Consumer complaint received 2020-11-08
Company: Berlin-Wheeler, Inc. (Kansas)
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account information incorrect

Complaint:
To Whom it may concern : Over the last four and half months, I have tried to resolve the matter by calling direclty XXXX XXXX and Berlin Wheeler. I made at least 20 to 30 calls and talked to at least 15 to 20 different employees at both XXXX XXXX and Berlin Wheeler. I spent approximately 100 hours or more on the phone and writing letters and travelling to the XXXX store. 

Background : On or about XX/XX/XXXX this year, I sold my house located at XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX, where I have lived since XXXX, at which time I returned all my cable boxes and other equipment back to the XXXX XXXX store. And the XXXX account was closed. Unfortunately, I later found that XXXX did not record it until XX/XX/XXXX. In the meantime, it looked as if I was still owing the XXXX equipment. I received a few invoices from XXXX, but I told them that I already returned all the equipment. In the end, the case was turned over to Collection Agent, Berlin Wheeler. By that time, it did not matter how I told the collection agent about the returned equipment. They were unwilling to listen to me, even after I sent a copy of the receipt. Toward the end of XXXX, I found that my XXXX score tumbled down suddenly to below 700 when normally, my scores hovered around 810 to 840. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I went back to the XXXX  store in XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX to dispute the unpaid equipment charges, {$240.00}. They looked into the matter and apologized me and reissued another receipt confirming that everything will be back to normal within the next 2-3 days. Since then, my credit reports show that there is no unpaid balance. It was better than showing the balance of {$0.00} instead of {$240.00}. However, this is where the problem lies. 

Credit Score Issue What I did not know is that reissuing a receipt is one thing, but posting the transaction themselves is quite another. In fact, I now find that for whatever reasons the transaction was only postdated on XX/XX/XXXX, although all the equipment was returned in XXXX. So, the impression is that I had an unpaid balance of {$240.00}, which was subject to a collection. This is clearly the administrative oversight on the part of XXXX XXXX. If all the equipment was returned in XXXX when my account was closed, why was any collection account ever created, as long as the transactions were properly and timely recorded? 

At this time, my credit report shows that there was indeed a collection account but now, it has been paid off showing a XXXX balance. For the last several years, my XXXX scores hovered around 810 to 840 as reported in all three credit rating agencies. However, when any collection account appears on my personal credit, regardless of whether the balance is XXXX or significantly large, XXXX score drops significantly -- in my case, it went down more than 120 points. As a matter of fact, my score went down to as low as XXXX from XXXX. 

I went back to the XXXX store again on XX/XX/XXXX. I was given a letter from Ms. XXXX, the XXXX store 's manager. 

Her letter states the following : 1. All equipment was indeed returned to XXXX XXXX in XXXX when my account was closed. 
2. However, the transactions were only recorded on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Please read the letter that I have attached to this letter, and feel free to contact Ms. XXXX, the XXXX XXXX Store manager. You will find her contact information in her letter. 
My complaints are against the following two organizations : 1. XXXX XXXX corporate office refuses to advise its collection company, Berlin Wheeler, so that Berlin Wheeler can notify XXXX and XXXX of the fact that the collection account showing on my personal credit report was inadvertently or erroneously created and thus, all collection records must be removed from my personal credit reports. 
2. I also complain Berlin Wheeler of the fact that it still refuses to correct its original reports to the credit rating agencies, despite the fact that I have sent emails and called with evidences and all other supporting documents. 

Summary : As stated, the equipment in question was returned and my account was closed back in XXXX. It is only XXXX XXXX that recorded the transactions late. Why should I be penalized? What is their intention not to cooperate so I can get my credit cleaned? There should be no collection record on my file. 

Thank you very much, Respectfully submitted,

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