Consumer complaint received 2021-12-08
Company: United Credit Service Inc
State: WI
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
I recieved notice of court hearing regarding an unpaid medical bill. OnXXXX which was for {$240.00} and another for {$1200.00}, a total of {$1500.00}. Before the hearing I called United Credit Service Inc on XX/XX/XXXX to see if I could settle this debt. I do not know who I spoke to on that day. I did not disagree that I owed the debt, but I will admit that it was only 1 day prior to our court hearing. I asked them if I paid them {$1500.00} that day if we could please be done with this. This was done in hopes of a counter offer on their end that was reasonable. They indicated they wanted a total amount of {$2100.00}. At this point I told them I did not agree to that dollar amount and that I would attend court the following day to dispute that. They responded by telling me that I did not need to attend court, that they have been doing this a long time, and that I would not win. During court I did not have an opertunity to say why I contested, but it was due to the amount they had asked for. 

On XX/XX/XXXX there was another court hearing where I continued to contest because I did not agree to the dollar amount that XXXXnited Credit Servies was trying to get from me. Their XXXX was requesting {$270.00} an hour which I believed to be unreasonable. The judge had urged the 2 of us to try to come to an agreement. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called United Credit Services and spoke to XXXX. I told her that I would like to come up with a payment plan because I could not afford for my wages to be garnished. XXXX put me on hold because she needed to talk to their lawyer. She said I owed {$3400.00} because the lawyer had spend so many hours on this case. She said if I paid {$1700.00} that day I could pay another {$1700.00} when I got my tax return. Again, floored and livid I decided I was going to attend the next hearing because they were trying to get so much money out of me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I had another hearing. I told the XXXX  I agreeded I owed money but not the dollar amount they were asking for. I told him how I have called them and they are unwilling to work with me and how they told me I owe {$3400.00}. The XXXX was taken back by this and said the judgement is only {$2000.00}. This is less than the dollar amount that was originally offered. I told the XXXX  I agreed I owed {$2000.00} and the XXXX  told me this was just a judgment and that my wages would not be garnished at that point. The XXXX said he was {$150.00} fee for each bill for a total of {$300.00}. The XXXX did not think this was legal even though their XXXX argued it was. The XXXX told their XXXX he would need to provide documentation of such a law and he would review. 

In late XXXX I received a letter from the XXXX that the XXXX was correct and I would have to pay the attorney fees of XXXX. Along with that paperwork it included the judgement totals, {$2200.00} and {$240.00}. 

I recieved a financial disclosure from their XXXX XXXX XXXX, I filled out the documents stating I was having financial hardship and received XXXX XXXXe from a releif within the last 6 months. 

In XXXX I received from XXXX XXXX an earnings garnishment notice, which he also personally sent to my XXXX. I thought we had to have a court hearing in order for this to happen? This garnishment says, unpaid balance- {$2400.00}, unpaid interest- {$2.00}, and estimated cost of earnings garnishment- {$120.00}. A total of {$2600.00}. My XXXX informed me that they were going to start garnishments on my paychecks. At this point I was terribly upset because I would not be able to provide for my family if a garnishment had started. On XX/XX/XXXX I asked my XXXX XXXXf I paid it in full would they discontinue the garnishment. They told me yes but I had to have it paid in full by the end of that business day. I was able to borrow the money from my family. On XX/XX/XXXX I called United Credit Services and spoke to XXXX but she told me XXXX was unavailable. I explained how I would like to pay the debt in full to stop garnishment and that I needed a letter that day stating it was paid in full and asked if someone could email it to me. She explained how I could pay online and that XXXX could help me with all of my questions and that XXXX would call me back in 15 minutes and that if I didn't hear from them to call back. I waited for over an hour and called back. The phone rang forever before someone finally picked up. Almost as though they were screening my calls. I asked for XXXX and they put me on hold for quite some time before the phone started ringing and it went straight to XXXX 's voice-mail. I left XXXX a message asking her to call back as soon as possible and my reasoning why. I never recieved a call back. At this point I paid the balance of {$2300.00} which {$5.00} was a processing fee online, this was the only dollar amount listed. I spoke with my XXXX about how very difficult this company has been for me to deal with. I filled out the Earnings Garnishment Debtor 's Answer telling my XXXX not to start garnishment because the debt had been paid in full. 

At this point, XXXXnited Credit Services Inc has called me once a week since. Last night XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX called and left me a voice mail stating I still owe a debt. 

I called back today, XX/XX/XXXX and asked to speak with XXXX. She was unavailable again so I talked with XXXX. She said I only paid one bill and that I still owed an additional {$240.00}. I told her that I disagreed with that dollar amount according to what the Judgement total was. She said I must pay the {$120.00} estimated garnishment. I asked why when my wages were never garnished and she said told me because it was effective XX/XX/XXXX, although, I completely disagree. I told her I would log online to pay the dollar amount and that I want a letter sent out today stating it's paid in full. I paid an additional {$250.00} again another {$5.00} in processing fees. I called XXXX back an asked if she could please send me a letter in the mail anXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXmail, which she made it sound like that was not possible. 

All the back and forth and lies of how much I was to pay has caused me so much XXXX  I do not wish for ANYONE to have to go through what I did. It feels like this still isn't over and something more will pop up. Please stop them from doing this to people.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation