Consumer complaint received 2021-10-15
Company: AVANTE
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Frequent or repeated calls

Complaint:
Starting around the beginning to of XXXX I started getting calls from a couple different companies claiming to be debt collectors on an unpaid medical debt that I owed. In speaking with them they were referencing a medical visit that I legitimately had with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Their claim was that I owed money to a doctor that provided service during that visit named XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX. 

During the phone call they repeatedly made attempts to exacerbate the conversation, in what I can only assume was an attempt to try and prove that I was somehow an unreasonable XXXX  and therefore use that against me. 

The fact of the matter is that I have repeatedly and consistently asked for the following over and over : ( 1 ) Proof that the debt is legitimate, ( 2 ) Confirmation as to why this debt was not properly submitted to my insurance that has no record of it, ( 3 ) Comment on why it is that the first time I'm hearing about the debt is from a " debt collector. '' During the months of repeated annoyance by these different collectors I've actually called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who states that not only do they have no records of that physician on my file, but that their records show that I've paid the bills they have on file. In addition, I've now reached out on two separate occasions to XXXX  XXXX  XXXX  XXXX XXXX  and spoken with the Accounting Department. Both times, I've received no confirmation that they either ( 1 ) provided service or ( 2 ) have an outstanding bill with me. In fact, both calls ended with the person I was speaking with saying that they would review my case with their manager and get back to me. To date, they have never gotten back to me claiming that the debt is legitimate. 

So I'm now finding myself with these agencies continually annoying me, and frankly I don't think I'm asking for anything unreasonable, but given the prevalence of fraud out there, I'm highly suspect that these people are even legitimate XXXX. 

I have told them repeatedly, that unless they can legitimately prove that I owe the debt, than I'm not paying them anything. To date, other than phone calls the only form of an invoice they've provided is something produced on their own letterhead, not the doctor 's, and that the doctor has not confirmed is even legitimate. 

In all cases, when I try and make these reasonable requests they attempt to draw the conversation out and get more and more aggressive with me, in an attempt to get me to be more aggressive. For example, I'll state what I'm looking for to prove that this is legitimate, and they will respond with something along the lines " Sir SIR, calm down, you owe this debt, and you have to pay your bills. '' I've even gotten responses like that after I clearly stated : " I have no problem paying legitimate bills, but you've yet to prove that this is legitimate. '' More questionable items on their part, is a claim to a varying dollar amount that I supposedly owe. I've been told that I owe anywhere from {$150.00} to {$730.00}, to somewhere in between. " Why the inconsistency? '' one may ask, no clear answer. 

In addition, on the phone they've referenced a date of service on XX/XX/XXXX, which was when I went into the hospital, but on a mailing collection notice they sent me, they claimed a date of service of XX/XX/XXXX. Why the discrepancy, who knows? 

I don't know what to do at this point as one of these collectors has dinged my credit, a first for me, and they've done so all without anyone being able to prove that this is even a legitimate debt. 

Their actions and attempts seem like nothing but pure scam, and frankly I would've ignored it as such, until one of them dinged my credit.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation