Consumer complaint received 2021-01-02
Company: Sequium Asset Solutions, LLC
State: GA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
In early XXXX the XXXX Customer Account number # XXXX with a balance of {$280.00} was transferred to a collections agency called Sequium. I did not know I owed this balance. Therefore I am complaining about BOTH companies - XXXX XXXX XXXX and Sequium. 

The XXXX bill was initially supposed to be in my ex boyfriend 's XXXXXX/XX/XXXX name, but when signing up for service, it was put in mine instead. We were both on the same XXXX XXXX XXXX account, and he was supposed to be responsible for cable/satellite. XXXX XXXX XXXX made a mistake. He stopped paying the bill in XX/XX/XXXX when we split up. I found out the bill was in my name. I couldn't get out of the contract so I asked for the bills to be combined. This combined billing would give me an additional discount of {$10.00} off each month on top of the {$15.00} discount for having both XXXX XXXX XXXX cell phone services and XXXX bundled. 

Eventually I couldn't handle the high bills with XXXX XXXX XXXX and fell behind. I discovered my XXXX  XXXX  account had not been combined in XXXX of XXXX so I requested it a 2nd time. A few months later I chose to keep my cell phone services on and let XXXX close in summer of XXXX. I turned in the equipment in XXXX, but I did not get a final bill from XXXX. I could no longer access the XXXX account in the " My XXXX XXXX XXXX app. '' I assumed this was because the billing was finally combined and my balance was adjusted because of the discounts. 

I later found out my account was transferred to Sequium in XX/XX/XXXX. There was no notification or attempt to contact me from XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX before this unknown balance of {$280.00} was transferred to collections. I received no final bill. 
I did not receive any notification from Sequium when the balance was transferred either! I recieved no letter saying I supposedly owed a debt and they had received my account from XXXX. I got no communication from them at all from the time they were assigned my account XX/XX/XXXX up until they reported the balance of {$280.00} to my credit in XX/XX/XXXX. 

I checked my credit report in XX/XX/XXXX and found out that this erroneous amount had been put on all 3 of my credit reports. I called Sequium and disputed the account and the amount. I asked them to remove the collections because they were violating the fair credit reporting act. I had recieved no letter from them. 

I was told by a Sequium representative the reason I may not have gotten a letter was due to Covid-19. Sequium had limited their operations for a time. I asked Sequium if I could pay an adjusted balance and get it taken off my credit, they said no. Once it was on my credit, they had a policy to not take it off unless the original creditors indicated it was a mistake. 

So I called XXXX XX/XX/XXXXand XXXX. I disputed the balance with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and they did research. After a month of arguments I received an adjustment for {$100.00} on the closed account. XXXX XXXX XXXX acknowledged that there was a technical error in which billing for both ( cell & cable ) services had not been combined correctly. I had not gotten the full {$25.00} discount, XXXX {$15.00} for bundling & {$10.00} for combined billing XXXX monthly discount that I qualified for almost 9 months. 

Due to a technical error with combined billing, my XXXX account stopped sending me notices and mail. I could no longer access the XXXX account through the app. 

After a month of phone calls, I was told by an agent, XXXX XXXX - XXXX that her manager XXXX saw the problem, but I could not get the full credit owed to me of {$250.00} ... they could only give me {$100.00} off the {$280.00} balance. MsXXXX XXXX and her manager at XXXX XXXX XXXX applied the credit of {$100.00} in XX/XX/XXXX and I was promised that a request would be put in to REMOVE the collections completely. At that time I paid the remaining balance of {$180.00} so it could be over with. I was told my credit would be cleared in 60 days. 

I called Sequium back on XX/XX/XXXX and asked about the progress with clearing my credit. I told them about the XXXX adjustment. I spoke with several agents until I got in touch with XXXX, a branch 2 manager Sequium, who said he would get in touch with Credit reporting department. He would ask to delete, but it may take up to 60 days to come off. 

I called back in XXXX and was told by XXXX my request was denied. Sequium only reported the balance of {$280.00} as paid. This amount is wrong on my credit ( should be only {$180.00} ) because I recieved a {$100.00} credit from XXXX XXXX XXXX. This credit is in Sequium 's records. They know that I recieved an adjustment due to an error, but refused to take the collections off. XXXX said that XXXX XXXX XXXX has to tell them to remove it. 

In XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX I spoke to a rude collections agent XXXX. He and his manager XXXX told me that even though it was XXXX 's technical error, I was still responsible for the remaining balance and all the other agents at XXXX XXXX XXXX who PROMISED me they would help me get Sequium to remove the collections were lying. They just wanted to get me off the phone. He said there was no way to help me and communicate to Sequium to take the collections off my credit. 

I recorded this conversation. I honestly do not believe that this balance should be on my 3 credit reports because : 1 ) Due to technological issues with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX combined billing, I did not know the XXXX balance existed. My XXXX account had closed the summer of XXXX. I thought my XXXX balance was adjusted and what little remained was combined with my XXXX XXXX XXXX cell phone bill. I recieved no notification ... otherwise I'd have paid OFF the balance in XXXX if I had known it existed. 

2 ) The final bill with XXXX XXXX XXXX should have included my XXXX cable/satellite balance after I switched to XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. I had been making payments on the XXXX XXXX XXXX balance. Its not my fault that the balance I made payment arrangements with XXXX XXXX XXXX did not include XXXX and was not the full amount. 

3 ) The {$280.00} balance reported to Sequium from XXXX is now incorrect by {$100.00} becauseof an error by the original creditor. They knew this but refused to remove the collections or adjust the amount. It is still shoe on my credit report as {$280.00} even though they were informed otherwise by both myself and XXXX. Instead Sequium just reported my account as " paid '' on my credit report. 

4 ) I should never have been sent to collections in the first place. Iwas not informed of this balance by phone, letter or mail by Sequium before it was reported to my credit as a collections. I had already made payment arrangements for the XXXX XXXX XXXX account, so I would have done the same for XXXX too! 

5 ) I was told by 5 or 6 different people over 4 months ( XXXX to XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX customer service, including the XXXX  ( internal collection ) division that they would request Sequium, the 3rd party collections agency, TAKE THE COLLECTIONS OFF MY CREDIT COMPLETELY. Then I was informed by a rude XXXX XXXX XXXX agent, XXXX, that I had been lied to for months and that it was my fault for not paying my bill. They could not or would not send communication to Sequium to remove the error from my account.

I am soooo upset! Yes having a past due balance was partially my fault, but if I had known the balance was owed and going to be reported to my credit I would have disputed it and paid it off much earlier.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation