Consumer complaint received 2020-01-04
Company: Meridian Financial Services, Inc.
State: IN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I retained the services of an attorney for the purpose of disputing a debt reported to my credit report with XXXX by Meridian Financial Services. XXXX reported six separate debts ( {$3700.00}, {$3300.00}, {$4100.00}, {$4300.00}, {$1900.00}, {$5600.00} ) to the credit bureau on or about XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX appearing under account number XXXX and XXXX. While preparing documentation for the processing of a Federal Background Check, I discovered the six alleged debts from Meridian Financial Services and XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX. XXXX reported inaccurate information that was time-barred by the statute of limitation and in violation of the XXXX Consumer Collection Practices and the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. They provided a Maintenance and Taxes history in the amount of {$42000.00} dating back to XX/XX/XXXX to my attorney as validation of debt and a copy of a Claim of Lien filed on XX/XX/XXXX. I was never provided with a notice of a Claim of Lien and furthermore I was serving in the military on XXXX XXXX during that period. I had not previously received any correspondence of any kind, bills, or invoices from XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX, or Meridian Financial Services on this alleged debt after the foreclosure of the timeshare on XX/XX/XXXX. Nor was I informed of the assignment of the debt to Meridian Financial Services by XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX or Meridian Financial Services. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I was advised by a XXXX representative that I did not longer owed a timeshare. When purchasing this timeshare interest, I was sold the same as a conversion to a new upgraded program. When receiving invoices for annual assessments prior to the foreclosure, these invoices only listed one contract number as reference for the upgraded timeshare interest. As a result, I have been completely deceived by XXXX and XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX on the interest responsibility from my part. Meridian Financial Services is responsible for their share in this transaction. The effects of their inaccurate reporting have caused me to continue to be the subject of unfavorable eligibility determination for a security clearance and is preventing me from employment. On or about XX/XX/XXXX I was denied credit as a result of the many open adverse accounts in my credit report by XXXX XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. On or about XX/XX/XXXX XXXX reported four separate debts ( {$4300.00}, {$4600.00}, {$4300.00}, {$4000.00} ) to the credit bureaus with the same attempt to collect one alleged debt. When confronted with allegations, XXXX stated that is attempting to collect delinquent maintenance fees for years XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX. After submitting a complaint through the XXXX XXXX XXXX, Meridian Financial Services now states that they have ceased all collection activity on my account, and such has been returned to the original creditor and is no longer active in their office. Ceasing collection activity is an action required by law for an account without validation.

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