Consumer complaint received 2021-01-22
Company: ERC
State: AZ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
On the morning of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notice from my credit reporting site that a negative mark was placed on my credit. Upon review, I found a collection account dated XXXX XXXX XXXX had been placed by a collection company entitled ERC XXXX Enhanced RecoveryCompany ) in the amount of {$3200.00}. I immediately contacted the company and was told there was an outstanding balance with a telecommunications provider in a different amount XXXX {$3100.00} ) than listed via two credit bureaus through an address unassociated with me or my family. 

The collections agent verified my name and the last four digits of my social, but I told the person I had no business with that company and I never lived at the address or used their services. I inquired if the debt the collection agency, ERC, was attempting to collect was purchased as debt or did the company represent the telecommunications company. I asked so I would know who to request proof of contract/account and a fraud packet to fill out. The telephone collections agent stated that ERC is not the owner of the debt, that ERC " merely acts as a collector for XXXX XXXX XXXX, but we do not own the paper [ debt ] ''. The agent did give me the account information with which I contacted the telecommunications company ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). They had no record of the debt and generally could not pinpoint an account. Due to this I contacted ERC again and asked for additional details and requested a fraud packet again, and again was denied. With the information, I called back to XXXX XXXX XXXX and was told there was an " open '' account and that someone was still using the account eventhough ERC stated it was closed for non-payment in XXXX. 

I then called back to ERC still requesting a fraud packet, still being denied. I then contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX 's fraud department and was told there was a closed account for non-payment with yet again different address, amount and close date. As well, the collections division at XXXX XXXX XXXX informed me that the account was 'sold ' to ERC. I asked the agent to verify that statement of the collection being sold and it was verified twice more that the 'paper ' had been sold " directly '' to ERC. 

Four hours after going back and forth between ERC XXXX whose parent company is one of the the top 10 debt purchasing companies in the country ) and XXXX XXXX XXXX, I demanded to speak with a supervisor to request a fraud packet from ERC since they placed the account on my credit as a collection. This caused my credit to drastically fall. When I identified the information was false and that I had been prevented numerous times from receiving verification of debt as well as a fraud package since I have not done business with this company and therefore owe nothing, the supervisor read the debt collection disclaimer and stated he was going to send me to escalations so that I could be sent a fraud packet by email ( which I also requested in earlier calls ). Moments later, during transfer, I was disconnected from the call. I was never sent a fraud packet, eventhough ERC stated they were returning the item, they lied numerous times to avoid allowing me fair process to defend my credit by exposing the fraud they are committing in baiting and switching the information by address, account number, amount, open and close dates and active or inactive account information. We have never received ANY demand from XXXX XXXX XXXX and obviously couldn't because it's not a debt that is collectible! 

I still have no fraud packet, the item is still on my credit and I am still being footballed around! I've asked repeatedly to have the reporting business ( ERC ) to send proof of signature/contract/acknowledgement or anything. They ( 4 collection agents and 1 supervisor + 5 hours of talk ) lied about who owned the account in its current position. When verifying the information, ERC stated they would return the account so that XXXX XXXX XXXX could " research '' the account, but I asked for a fraud packet so that I could prove debt/bad account wasn't mine. XXXX XXXX XXXX can't have ERC 's collection removed from my credit. Only ERC can do that. Yet, everyone refused and then refused for 2 entire hours to let me speak to an ERC supervisor. When the supervisor finally got on the line, he acknowledged that ERC purchased the debt from XXXX XXXX XXXX and that I could request a fraud packet be emailed to me to expedite the removal from the credit, but then disconnected the call. That was in the 5th and final hour. The item remains on my credit. Their intentions are to discourage and prevent me from accessing the fraud packet to have this hoaxed collection removed from my credit!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation