Consumer complaint received 2021-02-03
Company: P.S.C., Inc
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I disputed inaccurate information reporting on my credit report by Puget Sound Collections. I was notified by the 3 credit reporting agencies, XXXX, XXXX  and XXXX  that the information was verified. I disagreed with this information, so on XX/XX/XXXX I sent a follow-up to the 3 credit reporting agencies that I disagreed with the information reported and requested their method of verification as in my research, I found they should be able to provide me. Again, they verified the accuracy of the reporting and made no changes. 

Ive also requested procedures in place for the bureaus because they have continually reported inaccurate information, knowingly and willingly. I sent a follow up on XX/XX/XXXX. I wanted to follow-up with the 3 credit reporting agencies, XXXX, XXXX  and XXXX. I notified them of the errors with the reporting and made it evident that they were knowingly and willfully reporting inaccurate information. This is my exact reason for my dispute : Please verify this account and It's a shame how you have conducted and supposedly verified this account. The errors are evident as they are inaccurate in more ways than one. When reading up on the FCRA, I learned that if an account is reported on my credit report, everything within the reporting must be free from error which is not the case. You have failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and now I'm requesting from you the information you affirm to have firsthand knowledge of this account reporting with 100 % accuracy. Should you deny my request, I simply request that you remove this account in its entirety from my credit report. Based on my research, I'm requesting to further clarify your compliance with Metro2 Compliance. I don't agree with the Credit Limit listed and request that you please verify this information. I am also requesting that you provide verification of documents that you have reviewed. Please confirm the Status Code is also correct. I would like you to provide me with the Metro 2 Format, specifically Base Segment, Field 17A. Let me remind you that " parroting '' is not " conducting a reasonable investigation ''. Please take my request seriously. You have again confirmed to me in writing that the information reported is in fact accurate. It is now my opinion that you may have mix or mis-merged this file onto my credit report. After my research, I have found that mis-merged files occur largely because the CRAs ' computers do not use sufficiently rigorous score or scale thresholds to match consumer data precisely, even when such unique identifiers as Social Security numbers are present. The nationwide CRAs rely on a match of only seven of nine digits of the SSN ( See Reeves v. Equifax Info. Serv. ) The CFPB has identified mixed files as a particularly challenging problem. I again request that you immediately remove this account from my credit profile. Last month, I requested you to provide me with the " reasonable procedures '' that you have in place, yet you didn't provide anything " specific '' with " first-hand knowledge '' about this reporting. Need I remind you that these procedures are designed to prevent inaccuracies. I've requested this in writing and once again, you have failed me. It is my right to know that you have actually followed YOUR own procedures. ( Rothery v. TransUnion, LLC. ) It's not enough to just have procedures put in place but that the employee also follows the procedures in each and every report they prepare ( See Konter v. CSC Credit Serv., Inc. ). You must not just have reasonable rules, but your employees must strictly follow those internal CRA rules ( Carroll v. Exxon Co. ). The FTC staff indicates that " [ o ] ne of the most significant compliance procedures to assure accuracy will be the training of new personnel and the retraining of current employees from time to time. Even isolated instances or error should be followed up and procedures adjusted in order to correct the cause of the error '' ( FTC, Compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ). Since you have failed yet again, I implore you to do the right thing and remove this from my credit report. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent another dispute to the 3 credit reporting agencies to let them know that I have not been able to obtain actual verification of what Puget Sound Collections is reporting. I notified them that the information is inaccurate and unable to be verified per my request. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent another dispute to Puget Sound Collections to notify them that I've had my rights violated. My requests have gone ignored. 

In my research, I found something called Appendix B to Part 1022 - Model Notices of Furnishing Negative Information. My research shows that a financial institution that is subject to section 623 ( a ) ( 7 ) of the FCRA shall be deemed to be in compliance with the notice requirement in section 623 ( a ) ( 7 ) of the FCRA if the institution properly uses the model notices in this appendix. I would like to see the actual document that was sent to me to verify that my rights have not been violated. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, I sent another dispute to the 3 credit reporting agencies letting them know that my report is inaccurate. I requested more information regarding the reporting of this account, yet all they did was verify that the information is accurate. My exact dispute was as follows : Please verify this account. I'm unaware of the information reporting on this listing. Please remove it in its entirety or show me what information you reviewed in order to report it in the first place. Based on my research, I'm requesting to further clarify your compliance with Metro 2 Compliance. I don't agree with the XXXX Type listed and request that you please verify this information. I am also requesting that you provide verification of documents that you have reviewed. Specifically, I would like to confirm the FCRA Compliance Date or Date of First Delinquency/Last Activity is in Base Segment, Field 25. Let me remind you that " parroting '' is not " conducting a reasonable investigation ''. Again, if youre unable to comply with my request, please simply remove this listing from my credit profile. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a request of verification to Puget Sound Collections so that I can see how and why they have verified this information with the 3 credit reporting agencies, yet, all 3 of them didn't report the exact same thing. Again, in my research, I found that the FACT Act allows me to go directly to the original creditor under Section 312. I requested a bunch of information ; however, they didn't provide me with the requested information. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, Puget Sound Collections sent me the requested " verification '' with a form that they have created stating the funds were due to XXXX XXXX XXXX. Maybe they are unaware that this is not sufficient verification and that they have to go to the original creditor and provide actual verification from the original creditor. They showed nothing proving that this account is mine nor that the information that is being reported is accurate. I also requested verification of the forms completed to the bureaus since information is different across the bureaus.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation