Consumer complaint received 2021-08-25
Company: Nationwide Recovery Systems, Ltd
State: UT
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Frequent or repeated calls

Complaint:
I began getting repeated calls from an NRS labeled phone number ( later to be found as Nationwide Recovery System ). I do not answer calls I don't know, especially after getting my new number about 2 years ago I constantly get calls for a XXXX ( I do not know who she is ), and that's why I originally thought I was getting these calls. I eventually answered at some point in attempts to get them to quit calling and realized they were actually calling for me, but I disconnected the call because I didn't want to continue to verify more personal information past my name until I could verify they were legitimate ( I'm going through my credit paying off anything in collections so I was starting there to verify them, as I'm aware of the types of scams there are when too much information is given ). 

The issue I'm having with this company is the repeated calls, multiple times a day. When they call, usually in the morning while I'm at work so I reject them or miss them completely, and sometimes within the SAME minute they are calling me back, and I reject/miss. Then later in the day I get the same thing. Their pattern is back to back phone calls when rejected, sometimes 4 or more times a day. I do recall once or twice maybe I have answered and told them to stop calling me repeatedly that I am working - especially while I'm at work and I disconnect with them because I am so beyond irritated with the calls happening. 

I looked yesterday to see what I needed to file a complaint with CFPB, so I called NRS and gathered the information as I didn't know what it was really in matter of. The guy that answered seemed to be polite and of course doing his diligence to resolve the matter by settling for a {$300.00} something manner, which I expected him to do. I declined and gathered the information needed for CFPB, and wanted to know why they were calling me so often. He has said as of yesterday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) they haven't contacted me since XX/XX/XXXX. I told him that was a lie because I had just received calls THAT DAY and told him I get them, usually in pairs back to back, and he seemed to dismiss that fact and attempt to collect again. When I tried again, he stated they aren't supposed to call more than once a day, and I proceeded to tell him again that there was clearly an issue when I have phone call logs saying they are doing otherwise. ON THEIR RECORDED LINE HE STATED ONLY ALLOWED TO CALL ME ONCE A DAY. I declined and told him I had to discuss it over with others ( which I didn't name at this time ) and would call back to resolve. He pushed to have a set date when I would call and I kept saying I didn't know until I spoke with others, so I came back telling him since he wanted to push - I wouldn't be calling back until the complaint was resolved with the CFPB ( and attorney general office ), and he got frustrated at that point trying to talk over me and I was pretty irate at this time as his only concern was clearly to collect. I was going to just thank him for his time and hang up but he insisted on getting me to a supervisor - which I said was unnecessary but he cold transferred me to in the middle of talking to him - which working for a mortgage company we value NOT cold transferring in any situation - which NRS clearly doesn't value nor listen to anything unless you agree to pay. 

So I wait a short minute for the supervisor and he gets on the line advising he was told I was having an issue with the calls, I said yes and now I have an issue with how rude the prior agent was when I advised him I wouldn't be settling anything with them until the CFPB complaint was filed as he dismissed me and sent me to the sup. The sup stated this was their policy to transfer when there was a disagreement - I told him policy shouldn't include being absolutely rude when I was very clear when I would resolve the manner - not at this time. The supervisor RUDELY and snarky stated it wasn't illegal to call to " remind me to pay my debts '', and I said it most definitely is when even his own agent said they can only call ONCE a day and their records are trying to say they haven't contacted me since XX/XX/XXXX when I had logs to say otherwise. The sup seemed uninterested at all in me expressing my concern of being harassed with phone calls, and the last comment he made before I hung up on him was extremely rude saying " If you had just settled the account with the last rep we could have avoided this whole thing ( i.e. me being upset over them being UNLAWFUL ''. I am livid - and even more XXXX after being very open with them about when I'd be taking care of my collections ( as I have been working for the past 2 months to clean my credit and pay/settle my debts ), and I feel their tactics to bully me into paying only got worse when I stated the unlawful things they were doing with the phone calls and now unresolved matters - considering I work in mortgage, with CFPB actually, and am aware what my rights are!!! Their approach at this time seems to be a " pay now and calls will stop '' type of attitude and I am absolutely appalled with this whole situation I can't even describe.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation