Consumer complaint received 2018-06-22
Company: Venture Financial Services, Inc.
State: MO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying

Complaint:
In a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, Venture Financial Services , Inc., of XXXX, Missouri ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MO XXXX ) demanded payment of {$950.00} from my wife. The letter also read, in-part, Unless you notify this office within 30 days after receiving this notice that you dispute the validity of the debt or any portion thereof, this office will assume the debt is valid. 
My wife responded, disputing the debt in a letter that was sent certified to Venture Financial Services Inc., and signed for on XX/XX/XXXX by XXXX XXXX, well within the required 30 days. The letter read in-part :... in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, I respectfully request that you provide me with the following information via U.S. mail service. 

a. Documentation proving that you have verified the amount of any alleged debt. 
b. The name of the alleged creditor to whom the debt is allegedly owed. 
c. A legitimate, written validation of the debt within 5 days of you initially contacting me. 
d. Verification or copy of any judgment. 
e. Documentation that you have verified I am responsible for any alleged debt. 
f. Documentation that you are licensed to collect debts in the state of Missouri. 
Since I have disputed this debt in writing within 30 days of receipt of your notice, you must obtain verification of the debt or a copy of the judgment against me and mail these items to me at your expense. 
Finally, provide proof that you own the debt or have been assigned this debt for collection. 
To date, she/we are still awaiting the arrival of the requested information from Venture Financial Services. 
The letter also called upon Venture Financial Services Inc. to not do the following : Additionally, I do not want you, your company, any of your companys affiliates or anyone associated with your company in any way to contact or attempt to contact me ( again ), to contact or attempt to contact my place of employment, any neighbor, relative or friends regarding this alleged debt.

My wife received another letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from Venture Financial Services Inc.,  demanding payment of {$2000.00}. This letter said, in-part Please pay by this date : XX/XX/XXXX. The letter was signed by XXXX XXXX. 
On the back of the letter there are three columns. The title of the first column is Creditor Name and the title of the second column is Our Account # the third untitled column appears to represent dollar amounts. 
Not only does this second letter lists four separate dollar amounts when the first letter only identified one, but none of the amounts match the amount identified in the first letter.

Additionally, this second letter with the new/additional allegations of debt does not include a notice of right to dispute the new/additional allegations, and it did not contain enough information to verify the debt. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call at my place of employment from XXXX XXXX of Venture Financial Services Inc., despite my wife requesting that Venture Financial Services Inc., not contact  a relative. 
On XX/XX/XXXX my wife sent another certified letter to Venture Financial Services Inc., which read in-part : Once more, I dispute Venture Financial Services allegations and I am making another  request that Venture Financial Services provide me with the following information that I am legally entitled to. This request is being made within 30 days of your XX/XX/XXXX letter just as my XX/XX/XXXX letter was made within 30 days of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX letter : ( *Note, there was an error in this letter... it read XX/XX/XXXX and it should have read XX/XX/XXXX ). 
a. Documentation proving that you have verified the amount of any alleged debt. 
b. The name of the alleged creditor to whom the debt is allegedly owed. 
c. A legitimate, written validation of the debt within 5 days of you initially contacting me. 
d. Verification or copy of any judgment. 
e. Documentation that you have verified I am responsible for any alleged debt.

f. Documentation that you are licensed to collect debts in the state of Missouri and/or have the right/authority to collect on any alleged debt. 

In the meantime, until Venture Financial Services Inc. provides me with the information I have ( for the second time now ) legally requested, do not contact my husband, his place of employment ( he is not allowed to receive calls there ), any of my relatives, neighbors, friends or associates. Should Venture Financial Services Inc., decide it wants to provide me with the requested documents, it should, for now, contact me only through the U.S. postal service.

The tracking number for that letter is : XXXX. 
According to the United States Postal Service Tracking website ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ), my wifes XX/XX/XXXX letter was delivered on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX to Venture Financial Services Inc. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX. less than 30 minutes after my wifes XX/XX/XXXX letter was delivered to Venture Financial Services a call from Venture Financial Services was placed to our home but no message was left. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, again, less than 30 minutes after my wifes XX/XX/XXXX letter was delivered to Venture Financial Services Inc., a voicemail message was left on my phone at work. The caller identified himself as XXXX XXXX of Venture Financial Services who said he wanted to talk to me about a letter I sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Because XXXX XXXX contacted me at work on XX/XX/XXXX about payment on my wifes alleged debt to XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX, I sent letters to the following individuals of XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX President and CEO Chief Executive Officer XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, MO XXXX XXXX XXXX, MO XXXX The letters read in-part, In clear violation of FDCPA, after being told not to contact her or any relative, Venture Financial has made repeated and consistent phone calls to our residence, often several times a day to the point of harassing, and sent a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX in which Venture Financial threatened to... proceed with further collection activities. Then yesterday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received the call from XXXX XXXX. 

I dont know to what extent, if any, XXXX XXXX is affiliated with XXXX XXXX and Venture Financial Services Inc., but if XXXX XXXX and Venture Financial Services Inc. are in any way agents of XXXX XXXX, can you tell me if XXXX XXXX will ensure its agent complies with FDCPA guidelines? 

( *Note : The letter mistakenly indicated I was contacted on XX/XX/XXXX but it was actually XX/XX/XXXX. ) My complaint : Venture Financial Services has contacted me twice at work, both times after my wife asked them not to. The most recent time Venture Financial Services called was within minutes of receiving a second letter asking them not to contact me at work. Additionally, Venture Financial Services has not provided enough data to verify any debt. 
Venture Financial Services knew how to contact my wife so why are they contacting me at work?  Does Venture Financial Services work for XXXX XXXX, are they an agent of XXXX XXXX, an alleged debt been sold to Venture Financial Services, just what is going on?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation