Consumer complaint received 2020-02-19
Company: Duncan Solutions, lnc.
State: NJ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
To whom it may concern, I hope this find you well. 
Original Company Requesting $ : XXXX of NJ ( XXXX ) XXXX Collections Agency : PAM ( Professional Account Management, LLC ) ( XXXX ) XXXX Address of PAM : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WI XXXX Below, after these first four paragraphs, is a letter I wrote dated XX/XX/2019 in an attempt to dispute fees adding up to {$250.00}. In the letter, I mention owing {$200.00}, but that did not include one violation. Therefore, the sum PAM Collections is demanding from me is {$250.00} or else they will put a hold on my car registration. 

The aforementioned total derives from 7 unpaid tolls in the state of NJ which XXXX is claiming. I have no problem paying the amount of each toll which, totaling less than {$10.00}, but now they are not giving me the chance to pay just the toll itself ; instead they multiplied that by more than 25. It is unjustifiable that they are still requesting that much money from me after I wrote them a letter explaining why I did not pay each of those 7 tolls. An explanation for 1 or 2 of the unpaid tolls was forgotten in my letter, but I will be happy to add it now : There was an apparent technical issue with the toll booth/s because it didn't reduce the toll after adding money into the machine ; I had no other spare to change to fix that problem. However, that should not be the driver 's problem to fix. 

It is a shame I could not respond in an appropriate manner, but what is considered appropriate when their system is not even working appropriately? It is unbelievable that PAM does not consider potential death and no and/or limited open cash only and full-service lanes as inexcusable reasons to not pay a toll. As wide as the parkway is and as densely populated as NJ is, there should have been more full-service lanes, let alone 1, which would allow me to use bills versus change or even give me a receipt if I didn't have cash ( I think they just started doing that, good thing! ). Now, I am at fault for twentyfive-fold the actual cost because of their faulty system. I should not be held responsible to try fit in a bunch of phone calls a day to try to pay something I would have paid easily if the system was better. I remember that one time in which there were no cash-only lanes and no full-service lanes, leaving me no other option other than to drive through the XXXX lane. I -nor any other driver- should be left with such debilitating circumstances. What is more sickening is that they can not admit their fault, let alone understand how this could have happened even after explaining everything to them in the letter. It sounds like they prefer me to die by trying to make my way all the way over to the corner booth, where they accept cash, if it means paying a toll. It is unacceptable. 

I need your help ASAP. PAM Collections is saying they could put a hold on my car registration. I will be speaking with the DMV to try to get more information, but my hopes are very low. I will pay whatever it is that the tolls totaled ( less than {$10.00} ), but to pay {$250.00} for reasons I could not control is not right. 

Below is the aforementioned letter written on XX/XX/2019 to try to dispute the charges totaling {$250.00}, excluding personal information as to follow CFPB 's instructions : I am writing to dispute the following charges which have already been assigned to a collection agency : 1. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX = {$1.00} 2. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX = {$0.00} 3. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX = {$0.00} 4. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX = {$0.00} 5. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX = {$1.00} 6. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX XXXX = {$1.00} 7. XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX = {$1.00} I truly apologize for not paying the required fees in a timely manner in order to use the tolls. I had been wanting to call the second that I had to pass through the tolls without a payment. I was very upset that I had to pass through without paying the tolls. I had issues being able to call during XXXX business hours ever since XXXX. 

The reason I had to go through the tolls without paying in the first place was due to situations which forced me to do just that : not pay the tolls. I either felt as if my life was in danger and/or no All-Service lanes were available. There were many times that that has happened, even more than the 7 aforementioned incidents. However, I always paid the bill in the end before it being transferred to PAM collection agency. While this is not your problem, I tried my best to call during business hours, but I was unable to do so and the mail at my home was not being forwarded to me properly while I was out of town for work for 3 months ). I wanted to call so badly the second I had to pass through a toll without paying. Please let me settle this by paying the original toll amount. I promise that, if anything similar happens again, I will make sure to prioritize XXXX over calling doctors. I am sure everyone can relate- 24 hours in a day seems to never be enough time. 

I just sent in a payment of {$1.00} after retrieving a receipt from the pleasant toll employee. I am grateful that that service is now available. Even if I wanted to utilize that service during any of the above incidents, I was not able to because, as I mentioned, my life would have been in danger and/or there were no open All-Service lanes. 

A small fee is not worth risking my life, but I would love to pay the fees in which I owe without the penalty fees. I do not deserve to have to pay {$200.00} for such issues. In the incidents which I feared my life, getting over to the open All Service lane which was all the way in the corner at the very end was not an option as the traffic was constant and steady. As for the incidents when there were no All-Service lanes, I obviously had no other choice but to not pay, unfortunately. The All-Service lanes should have never been closed ; I could not believe my eyes that every single All-Service line was closed in multiple incidents. 

I do hope that you understand my conflict and offer me the opportunity to pay the toll fees without the penalty fees. I would love to pay {$4.00} for the tolls to abide by law as every citizen should. 
Have a great day. 
Thank you for your time, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation