Consumer complaint received 2023-05-10
Company: Debt Collectors International, Inc.
State: WI
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX, a California based company, ran by owner, XXXX XXXX, engaged a collections company named DCI, based out of XXXX, Florida, to pursue XXXX XXXX  for a supposed past due invoice with XXXX XXXX that XXXX XXXX has disputed with Vision Canopy to no avail. 

I am reporting XXXX XXXX and DCI and filing this claim today as DCI has engaged in harassing and beyond aggressive and threatening tactics and techniques unacceptable to collections law in California as well as in Florida and in every other State in the country. You can see this by the email dated XX/XX/23 at XXXX XXXX. Phone calls immediately started out with very aggressive tone and escalated from there with ridiculous harassing and threatening emails. The peculiar and hugely law-breaking step DCI committed was to never confirm nor validate with XXXX XXXX that the debt was even real before embarking on this harassing and bullying and intimidation collections campaign and they need to be reprimanded by the Attorney General to hold them accountable. 

Upon doing some internet research, it appears that DCI broke the 777 law/rule too.

As you can see in the emails attached and specifically the email from DCI to several of us and even to a lowly graphics employee previously at the company, DCI threatens us at XXXX XXXX by telling us they have advised XXXX XXXX to publicly notify the public of our predatory practices at XXXX XXXX ; none of which they have any firsthand grounds with to suggest that to their client but rather a harassing and bullying and intimidating M.O. that is reprehensible from a collections company these days and are acting as if this is the XXXX where kneecap smashing was the M.O. for collections companies but that has since been outlawed for years and if DCI does not know this from one of their XXXX XXXX Administrators, then we have further fodder and evidence for a stern reprimand to their actions. That is blatant defamation with intent to do harm resulting in damages to our company from the myriad of libelous and slanderous actions they are suggesting. 

Furthermore, as you can read in the attached email, DCI goes on to advise XXXX XXXX to, lodge complaints with numerous outlets such as XXXX, the XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX explaining in detail how XXXX XXXX engages with companies such as our client for services and products ( even though XXXX provided no services to us ; only product ) with an intent to withhold payment ( which is categorically false with no grounds of proof of at all ) upon delivery or completion. Furthermore, XXXX goes to threaten that they have advised XXXX XXXX to, make public all documentation and communications with XXXX XXXX to ensure that the public can review our clients claims in detail and see that their assertions are completely supported by fact. Also written by XXXX in this same email is another threat written as follows, It is highly unlikely that other businesses will be willing to engage with XXXX XXXX under any credit terms considering these facts ( which are bogus by the way ). Furthermore, customers of yours will be able to review our clients report of your actions and will strongly consider if they want to utilize a company that is incapable of satisfying their obligations or has moral turpitude to withhold payment in such a manner. I will ask you to re-read that last sentence very carefully as it reads like a canned or templated sentence that DCI would send out to all supposed debtors and be evidence of their consistent harassing and threatening practices that likely go unreported by majority of companies. That last sentence is written from an aspect that XXXX XXXX is a service provider when we are not ; XXXX XXXX is a product provider and this sentence, and this entire letter are likely evidence that DCI operates this way all of the time. The letter is signed, Be governed accordingly, and yet just another threatening and intimidating tone. 

As one can see, these are actions that would falsely describe XXXX XXXX business actions or intentions or practices, ever in its history, and would cause huge financial harm, in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, if this type of stunt were ever to get posted by XXXX XXXX as a result of the suggestions by DCI. Obviously, both XXXX XXXX and DCI would be sued but the damage to XXXX XXXX would be permanent and hence the severity is why DCI should have its debt collections license revoked and be fined. This is absurd over an unvalidated claim and with having only one side of the story. 

As you will read in more emails from XXXX XXXX, a Sr. Claims Administrator at DCI , he goes on to write more law-breaking collections techniques such as more threatening and intimidating and bullying statements, This may include a derogatory filing on your credit record, notification of credit reporting and rating agencies, and commencement of litigation in court that can increase the amount you owe by additional litigation expenses. To protect your credit rating and prevent the additional expense of litigation, immediately make your payment at the link below. And he finally writes, DO NOT DELAY. DO NOT MISS YOUR DEADLINE. In the event that litigation is initiated prior to our receiving your payment, you may be responsible for court costs. 

And then, on XX/XX/23 at XXXX, XXXX XXXX wrote another threatening email with his same threatening and intimidating tones that reads : This account has now been referred to me for immediate preparation of litigation against you. As a result of your refusal to liquidate this outstanding obligation, you now run the risk of incurring substantial additional costs of interest, litigation costs and fees. 

Traditionally, I do not bother to contact a debtor prior to forwarding their case to local counsel, but since the debt can obviously be enforced against your company, Ive decided to give you one final opportunity to pay this debt before incurring the added costs that will necessarily accompany further litigation. As a result of your refusal to liquidate this claim, you are at risk of incurring additional expense that you will have to pay pursuant to law. This is your final chance to liquidate this claim for the principal balance alone of {$4600.00}, without more additional costs, fees and expenses that necessarily accompany litigation.

I have reviewed the file and the accompanying documentation surrounding this claim and there is absolutely no reason why this should not be paid immediately. I will extend you the courtesy of suspending further collection efforts on this claim for 48 hours in order that you may liquidate this outstanding amount. This matter must be paid immediately if you wish to avoid the additional expenses and interest that will be added to your account once litigation is filed against you. 

This is your final opportunity to clear this matter before legal action is recommended. Should you choose to ignore this final opportunity to resolve this obligation, litigation will be filed against you without further notice to you. Please do not fail to give this matter the urgent attention it demands. Your inaction now is simply increasing your costs. 

I will expect to hear from you as soon as you receive this letter. 

Be Governed Accordingly, At the moment, we have no idea whether XXXX XXXX has embarked on DCIs suggestions but we are now forced to escrow much needed operations funds for legal funds for potential litigation and damage control and repair due to any stunts that XXXX XXXX pulls as advised by DCI. We are gravely worried about the likelihood of Vision Canopy to act on DCIs suggestions after their senseless hiring of DCI in the first place after having taken zero responsibility for their failed delivery of materials and screwed up order but rather chose to lie and pulled DCI into their lie and yet where DCI, a supposed seasoned collections company, should have known better and should have confirmed and validated the claim first but did not. 

We are also meeting with law firms to sue DCI and XXXX XXXX for these practices too which is yet another bogus out-of-pocket expense for XXXX XXXX and further reason why DCI needs to be reprimanded and punished. 

Thank you XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation