contract that she made. She was their agent and I entered that contract in good faith and was never late on a payment to XXXX for my budget billing process. 
This account balance is fraudulent and the XXXX balance was paid in full at the time I fires XXXX XXXX for their lack of service and contract discrepancies. I would like the Consumer Trade Commission to assist me in clearing this matter from my credit history. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation