Consumer complaint received 2015-05-28
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not mine

Complaint:
This is a complaint in regards to the Debt Collection Agency, Midland Credit Management AKA Midland Funding. Beginning a few years ago, I was reviewing my credit report and saw that there was a collection against me from Midland Funding in the amount of {$300.00}, placed for collection on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX from the original creditor, XXXX XXXX. Assuming this was a mistake as I had not had XXXX for some time and had not received an outstanding bill, I disputed the information online with the credit bureaus. Not thinking anything else of it, I assumed that this information would be corrected and did not pull my credit report to review again until recently. Upon reviewing my credit report, I was horrified to not only see that Midland Funding had verified this information as accurate with the credit reporting agencies when they had originally investigated it but Midland Funding did not send me any proof that I owed this debt. Furthermore, now there are XXXX collections on my credit report from Midland Funding both for XXXX XXXX. The second collection account was added by Midland Funding to my consumer credit report on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX in the amount of {$1600.00}. I was absolutely horrified. I could not comprehend how I now have XXXX accounts from Midland Funding from the reported creditor XXXX XXXX totaling the amount of {$1900.00}. I immediately filed a dispute with all three credit bureaus and sent Midland Funding a detailed letter stating that I was disputing the accounts and requesting validation ( my original letter and return receipt attached ). Midland Funding then responded to me on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX stating, " ... we are unable to determine the nature of your dispute, and consequently deny that our records are inaccurate '', they go on to state, " In order to further investigate your dispute, we need additional information to identify the basis of your dispute, including a complete explanation of your dispute would be helpful '' ( letter from Midland Funding attached ). As you can see from my letter to Midland Funding, I clearly explained that I was disputing and requesting validation and the letter that they sent to me has my reported account number, so I am unclear how they do not have enough information to investigate or how they are confused as to the nature of my dispute. Furthermore, I contacted XXXX XXXX on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to investigate for myself as the letter that Midland Funding sent me states that, " ... information provided by the previous creditor '' lead then to deny that their records were inaccurate. When I contacted XXXX XXXX on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I was told that there was no record of me owing any past due balance, much less a balance in the amount of close to {$2000.00}. 

As a consumer, I believe that my rights are being grossly violated. If an organization has the ability to put information on my personal credit report, I believe that I have the right to receive validation that this is an actual debt that I owe. Furthermore, while Midland Funding sent me this letter, the same day I received a letter from XXXX stating that " the credit grantor has verified its accuracy '' ( letter attached ). I am very unclear how this organization can ethically or legally verify a debt with a credit bureau but yet can not provide me, the consumer, with any validation that I owe this debt when I clearly requested it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation