Consumer complaint received 2022-09-13
Company: Merchants' Credit Guide Company
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
In XXXX, I had some health issues and saw many doctors. Always with health insurance, at the time it was XXXX. I am unsure of where exactly I went, at what time, because of my health at the time. 

In XXXX, I disputed two accounts that showed up on my credit report from XXXX XXXX, with no knowledge of any bills ever being unpaid from my insurance. Both were found erroneous, and removed from my credit report. 

Merchants Credit Guide then started reporting these accounts back on my credit report, and I have been attempting to dispute and/or resolve these erroneous reports ever since, but merchants credit guide just keeps reporting as correct. 
One fell off in XXXX, and is no longer being reported. The second, I disputed with multiple credit reporting agencies, earlier this year, and it was removed from one, XXXX, but remains on two ( XXXX  and XXXX ). 

I have waited years for this erroneous collection to fall off my credit, as it was reporting a date of XX/XX/XXXX as the estimated date of removal. 

XXXX came and instead of being removed, the estimated date of removal disappeared and now it is being reported with a one month term. 

So I now not only dispute the validity of this debt, but also the term. Reporting a one month term which is false. I have never agreed to terms with this company. 

According to the FDCPA : Section 807 ( 10 ) prohibits the " use of any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer. '' 3. False statement or implications. A debt collector may not falsely state or imply that a consumer is required to assign his wages to his creditor when he is not, that the debt collector has counseled the creditor to sue when he has not, that adverse credit information has been entered on the consumer 's credit record when it has not, THAT THE ENTIRE AMOUNT IS DUE WHEN IT IS NOT, or that he can not accept partial payments when in fact he is authorized to accept them. 
Violations also include : FDCPA 807 ( 2 ) ( a ) misrepresenting the character, amount, or legal status of a debt FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) reporting of information with actual knowledge of errors I have since contacted both merchants credit guide, and XXXX XXXX ( the original creditor ). Merchants credit guide asked if I had insurance at the time which I responded yes. They asked me if it was XXXX which I concurred. The agent at merchants credit guide said he used to work in public aid insurance, and informed me they were sometimes years behind I asked how he knew that the insurance didnt get around to paying it years later, and his response was he knows because I used to work there If validating whether a debt was paid or not was as easy as getting an opinion from someone that used to work there, credit reporting would be a whole different ballgame. 

I then contacted the original creditor, XXXX XXXX. I talked to several billing departments, and each one told me the same thing. They told me they have no record of the account, no record of billing, and no record of me ever being a patient. 

If the original creditor is unable to even tell me if I was a patient, and has no record of my billing or account, I am unsure how to find out when/if this was a bill paid by insurance. Because I was insured with public aid at the time, I should have never incurred any out of pocket costs. 

It is for these reasons, that I reject the validity of this debt. This erroneous reporting is causing major harm to my credit report, myself, and my family. It is also affecting me in trying to obtain a home loan. 

This reporting on my credit report misrepresents the status and character of this alleged debt and represents an unfair and unconscionable means of trying to collect this debt. I demand that all collection efforts immediately stop and merchants credit guide sends immediate notice to all three credit reporting agencies to remove this derogatory tradeline. 
Failure to comply immediately will lead me to register complains with my and your state 's attorney general and also pursue legal remedy in state or federal court.

Company public response: Company disputes the facts presented in the complaint
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief