Consumer complaint received 2020-02-12
Company: ProCollect, Inc.
State: AL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Used obscene, profane, or other abusive language

Complaint:
I contacted ProCollect back in XX/XX/XXXX to make arrangements to pay a debt I found out was on my credit report. The gentleman I spoke with told me he could not accept a payment arrangement nor settle the account ; that it had to be paid in full. Upon agreeing to pay the balance in full, the gentleman assured me that I would receive a letter via email stating the debt was paid in full and that ProCollect would have it deleted from my credit report. I made the payment of {$490.00} + fees totaling {$500.00}, in FULL, for the amount owed on the account. 
I never received a paid in full letter and the collection has not been permanently removed from my account. 

I contacted ProCollect on XX/XX/XXXX because I find out the collections is still being reported each month on my credit report. I first spoke with a Ms. XXXX, who was extremely rude and unprofessional. I tried explaining to her what the gentleman who took my payment back in XXXX told me and I agreed to. She placed me on hold several times and came back to tell me that I was given a deletion offer in XX/XX/XXXX and I didn't make a payment until XX/XX/XXXX. I explained to her that I never received a deletion offer and I called in to make a payment in XX/XX/XXXX, only after I found out the collections was on my credit report. She stated that they can not remove the collections from my account. I kept telling her that the gentleman told me it would be removed and that I also never received the paid in full letter. She stated that they would email me a letter stating paid in full and that the only thing they can do is continue to report to the credit bureau " paid in full. '' Again, I told her that is not what I agreed to when I made the payment in XXXX. Ms. XXXX became very rude after I asked to speak to a supervisor about the matter. She told me, " This is not a supervisor matter and the answer won't change. '' I told her I would still like to speak with a supervisor. I was repeatedly told, " NO '' and finally, " I am going to have to disconnect this call. '' I called back and spoke with someone else. I immediately asked to speak with a supervisor and I couldn't understand the young lady 's name. She, too, did not let me speak with a supervisor. After I tried explaining to her that this collections was supposed to be removed from my credit report after payment in XXXX and that they are still reporting it each month, she proceeds to tell me that they don't report accounts that are paid ; it is the credit bureau that is updating the account. I told her the credit bureau can't put anything on there that they don't report. She still insisted that ProCollect uses bully tactics and is updating the collections as " {$0.00} balance '' every month, instead of deleting it as promised. I told her again that the account was supposed to be deleted when I paid it. She told me it's the credit bureau, not them. She was short, cut me off, and ended the call. After 1 year and 3 months, I finally received a " paid in full '' letter via email, only after I had to contact them again, but they are still refusing to remove the collections account from my credit report. I was lied to and the representatives of this company were highly rude and unprofessional.

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