Consumer complaint received 2017-12-07
Company: Riverwalk Financial Corporation
State: KY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX ( phone number XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX regarding a collection that appeared on my credit report. I was alerted of it by a credit monitoring service I have through XXXX. I had never received a phone call or letter from them alerting me that they were trying to collect a debt or I would have resolved it a long time ago. I am in the process of trying to buy a house, so I would not have allowed a collection to appear on my report. 

They did not have any documentation supporting the debt, but they said if I paid it in full they would delete the account from my report and that they would have that deletion request sent to XXXX within 3-5 days. They advised me to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to make payment since they were the company managing the account, so I did. XXXX XXXX XXXX stated that they were waiting on confirmation from XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding the " pay to delete '' agreement and once they had confirmation they would have something sent to me in writing. 

The confirmed it and that letter was sent to me by XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  EST. They said they were the debt settlement mediation department. I then made a payment over the phone for {$340.00} using my XXXX XXXX credit card. 

Once I paid it, XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX instructed me to email him a paid in full receipt so that he could get started on the deletion process, but no one would send me a paid in full receipt. Instead, I was just sent the exact same agreement. 

I then called the mediation attorney at the phone number on the letter ( XXXX ext. XXXX ) and the call went straight to voicemail. I called three more times and the same thing happened. There is n't even an option to dial an extension. I 've called multiple times since then and it does the same thing, and no one will return my call from the voicemail I left. 

I started calling XXXX XXXX XXXX again to speak to the manager, XXXX XXXX, that had agreed to delete the account if it was paid in full. I called for about a week and he was never in the office or he was on the phone but he never returned a call. I even emailed him on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, but he never responded to any emails. I was also referred by the agent who answered the phone to speak to a manager named XXXX, but he also would never return a phone call. I called for him repeatedly also. Finally, on my last call, XXXX came to the phone and said that they never received my money and they claimed no one ever agreed to delete the account from my credit ( despite the fact that I had it in writing ). He said they were going to " do the right thing '', though since I said someone told me that. He then went on to say that they had 30 - 90 days to process the request, and before I could tell him that XXXX XXXX agreed to have it done within 3-5 days, XXXX told me never to call his company again and hung up on me. 

I 've tried contacting the mediation attorney at XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, but they are not listed anywhere online, and they will not return my phone call. I filed a dispute with XXXX and sent in the letter from them stating the account would be deleted from my credit report, but XXXX said they could not delete the account based on that letter because it was not signed and because it was not formatted properly. XXXX has tried to contact them and has not been able to get anyone to answer the phone either. 

This appears to be a scam and I want this account deleted, as agreed, immediately, and I am asking for your assistance in getting this done for me. It appears as though I have been a victim of fraud.

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