Consumer complaint received 2020-09-09
Company: Conn's, Inc.
State: AZ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
To Whom It May Concern : My name is XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX and we have grievances of a legal nature against Conn 's HomePlus stores. I call this the double-pay scan by Conns due to  the process in which Conns swindles well over 2x the amount owed to them and hits you and your familys credit in the process so you must pay them. 
1. XX/XX/XXXX we purchased a TV, washer, dryer, and a microwave for a little over {$2000.00} + or so in an attempt to build credit and our payments were never late. 
2. XX/XX/XXXX, by email, an account Payment protection program was added without our consent. We didnt ask for or purchase insurance but it thrust upon us anyway. 
3. Around XX/XX/XXXX, a new loan debt letter was sent stating that we now owe {$3500.00} with a 34-month loan term. We had already started aggressively paying off our loan before any interest accrued. Their false advertisement stated on XXXX says, " Pay no interest on purchases for up to 36 months, with credit approval. This is a falsehood. 
4. Fast forward to XX/XX/XXXX, we had thought our loan was paid off and were waiting for the paid in full letter, none came. 
5. We called several times from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX receiving over 22 mitigation department late emails. The emails ranged from reporting  117 past due notices, various amounts owed per month, promises to apply credit to the account, making de-escalation payments, to mild threats. We called several times to confirm that the debt has been paid in full, to stop sending the above emails, and wanting for our paid in full letter. Verbally by phone, we were told that there was a glitch in their computer system and that we are paid in full, yet the requested paid in full letter was ever sent. They willfully lied in order to achieve additional funds. To my rough estimation, our {$2000.00} + loan will be roughly {$10000.00} or more by the end of the payments depending what they feel like doing to us. {$10000.00} for a TV, washer, dryer, and a microwave. 
6. On one occasion in XX/XX/XXXX after the collection was placed, I spoke with a Conns representative. She told me that we owe {$2500.00}. I asked her why we owe on an account that has been paid off. She then hung up on me. This is the typical Conns con, the {$2500.00} to pay off the loan and a collections stating that we owe {$3100.00} right on the paperwork in front of me. 
7. When Conns place this into collections, they said that we owed them originally {$3500.00} from their modified amount, not the original amount from XXXX of XXXX. They also said on one call that  we now owed {$3100.00}. 
8. After this, we spoke with another employee of Conns who stated that the original amount wasnt touched and the only thing that we paid down was the principal and now we still owe over the original amount. If we paid the principal off then why are we still paying on the principal of the loan now? For instance, our payment for XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX balance {$2300.00}, our payment for XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX balance {$2300.00} ; this means that only {$54.00} was taken off the original amount. 
9. We have asked for specific information from them through a  validation letter sent by email on XXXX. Including a copy of the original XXXX of XXXX agreement. Its now 30 days later and there has been no information sent by Conns.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation