Consumer complaint received 2017-06-20
Company: Media Collections, Inc
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
Please find this Complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX PA XXXX regarding account No. XXXX, who try to collect unlawful debt in the amount of {$74.00} AFTER I informed them that I have a new provider ; and for dishonest and deceptive business practices ; and their collectors, XXXX XXXX XXXX  who try to collect unlawful debt for XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I entered into al contract with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to provide me internet services. The contract was for one year and billed by XXXX ( as I recall ) at {$39.00} per month, which was affordable price for me. After the first year contract expired in XX/XX/XXXX, I decided to continue use XXXX internet services on a-la-carte, or month-by-month basis. During all time from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX XXXX continuously increased their monthly bills, without ANY Notices of increase, while the quality of their services gradually declined. In XX/XX/XXXX XXXX billing rate for INTERNET only reached nearly {$70.00} per months while I often was not able to use their Internet due to poor connection. So, I started to search for a reliable Internet provider and found a good offer from XXXX XXXX XXXX whom I contacted to replace XXXX. My service with XXXX XXXX XXXX started in XX/XX/XXXX, at which time I was two weeks out of Internet connection due to XXXX poor connection services. Since I had no binding contracts with XXXX, I informed them that beginningXX/XX/XXXX I will NOT use their Internet Services since I found a more reliable and affordable company, XXXX XXXX XXXX. I requested XXXX to disconnect me beginning XX/XX/XXXX and stop billing me for their Service. Nonetheless XXXX continued billing me for Internet services, even though I did not used it de facto since XX/XX/XXXXdue to lack of connection. As of today XXXX continuously demand payment for XX/XX/XXXX, when I already told them to disconnect me because I had a different provided and told XXXX about it. XXXX, who was not able to validate this debt {$74.00}, forwarded my bills to a collection agency XXXX XXXX XXXX  who also was not able to provide me any proof that I owe XXXX {$74.00} except sending me bills for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, when as I previously said, I demanded XXXX to disconnect me from their services and not bill for it. I respectfully request CFPB to initiate an investigation into this matter ; order XXXX to stop their unlawful collection ; and fine them for dishonest and deceptive business practices. Based on my experience and other customers reviews, XXXX received only 1 star of customer appreciation ( out of 5 ) and regularly criticized for dishonesty and fraud Sincerely, XXXX XXXX P.S. Some customers complaints submitted against XXXX just in XX/XX/XXXX ( filed online on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/XXXX!!! ) are cited below : " Do not use XXXX. Bad company and added more charges that are not taxed. Told me increased sports surcharge and other charges that overlap your bundle. Crooks. The FDC should close them down. Other increased charges. Entertainment surcharge now {$7.00} was XXXX. Municipal construction now XXXX was XXXX. Sports programming now XXXX was XXXX. Broadcast tv surcharge now XXXX was XXXX. We pay for our services. This is criminal. Paying for their workers and whatever. We pay for entertainment in bundle. What the XXXX is going on??? '' " XXXX has proven to be incredibly difficult and far below in quality service. My TV and internet have not worked properly in the years time that I have had service. When they finally send someone out to check the service and find there were installation errors, I am the one that was charged a bill for them to do so! I called to complain and the fee was supposedly waived. The following month the amount for this charge shows up on my bill. I am told to pay it and that a credit would appear the following month! The following month I attempt to make a payment as usual. The month following that a high bill appears. The payment did not go through on their end and I am charged the repair fee, a late fee, and a charge for the payment which they said did not go through! I think it 's time the Better Business Bureau steps in to see the way XXXX is doing business. '' " I have had so many issues with customer service that I can not even write them all down. First of all, during the initial installation I should have been getting it free as stated on the website. The customer service rep lured me into signing up to pay money for the same. They charge you {$35.00} for even a single day delay in payment. This is extortion to me. I tried to remove the same by asking the customer rep during a few calls when I knew the payment is going to be late. The reps purposefully kept this charge hidden from me during our conversations. It kept piling up for 3 months and grew to around a {$100.00} in just penalties for late payment.NEVER do business with this CONMEN. Service XXXX compared to other companies I have used before. Some of the other companies do NOT charge you for modem. Also these guys try to lock you into paying rental for their own modem which comes out to be {$8.00} a month. You can easily get a used modem for {$20.00}. In short, the WHOLE XXXX system is meant to be a SCAM. ''

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 non-monetary relief