Consumer complaint received 2018-01-20
Company: Smith, Rouchon & Associates, Inc.
State: MS
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I had a collections account opened up in my name for a previous student loan that I thought my parents had taken care of for my first semester of college at XXXX XXXX XXXX College in XXXX, MS. At the time upon receiving a letter of this matter going into collections my Dad ( XXXX XXXX ) stated he had called the collection agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ) to work out a payment plan with them to pay off the item that is in collections which at the time the original amount was {$1200.00}. To my knowledge this debt was paid off, I had never looked at any of my credit reports simply because I had not needed to, I had never applied for any type of credit card etc, so I never even thought about anything being on my credit report. Around XX/XX/XXXX, I decided one day to check my credit report and happened to notice that I still had this item in collections, and not only that but a negative balance showing I owed {$1100.00}. I called my Dad ( XXXX XXXX ) to ask if he had paid it off and indeed he had been giving me lies stating he did, when in reality back in XX/XX/XXXX he had only called them to make a manual payment of {$50.00} hence why my original balance was only {$50.00} more. Of course at this point I was bothered by the situation and did everything in my power to speak with the collection agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ) about the item that was on my report in collections. From the beggining of XX/XX/XXXX. to the end of XX/XX/XXXX. I tried to get in contact with the collection agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ) each time I called, which was once possibly twice a week I would be told either a lie about how much I owed them ( wrong amount every time I called ) or was told that someone was looking into it for me and would get back with me. I specifically remember calling 3 times in XX/XX/XXXX and being told that someone would get back with me. Finally after being sick of it being on my report and tired of the collection agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ), I called the original creditor on XX/XX/XXXX who was XXXX XXXX XXXX College and spoke with XXXX XXXX in the business department about what I could do to get the collection removed from my report. She then preceded to say that if I made the full payment to her office that she would email the Collection Agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MS XXXX ) and CC me showing that she would have them remove it from my report. I also before making payment made her send me an email stating that once a payment is recovered by her she will send the email to have it removed from my report on all reporting agencies. I have her on a recorded call stating this as well as the email from her both of which will be attached as documented proof below. That very same day after verbal and written agreement was made I went to XXXX XXXX and got a cashiers check to bring to the XXXX XXXX XXXX College Campus. ( Pictures of the check are also attached as documented proof ) XXXX XXXX whom I had been emailing and on the phone with was not in the office when I dropped the check off but had someone else in the business department place the payment of {$1100.00} on my account to pay off the remaining balance in full. ( In documents below I have also attached the original transcript showing money due as well as a paid in full transcript with the receipt of payment ) I then waited approx. 3 hours and called the business department back to speak with XXXX XXXX whom stated that my payment was received and that she was sending the email to the Collection agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MS XXXX ). ( That email is documented proof below ) stating that I had made a payment in full and that it needed to be marked paid and removed from my report. After calling the Collection Agency to confirm this they stated I still owed a balance of {$64.00} for a filling fee in which after that was paid there was a special note on my account to directly call the Credit Reporting Agencies and have it removed this was on XX/XX/XXXX, however as soon as I paid the remaining balance with XXXX XXXX I disputed the collection account on both my XXXX and XXXX credit report. XXXX within one week after sending in the same documents I am sending now marked it " Paid in Full '' because they could see the proof that the balance I had was paid off. However XX/XX/XXXX  denied my request stating that it was verified correctly, AFTER XX/XX/XXXX had just verified it was paid which was very confusing. This dispute was on XX/XX/XXXX and was sent back to me in two days confirming that it was verified which makes no sense, because not only did XXXX just come with a different outcome they had already marked it " Paid in Full '' as you can see in the pictures below. Since XX/XX/XXXX when the first dispute happened, I then figured it may be because of the remaining {$64.00} balance at the Collection Agency ( Smith Rouchon & Associates XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MS XXXX ) so I paid that in full as well with a money order on XX/XX/XXXX when I originally called them. ( Documented Below ) Since that date I have completed 4 disputes with XXXX  that have ALL denied my request to be taken off my report or even as much as marked " Paid in Full '' and this is the collection agency and original creditor telling them to do so! All of my disputes have come back in 6 days or less denying my request saying that, the amount on my report is verified after sending in proof from both the collection agency that it is paid as well as the original creditor, and not only that BUT when I call XXXX to see what is going on they simply tell me that it is verified and I must call the collection agency which then tells me to call XXXX because they have already called them to have it removed. Now, I am stuck XXXX at least had it marked " Paid in Full '' which is not what they are supposed to do when the collection agency and emails are stating to remove it but that is better then nothing, XXXX on the other hand will not do proper due diligence and read the proof I send in nor listen to anything I am telling them in writing or over the phone. I do not know what to do at this point besides go to the correct regulatory agencies to get this matter taken care of. Below you can see documented proof to help my case as well as all paperwork and emails sent to me by the Collection Agency and Original Creditor. Thank you for your help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation