Consumer complaint received 2016-07-06
Company: Brown and Joseph, Ltd
State: TN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated an attorney or official

Complaint:
I was contacted on XXXX/XXXX/16 by agent XXXX XXXX from Brown & Joseph. She impersonated an attorney and intimidated me into making a payment arrangement on a debt that I did n't believe was valid. The account with the original creditor XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was being reviewed in a dispute over contract pricing and last I heard XXXX was reviewing my contract. 

XXXX XXXX never outright said she was an attorney but used all the terminology she could to imply that she was. She also made false statements such as my debt had already been verified as valid, that she was not attempting to collect a debt ( insinuated this was a legal action instead ), that if I did n't pay that day I would be sued, that I would have to hire an attorney as I would not be allowed to represent myself in court, and that I could no longer contact Quest regarding the account now that she was representing them. She also claimed that this information had been mailed to me the prior week. I told her that I knew my rights and that she was required to provide proof to validate a debt collection, she cut me off and said that I did n't have those rights. She was belligerent and verbally harassing. I was terrified of being sued and made a payment agreement, authorizing a series of XXXX electronic checks to be drafted on my checking account, the first a payment of {$500.00} on XXXX/XXXX/16. 

On XXXX/XXXX/16 I was notified directly by XXXX that my contract had been reviewed, I had not been billed according to my contract, my invoice had been adjusted, and the account recalled from collection with Brown and Joseph. I emailed XXXX XXXX to notify her that her agency would be receiving the notice that my account had been recalled, and that I would be contacting my bank to ensure payment was not paid to Brown and Joseph. She replied with a condescending " I 'm sorry you 're having a bad day. Please call me. '' Later that day an agent from my bank contacted XXXX XXXX to inquire whether she had received the communication from XXXX to stop attempting to collect and that I had withdrew my authorization for the XXXX payments. XXXX XXXX became belligerent with my bank agent, demanding that I provide documentation. I did provide that documentation in the form of a forwarded email from my XXXX representative that stated " Thanks again for providing all of the documentation you provided to me to resolve this issue. An email notification was sent to the collection agency - Brown and Joseph this afternoon to stop collection activity for this account. '' After the nasty experience with XXXX XXXX, my banking agent advised that, since Brown and Joseph had already demonstrated illegal tactics in attempting to collect this debt, they could not be trusted with the routing information and account number I had given them when I authorized the payments from my account. Rather than attempt to stop payment, it was the bank 's opinion that the only safe way to handle the matter was to close my checking account entirely. 
This turned out to be the wise move, as the agency did attempt to draft my ( closed ) account. 

On XXXX/XXXX/16 I received the written notice that XXXX XXXX claimed had been sent two weeks prior. I used the information in the letter to create an account for online payment. As of today, it is still showing my account is in collection with their agency, and that a {$500.00} payment was posted on XXXX/XXXX/16. I am apprehensive of how this will continue to play out.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation