Consumer complaint received 2022-04-25
Company: SUNRISE CREDIT SERVICES, INC
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
This complaint is regarding several material misrepresentations made by XXXX XXXX and Sunrise Credit Services. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX to cancel cable and internet services. During that call, the XXXX Agent informed me that my account was paid for the month of XXXX and to post date cancellation to the end of the month. Based upon the information I relied upon from the XXXX Agent, I post-dated cancellation and returned the loaned equipment at the end of the month. 

On or about XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I received a call from Sunrise Credit Services who informed me I owed a debt to XXXX  exceeding {$200.00} for services in XXXX and failure to return equipment. I ended the call and contacted XXXX immediately after. 

After approximately a week, XXXX discovered the failure to return equipment was based on XXXX 's error to send me a modern internet router, and the debt was removed as I had properly returned the equipment on the date prescribed ( See : Att. 4 ) Following the equipment error, there was still approximately {$150.00} XXXX claimed I owed for services in the Month of XXXX. I disputed this debt based upon the false representation made by the XXXX agent about my account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I disputed this debt because I relied upon the XX/XX/XXXX agents material misrepresentation of my account. 
After a couple weeks & countless phone calls, XXXX Agents informed me they were unable to locate the audio recording of my cancellation call, and asserted that I now owed {$70.00} for the period of XX/XX/XXXX to the end of XXXX. Spectrum refused to waive the remainder of the debt, despite the material misrepresentation made by their agent, failure to properly send updated equipment, and failure to properly process an equipment return. 

I then followed up with Sunrise Credit Services on or about XX/XX/XXXX. Following counsel from an agent at Sunrise Credit Services, I again disputed the debt. I did not receive a call from Sunrise Credit Services until on or about XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX lapse of 2 months was due in large part to Sunrise Credit Service 's phone number showing up as " spam, '' and their policy of not leaving any phone messages. During that call, the agent attempted to collect a debt of about {$220.00}. I told this agent that number was incorrect, the debt as a whole was based on a material misrepresentation of fact, and to call me back when she had the correct information. 

I did not receive a call from Sunrise Credit Services, so on or about XX/XX/XXXX, I called to follow up on the falsely reported debt. During this call, the agent counseled me to forward a screenshot of a {$0.00} balance I had received from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I was made to believe by that agent that the screenshot would effectively show that the debt was no longer owed. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I called back to follow up on the dispute and was told the agent had provided me the wrong e-mail account and to forward the screenshots to a different e-mail account. 

Upon my frustration for the failure to follow up on the documentation I provided, I was then forwarded to several managers and agents. During these calls I was told several conflicting accounts about Sunrise reporting my account to the credit bureau. First I was told " you can pay the debt today and we won't report you to the credit bureau. '' I was then told by a Sunrise manager that he was going to report me to the credit bureau and they should have started reporting it in XXXX. '' I was then told by a manager '' we have been reporting your account to the credit bureau since XXXX. '' I was then told by an agent that " my account has not been reported, and disputed debts are not reported. '' I was then again told by a manager that the prior agent was " misled '' and that " they have been reporting the account since XXXX. '' My final phone call with Sunrise was on or about XX/XX/XXXX. During this call I spoke to a manager who informed me the screenshots I provided didn't prove anything without verification that money was withdrawn from my account. Essentially, the manager told me that the {$0.00} balance I was counseled to forward to them was irrelevant. I then verified that my account was never reported to the credit bureau from the manager, which is reflected in a credit check. I then paid the balance despite several material misrepresentations made among XXXX and Sunrise Credit Services.

In sum, I was materially misled about the payment status of my account by a XXXX agent on XX/XX/XXXX. My account was wrongfully put into collections for equipment I had returned, and a debt that was levied against me based upon the XXXX XXXX misrepresentations of my account. 

I was then materially misled by Sunrise agents and managers about the relevance of documentation. I was intimidated by Sunrise agents and managers with false statements of reports to the credit bureau. 

Thank you for your time and consideration of the unethical and likely illegal contracting and debt collection practices followed by XXXX and Sunrise Credit Services. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXThe web filing is not permitting me to submit the last four of my social for account verification. It is XXXX. Additionally, my account is incorrectly held under " XXXX XXXX '' in both XXXX 's & Sunrise 's databases.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation