Consumer complaint received 2015-04-09
Company: Adler Wallach & Associates, Inc.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not mine

Complaint:
In late XXXX or early XXXX I received a bill for {$210.00} from XXXX XXXX without any description of the date of service or type of services for which I was being billed. I had dental insurance and always paid my coinsurance amount prior to leaving the office. 

I called the XXXX, FL office where I was a patient, and I was told it was a clerical error on their part. The employee said someone entered a wrong code into their computer system and the XXXX office, the only XXXX XXXX office I have ever been to, was not listed as my primary or home office. Apparently, this effects insurance coverage. The employee at the XXXX office told me that she fixed the issue. 

Then, in XXXX or XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX reported the invalid debt to AWA Collections Agency. The XXXX office told me I needed to speak to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX to resolve the issue. It is extremely difficult to contact the Corporate office as they do not answer their phones or return messages. After multiple attempts over a number of days, I finally reached someone on the phone. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX acknowledged that I was incorrectly billed and sending the account to collections was an error on their part. At XXXX XXXX instruction, I received a letter on XXXX XXXX, XXXX from AWA telling me the account " has been cancelled with our office. It is as if it had never been assigned. This account has NOT been reported to the Credit Reporting Agencies, nor will it be. '' Notably, XXXX XXXX refused to communicate with me in writing on this issue. 

At some point after this I received another bill from XXXX XXXX for {$210.00}. My husband contacted them on my behalf and informed them that this was an invalid debt, and the issue had been resolved with a letter from AWA. 

Nevertheless, without any further communication from AWA or to the best of my knowledge and recollection XXXX XXXX, AWA reported this invalid debt in the amount of {$210.00} to the Credit Bureau 's on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 

When I saw the collection account on my credit report, I called AWA at XXXX on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to resolve the issue. Their employee told me that AWA could not remove the collection account from my credit report without XXXX XXXX instructing them to, and that I needed to speak to XXXX XXXX. The employee I spoke to did confirm that the account that was reported to the Credit Reporting Agencies was the account number ( XXXX ) that was referenced in the XXXX XXXX, XXXX cancellation letter. He also told me that the account was opened in XXXX XXXX, which along with the {$210.00} amount also suggests that it is the same account referenced in the cancellation letter. 

AWA told me that the mailed some kind of letter to me on XXXX XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. They mailed this letter to an old address, I did not receive it, and nonetheless they reported this debt to the Credit Reporting Agencies on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. Despite multiple requests to XXXX XXXX and AWA, to date I have never received any description of the date of service or type of services for which I am being billed. Nor, to the best of my knowledge and recollection, did I ever receive any type of denial of coverage from my dental insurance company. 

I called XXXX XXXX XXXX at or around XXXX on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and left voice messages with both the patient billing/collections department and the patient relations representative. There was also no answer at the receptionist extension. My messages have not been returned. 

Most importantly, AWA reported a disputed and invalid debt to the Credit Reporting Agencies as a collection account despite sending me a letter stating the account was cancelled and " has NOT been reported to the Credit Reporting Agencies, nor will it be. '' I received no communication from them between the XXXX XXXX, XXXX letter and the date they reported this as a collection account, XXXX XXXX, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief