Consumer complaint received 2021-05-19
Company: Oliver Adjustment Co.
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
Received a letter in XX/XX/XXXX that a medical bill was given to OAC Collection Specialists ( XXXX, WI ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I made an online payment of {$27.00} in an effort to pay down the debt which was {$270.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a payment plan and agreed to have a monthly payment taken from my checking account every month on the XXXX until the debt was paid off. The reason why I could not pay this medical bill is because I had over {$12000.00} in medical bills from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX - the result of two surgeries and rehabiliatation costs from the surgeries. During this time, my 20 year career in the XXXX XXXX was eliminated due to Covid. I was trying desperately to make ends meet. 

The payments were made automatically in XXXX, XXXX and XXXX and I also have the next one scheduled for tomorrow, XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I reeceived a credit card notification that I had a change in my credit score. My score was lowered by 30 points. When I researched why this would have happened, I saw that OAC Collection Specialists reported my account as " delinquent '' even though I had a scheduled payment planned arranged and had been faithfully paying this since setting up the plan. 

When I called and finally spoke to a XXXX XXXX, she said that they could report that this debt is owed until it is paid in full. None of the documents that I printed out with the payment plan confirmation pages state that the agency will report negatively to the credit bureau REGARDLESS if you are currently making payments - the purpose of creating this plan was to, in good faith, pay this debt. This is a deceiving scheme that is now impacting my ability to obtain full-time employment and to re-finance my home mortgage - over a medical bill. Companies that I have applied to require you to agree to a background check and credit check. I now have a negative mark on my credit report that the company will not remove. As a matter of fact, to add to insult, Ms. XXXX stated " well, this debt is from XX/XX/XXXX, it isn't like it was new. '' Ms. XXXX is lucky to be a healthy, able-bodied individual that is gainfully employed. It is unforunate that her origanization preys on people that can not afford to pay their medical bills in one lump sum. If I was told that my payment plan meant nothing, than I would have borrowed money from a relative or friend so that I could afford to pay this so it does not impact my credit and my ability to refiniance and to find full-time employment. I asked Ms. XXXX where it states that she would report to the credit bureaus even with a payment plan and place and she said that she does not have that on the letter sent to me or the payment plan confirmation page. 

This is wrong - it is deceiving, it is unethical, it is abusive and I need help removing this from my credit report.

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