Consumer complaint received 2015-05-23
Company: Synovus Bank
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt
Sub-issue: Not given enough info to verify debt

Complaint:
We are trying to purchase a house. I discovered when applying for the home loan that there was a closed account in collections from Columbus Bank and Trust on my credit report that I had no idea about. I had never received written or otherwise information on an attempt to collect on this account. I do n't remember opening this account. 

According to my credit report, the account in question was opened on XX/XX/XXXX and was charged off as of XX/XX/XXXX, almost 3 years ago and yet this account was last reported to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX.Someone is servicing this account. 

The last 3 weeks : I called Columbus Bank & Trust at XXXX and they could not find the account. 

They gave me the number to a company that distributes the accounts to collection bureaus. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX This place gave us the number to an Attorney Collection Agency Office and they said they have never had any account with my name or social security number. 

I started over and went through the same processof contacting the bank again and still ended with the dead end of not finding the account. 

At thispoint I called the bank back and told them no one had the account and she turned the problem over to to their research dept. and told me that it would take a day or two. 
I called back several days and they had not heard from research. 

Finally after about 10 days, they told me that they could not find who had serviced the account so they would fax a deletion letter. Give them a day or two. 

After a couple of days, I called back and they said it had not come through as faxed, try back in a couple of more days ... this went on for over a week. 

Then I was given a number by the bank that was supposed to be handling the faxing of the Deletion Letter. The lady that gave me the number to call, told me the deletion letter had already been approved, and that they could let me know when it was ready to be faxed to me. She assured me that they had the number to fax the letter to me. 

I called this number and they said to give them two days- XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX, XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX, I called them and the person I talked to identified himself as a manager. He told me that I needed to pay the {$800.00} owed on the account. I said I was willing to pay ( They found the account??? ) but I needed a letter stating that I had paid the account in full so I could be approved by the VA for the mortgage I was trying to get. 

The man told me that it would be on my credit report for 7 years and whether I paid it or not, it would still be listed on my credit report- a letter would do me no good, but I would have to go to the agency that was servicing the account. 

At this point I pretty much lost it. 

After Googling the number the bank had given me to call that " was handling the faxing of the letter '' I found out that it was " XXXX '' the same number they game me the XXXX time I called that gave me the attorneys that could n't find my account. 

I am in desperate need of help. I have been lied to and sent on a wild goose chase. I ca n't get off the merry go round. 

I am willing to pay off this account that I do n't even remember so I can get my VA Loan. I can not get anyone to identify the account as they are the ones servicing it or can verify if I paid it off. 

I am just so confused as to how to solve this Catch XXXX we have found ourselves .... Help Please!!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation