Consumer complaint received 2020-02-26
Company: Paramount Recovery Systems, L.P.
State: DC
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my credit score and it was significantly lower than the prior month. I panicked and checked my report with the three credit bureaus. I found out then that I was in collection for a medical bill of which I had no knowledge, and I am not legally liable for because I was not XXXX at the time of the debt or at the time the debt went into collection. 

The only information I had at this point ( XX/XX/XXXX ) was that it was with Paramount Debt Collection based in Texas and the debt was for {$670.00}. I emailed the company, requesting information and formally disputing the debt. After 4 days, I had not received a response from the company. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the company to follow-up on this email. During this phone call, the company inappropriately revealed personal information ( note : I have a recording of this call, and all the calls I have had with Paramount ). The company had multiple debts under the same name as mine, and then began listing off birthdates, which made me very uncomfortable and it a clear unethical practice, until they came across my birth date. During this call, I asked for an itemized receipt, information about who the doctor was, when the visit was, and primarily proof that I had agreed to incur the debt, as I knew such a document did not exist, because I was not XXXX years of age. I requested that an investigation be opened because it was not my debt and requested other information. The woman from Paramount only provided the amount and said she would send me a letter with more information. The woman said that she would also request that documents including an itemized receipt and proof that I agreed to incur the debt would be requested from a third-party and could take up to thirty days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the formal debt collection letter including information about the charges. It states very clearly on the receipt that there are two parties : the patient ( me ), and the responsible party ( different party ), so very clearly spells out that I am not the responsible party. That letter, however, had no other information about what the charges are for or who the responsible party is. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Paramount again, inquired about the investigation they had opened and inquired when the other documents would arrive from the third-party. The employee ( a different woman with Paramount ), said that it takes up to thirty days for the documents, and said I had to wait. 

Nearly six weeks after the first call, on XX/XX/XXXX, I called to inquire again about the documents, and the company said that they were still waiting on the third-party and could provide me no other information. 

The major problem for me is that those documents were imperative for disputes I opened with the three credit agencies, disputes for which the window for investigation had closed, leaving me with little recourse to get the false information removed from my credit. 

This debt is not mine. I do not know what the debt is for, and the Paramount Recovery Services has been repeatedly unable to provide that information.

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