Consumer complaint received 2021-07-18
Company: TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
I checked my XXXX and XXXX  reports via login to XXXX. An old debt to XXXX XXXX from XXXX was showing. It was {$450.00}. I had moved and didn't know I had been billed. The name, address and telephone number showing on XXXX  for the debt collector is : Transworld Systems I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX XXXX I called that number and I immediately got the message that the call was being recorded. I said I wanted to pay the XXXX XXXX overdue bill in full. They asked for all of my personal identifying information : name, address, telephone number, social security number, date of birth and debit card number. Each time I gave a piece of identifying information, they repeated it and asked me to say " OK ''. This OK was being recorded because at one point I thought the guy - who sounded foreign - said something incorrectly and he had me repeat the " OK ''. After getting my debit card number. he said the system was slow and he had to put me on hold. Each time I was put on hold, I heard a different recorded ad which said that I was now subscribed to a service I did not want.

The first subscription I did not want was for Privacy Lockdown for which my card was charged {$1.00} for 14 days, and then a monthly subscription of {$19.00}. 

After that first recorded ad, I was very annoyed and I told the man that I did NOT ask for that subscription. I only wanted to pay my old XXXX XXXX bill. He said " Everybody freaks out, but don't freak out. You are not subscribed! '' He put me on hold again, and I got another recorded ad that said I was now subscribed to 1 Per Place at {$1.00} for 14 days and then {$19.00} per month. He came back on the line and I said " I just want to pay my XXXX XXXX bill! '' He told me to hold on that it was going to be paid. 

Of course I was already suspicious, but the contact information was showing on my XXXX  credit report on the XXXXXXXXXXXX  website that I logged into. How could this be a scam? My gut said it was, but I hung in there. I wanted to pay off National Grid and I knew that I could have these subscription charges reversed. 

I was placed on hold two more times. XXXX XXXX on Demand ( who actually sent me a welcome email! ) for {$4.00} for 14 days, then {$59.00} per month, and XXXX XXXX for {$1.00} for the 14 day trial, then {$19.00} per month. 

At the end he said it was all done, and I asked where is the confirmation that I paid the XXXX XXXX bill? He gave me the confirmation number XXXX, and then said here 's an ad-supported customer service number to call XXXX. 

I immediately searched for the TSI payment portal and from there found a direct number to them, XXXX. They had not received payment for my old XXXX XXXX bill! I paid the bill on XX/XX/XXXX, and saw the charge on my card. The people at this TSI number told me that my XXXX XXXX bill was now paid and it would show as paid on my credit report. 

At least I had proof that I paid. I thought this was enough and it would come off my report. 

I cancelled all the subscriptions charged to my card, then the following day received a notification from XXXX XXXX that there had been an update to my credit report. 

This TransWorld Systems I updated my credit report to show that the XXXX XXXX bill was a new debt in collections, opened as of XX/XX/XXXX. This is patently false. XXXX XXXX shows this bill is paid and so does TSI, the official debt collector for XXXX XXXX. 

This company has direct access to my credit report and is actively damaging my credit rating. I don't know if they are actually sales agents for TSI. What I know is that they are able to update my credit report at will and do damage to my rating.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation