Consumer complaint received 2022-07-19
Company: Universal Recovery Corporation
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
XX/XX/2022 : Received phone call & voice mail message from XXXX with generic message. " This is XXXX calling from XXXX. Please contact me at above number extension XXXX. 
I did not know who this was, so I did not return the phone call. 

XX/XX/2022 : Received phone call & voice mail message from XXXX with generic message. " This is XXXX calling from XXXX. Please contact me at above number extension XXXX. 
It occurred to me I was expecting a call from an office supply delivery service and I thought maybe this was them since it was a second phone call, I looked up XXXX on XXXX, it's a freight company, so I returned the call. Upon calling the number, I find that the company is not XXXX, it is XXXX, and they claim they are a debt collections company. I speak with XXXX and he says he's attempting to collect a debt I owe at a local vet clinic for services rendered in XXXX 2022. I did have a pet at the clinic in XXXX 2022, and asked him to send me information of the debt. He sent me a scanned statement that looks like it's from the Vet office that has no detail other than the amount owing. 

XX/XX/2022 : In the morning miss a call and receive a voicemail from XXXX and I call him back and request a detailed invoice of the charges and amount owed. Later that afternoon I follow-up the request for detail with a reply to the statement email with an email also requesting the detail. Later in the afternoon I receive a phone call from XXXX to confirm I received the detailed invoice. I call XXXX back and let him know I am out at a client and will check my email once back in the office and we agree to speak on Monday as he will be out of the office by that time. Once back in the office I confirm receipt of the detailed invoice. 

XX/XX/2022 : In the morning I send a screenshot of the detailed invoice with my disputed items highlighted. I follow up with an email request for update in the afternoon. I receive a phone call and voicemail message not long after the email request for update. I receive another phone call later in the afternoon which I answer. We chat about the debt and he states that he checked with his supervisor and the disputed line item will be taken out. He gives me a revised amount to pay. I ask him what that includes because there is a difference in monies owed outside of the detailed invoice he sent me. He explains verbally the difference ( approx {$44.00} in fees of some sort ) and then asks for payment. I ask him to provide me with an online place to pay and he asks for my credit card information. I tell him I don't feel comfortable giving my credit card information over the telephone, he lets me know there will be a {$6.00} charge for processing the credit card and guaranteeing I won't be reported to the credit bureaus ( i assume this is online ) and when I ask for the url, he again says it will be only accepted via voice over the phone - and that if I don't remit payment immediately by credit card over the phone, he can't guarantee I won't be reported to the credit bureaus. I ask him if the Vet clinic will accept payment if I go in and pay the debt- he says not likely. I tell him I'm going to call the vet clinic and I will call him back. 

I call the Vet clinic. I am told the finance manager is out for the week but the person who answered the phone tries to help me out. She looks up my account and says she doesn't see that it's in collections. She does see a note on XX/XX/XXXX about the amount owed, but no mention of phone calls to me or info about debt collection. I tell her the story of the supposed debt collector and that they want payment by credit card over the phone, she agrees it sounds suspicious. I ask if I can come into the office to pay the debt, she says she doesn't know - usually the finance manager takes care of the payments- but that she will check with the office manager and have her call me back ASAP. ( probably tomorrow ) I call XXXX back. I let him know the update with the Vet office. He hard presses me again to give him a credit card number over the phone. I tell him I'm beginning to think he isn't legitimate, he tells me he has my SSN and my CA Drivers license number and that I am risking being reported. He gives me the last 4 digits of my social and my license number ( which is correct ). At this point, I request that he email me instructions on how to pay other than credit card over the phone and he says he can't do that because he's not allowed to send email. I indicate that he already sent me emails and I don't understand why this is any different and I state that without them, there is no record of our conversations. He states that the phone calls are recorded. I tell him I don't recall being asked permission to record this particular phone call when we got on the phone. He again asks for payment immediately but also offers to give me over voice where to " mail '' a check for payment - stressing unless I pay now over the phone with a credit card, he can't guarantee it won't effect my credit. I ask to speak with his manager. He tells me they are gone for the day but he can leave them a note. I tell him I think something is off with him/his company and that I'm going to report him and that I am now recording the conversation. He indicates he hasn't given consent for me to do so ( which I find strange being that he just said all the calls are recorded ) - and I hang up on him. 

I call back the main XXXX number XXXX I found when I googled XXXX. I ask to speak with a manager- I get some ones voicemail, I don't leave a message. 

I email XXXX requesting IN WRITING how and to whom I should pay my debt and let him know I'm going to file this report. Here 's the text of the email : " XXXX, As a follow-up to our phone conversation moments ago, I contacted the Vet office who said my account does not show its in collections. They also indicated that the Finance ManageXXXX is responsible for A/R and that she is out of the office until Monday of next week. The person I spoke with said she would ask the office manager if she could help me in the absence of the Finance manager I am awaiting their call currently. 

I offered to go into the vet clinic and pay any outstanding balance, the office manager should be returning my phone call shortly to give me the go ahead, or have me wait until the finance manager returns. 

As for our discussion regarding remitting payment over the telephone I will not give anyone my credit card information via telephone. Threatening to report this debt as unpaid in lieu of my immediate capitulation is unethical and harassment. Also, refusing to give me the information I requested regarding submitting payment through your company via email or direct mail, and declaring that all phone calls are recorded so I shouldnt need a written record or email trail after which I stated that you didnt ask for permission to record our current call, followed up by another threat to damage my credit and my request to speak with your manager ( which was refused ) and finally your denial of permission for me to record the call by the end is suspicious. 

Assuming, for a moment, that you are a legitimate debt collector and just unscrupulous, Id like to make it clear that I refuse to remit payment to you by credit card over the telephone, and also request you send me a detailed corrected accounting of my debt as well as a detailed description of how and where I may settle this debt IN WRITING. 

Lastly, I would like to make very clear, I consider our last conversation to be harassment and threatening, and will be reporting you and your company to the CFPB. "

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation