Consumer complaint received 2017-10-24
Company: Atlantic Recovery Solutions LLC
State: IN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Private student loan debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Used obscene, profane, or other abusive language

Complaint:
I originally spoke with Atlantic Recovery Solutions back in XXXX regarding my account with XXXX XXXX ( account number XXXX ). The agent name was XXXX and he advised if I did n't get payment set up on my account I was going to get sued. I advised I would set up payment and would call in XX/XX/XXXX to make my payment. When I spoke with an agent on XX/XX/XXXX he stated that my payment did n't go through and he needed to know what happened with it. I stated I was set up to call in each month to make my payment. He stated that it would be unacceptable to do that due to their client requires that I set up auto payments. I advised I was uncomfortable with auto payments and he stated he would n't accept my payment then and would mark me up as a refusal to pay. I advised I was n't refusing to pay and need to make payment due to I was being threatened with having a lawsuit filed against me. He transferred me to a manager who advised that I had to have my payment info set up on file per their client and would need auto payments. I asked if I could call my payment in every month and he stated no but they would be able to reach out to me to make sure it was ok to run my payment first. I was comfortable with this. On XX/XX/XXXX, while I was checking my phone I noticed that Atlantic Recovery Solutions had n't gave me a call so I was about to call them but decided to check my back account first and noticed they ran my payment for {$50.00} but did n't reach out to me as they stated they would first. I gave them a call to see why I did n't receive the call as the supervisor stated and the supervisor I spoke with told me that is not their policy and my payments would automatically run. I advised her that I would prefer my payment information to be deleted and I would call in my payments monthly. She then advised me that she would mark my account up as a refusal to pay and send it back to their client. I advised I 'm not refusing to pay and I will give them a call in XXXX to make my payment. She told me they will not have my account as I 'm refusing to pay in which I then asked to speak with her manager. 

I called Atlantic Recovery Solutions and spoke with a rep named XXXX. I explained my situation to him that I was n't refusing to pay but did n't want the auto pay on file and I asked will they still have my account in XXXX when I call to make my payment. He stated he did n't know, then I was transferred to a manager named XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX advised me that since my account has been open since XXXX their group of attorney 's from Ocmac were waiting to file a lawsuit against me and once it was filed the bill will be over {$7000.00} and they could take my car, garnish my wages, and other assets and if I did n't have these assets available then I will be in big trouble cause I 'm breaking a court order. I asked what court did they file the lawsuit in but he did n't answer. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to grow up and act like an adult that is over 18 years of age and they were not going call me and that payment {$50.00} a month on a {$2000.00} balance was ridiculous. I tried to tell him to please not talk down to me but he continued to talk over me. He told me that if I did n't have the auto pay that collections will continue on my account and they will call me everyday until I have the auto pay set up. I stated to him hold up my payment is not due until next month so do not call me until then. He stated they could call everyday if they wanted to since I was refusing to have the payments automatically so I stated to not call me and I would call them. He stated he would notify the client of my refusal to pay and wished me luck. I said I 'm not refusing to pay and I guess I should contact the Indiana Attorney General. He then hung up on me. 

I ended up calling back and telling them to take the payment for {$50.00} on the XXXX of each month that way it will give me time to call if I needed to pay with a different account if the money is not there. 

What I 'm scared of is if I do not have these auto payments set up this company will tell their creditor that it 's ok to sue me. All of my calls with Atlantic Recovery Solutions have been very abusive and they are extremely rude. I do n't think it 's right that they are allowed to threaten me like this and I 'm afraid that if I do n't do the auto payments they will try to take my car or come after my bank account. 

They state the bill I owe is for a student loan but it 's not, it 's actually money that is owed to the school due to apparently when I was there I was supposed to be on a payment plan to cover the costs of my tuition since my financial aid did n't cover the full cost of the school. It 's a bill that was an over site on my end which I agree I owe but I should n't be threatened to make a certain type of payment plan. Hopefully you can help me with this. Thank you so much.

Company public response: Company believes complaint represents an opportunity for improvement to better serve consumers
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation