Consumer complaint received 2019-06-29
Company: Ability Recovery Services, LLC
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
I received an alert that ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES placed a medical collection account on my credit report on XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX in the amount of {$600.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. I did not receive any notice of this debt in writing prior to them putting this account on my credit reports. Putting this collection item on my credit reports without my knowledge violates the FDCPA Collection Practice by placing a collection on my credit report without sending a letter to me. This letter is required under law and state my right to dispute the validity of the debt within 30 days. They took this legal right that I am owed under law away from me. I contacted an attorney for assistance. I contacted this company to try to resolve this matter on XX/XX/XXXX, while it was being investigated by my attorney and authorized ONE payment to be made on XX/XX/XXXX for {$50.00} only. On XX/XX/XXXX this account was then removed from XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX because ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES was unable to validate the debt they claimed that I owed. If a debt can not be validated, under FDCPA laws the debt collector can not continue to attempt to collect on the supposed debt. On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES and spoke to the associate that originally took my information, XXXX XXXX, and asked that she remove my card information out of the system and I did not wish to continue making payment with them through this card either as I owe no debt with them and XXXX XXXX agreed to do so. I asked that they please send me proof of debt and ownership, Ex : a bill, contracts that I signed, my state issued ID, and any related documentation to prove this supposed debt was in fact valid. As I awaited their response via mail or email, I received letters in the mail dated XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX stating that they will process no amount, no payment ( $ ) as agreed to under prior correspondence from XXXX XXXX. This was not an issue as the letter stated no amount was due as the debt was not validated and I asked XXXX XXXX to remove my card information. On XX/XX/XXXX the same card I asked XXXX XXXX to remove from the system was charged an UNAUTHORIZED {$50.00}. This caused a financial hardship. I contacted ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES on XX/XX/XXXX and complained that they made an unauthorized charge on my card. I was transferred around several times before speaking to management whom did not resolve the issue satisfactorily as the damage was done. They also added an additional {$5.00} to the balance they claimed that I owed which they didn't disclose on XX/XX/XXXX. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE the transaction on XX/XX/XXXX and this is a violation on my rights under the Truth in Lending Act. I will also be filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission if need be. They have committed fraud and deceived me by not disclosing an additional charge to the balance they claimed I owed for transaction on XX/XX/XXXX as well as the UNAUTHORIZED transaction on XX/XX/XXXX for {$50.00}, which is a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, Section 5 : Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices. They then sent a generic letter in the mail dated XX/XX/XXXX which is not adequate validation that this debt belongs to me. This sheet does not contain a contract, signatures by me, chain of custody giving them ownership of this debt. However it does violate HIPPA to access a patient 's information such as procedures and procedure codes by a 3rd party not authorized to that information. All around, ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES has violated a number of my rights. ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES is committing fraudulent activity on my credit report and " supposed debt '' that I owe. They called several times in XX/XX/XXXX not disclosing whom they were then adding this account onto XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX consecutively, yet again, each time they called and hung up on me as a scare tactic to get me to pay for an non-validated debt that was removed a year prior. This bullying has to end. I fear that they are trying to abuse me financial and deceptively. I fear for my financial safety against ABILITY RECOVERY SERVICES whom have a few hundred complaints for the same reasons. The associates are rude, hang up on you, do not disclose their identity, and do not provide an atmosphere where I am comfortable discussing any matter with this company. They need to remove this account from XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX.

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