Consumer complaint received 2016-07-16
Company: Preferred Collection and Management, Inc.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt
Sub-issue: Not given enough info to verify debt

Complaint:
I would like to request an investigation into the handling by XXXX XXXX XXXX Hospital related to the turning over of my account to Preferred XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and that of probably thousands of other patients. 
On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I received a letter dated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, from Preferred Collection and Management Services , Inc. ( CMS ). My reference no. is XXXX and my client account no. is XXXX.The letter states that it is a collection notice being sent on behalf of XXXX XXXX ( Hospital ) XXXX. There are XXXX invoices listed totaling {$2600.00}, services from XXXX/XXXX/XXXX through XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. The problem is that I owe no balance and my account had been paid in full in XXXX. 
The notice stipulates 30 days to respond or it will be considered a valid debt. On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I phoned XXXX XXXX billing department at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. ( XXXX ) XXXX. I spoke with XXXX about the invoices. I told her that I had no balance and that my account had been paid in full in XXXX. I asked for copies of the invoices. She said that there was no way of determining if my account had been paid or delinquent because the records were under an old billing system which had been shut down and the records and invoices no longer exist. The old system had totally been dismantled. She said Management decided to bring all of the divisions under a new payment processing system and that no information had been retained. On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, at XXXX, I phoned Preferred CMS. I ended up speaking with XXXX XXXX at extension XXXX. I requested the call be recorded. I explained I owed no balance and that my account was paid in full in XXXX. I requested copies of the invoices and charges that they have. She indicated they have no copies of invoices or records. None had been provided by XXXX XXXX. She indicated that they have received a number of similar complaints. She assured me she would cancel the debt, close out the invoices and clearing the balance to XXXX. I asked for some type of official notice in writing that this was going to be done. XXXX XXXX said she could not but that I had her words she would take care of it. I expressed concern that this would pop up years from now as an uncollected debt on my Credit Report and that was unsatisfactory. 
I mailed a letter on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to XXXX refuting the charges. I also completed an online complaint through the Florida Department of Consumer Protection on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX against the Debt Collection Company. 
Initially, I did not want to file a complaint against the Hospital because I am still a patient there so I submitted my complaint online against Preferred CMS as they are acting as their agent and should have been given the records. I attached supporting documents I had received and the letter I mailed to Preferred CMS. 
The letter I received in response from XXXX XXXX at the OFR on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX did not seem to grasp the fact that neither the Hospital nor Debt Collector could provide any information or documentation to permit me to refute these charges. I called and spoke with XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX, XXXX to explain that the issue is the fact that the Hospital had dismantled the prior billing system and kept no records. They turned over no documentation to CMS and that the CMS representative XXXX XXXX indicated she would remove the debt but said she could not send any letter to that effect. XXXX XXXX indicated that she would reopen the complaint and asked me to email her the supporting documents again and the letter I mailed to the Debt Collector on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. I sent her the email on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. 
Someone suggested that I should also probably file a complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX for failing to provide the information to their debt collector.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation