Consumer complaint received 2018-05-24
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX bought my overdue debt from XXXX XXXX XXXX  for the amount of {$1400.00} in XX/XX/XXXX ( unknown specific date ) .On XX/XX/XXXX I got a call from a representative from XXXX XXXX XXXX with two options : 1. arrange monthly payments and pay the full amount due or 2. make a lump sum/settlement payment of {$850.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX I opted to make the lump sum/settlement payment and provided all of the necessary information to the company representative over the phone. The representative informed me that I would receive a notification/letter in the mail letting me know that the account was paid. On XX/XX/XXXX, the transaction was posted on my bank account with XXXX XXXX XXXX for the amount of {$850.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I monitor my credit with XXXX and XXXX and by XX/XX/XXXX, the debt was noted as paid on both of my monitored credit reports. 

At the end of XX/XX/XXXX, I realized that it had been approximately eight weeks since I made the lump sum/settlement payment and I had not received a physical notification/letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, through my own credit monitoring, I observed that XXXX XXXX XXXX and re-submitted the remaining debt amount of {$560.00} to both XXXX  and XXXX. I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX via telephone and requested a physical copy of my notification/letter that I had made a settlement/lump sum payment in XX/XX/XXXX and voiced my concerns related to the mistake on my credit report. The representative from XXXX XXXX XXXX informed me that my case was being forwarded to Consumer Support Services and to call back in 7-10 business days. I waited approximately two weeks and contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX Consumer Support Services and they requested a copy of my bank statement as proof of payment I made in XX/XX/XXXX. I faxed them a full copy of my bank statement and they requested 7-10 business days to process the information. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a notification from XXXX XXXX XXXX that all of the original debt of {$1400.00} remained due. On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX Consumer Support Services via telephone and was informed that after providing my bank statement, it was determined that the funds were never received at XXXX XXXX XXXX and they requested the full debt amount of {$1400.00} be paid. I terminated the phone call with XXXX XXXX XXXX at this time because I was confused about what was going on. Directly afterward, I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX concerned about fraud and the disparity in the information provided and the bank informed that the transaction did go through to XXXX XXXX XXXX and there was not insufficient funds in my account or any reversed transactions in XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX provided me a letter of verification for the transaction. After receiving the letter, I contacted Consumer Support Services at XXXX XXXX XXXX again and was informed that they could no longer speak with me over the phone due to a notification on my account that I was working with an attorney. I at no point had stated I was working with an attorney nor had I at any point in the past. XXXX XXXX XXXX refused to accept the letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding proof of the transaction or refused to speak with me further until I faxed them a letter stating that I was not working with an attorney.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation