Consumer complaint received 2021-06-22
Company: Harris & Harris, Ltd.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
On or about XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I received a phone call pretending that I had been billed unsucessfully by XXXX for an ambulance on date of service XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, an occasion on which I gave the XXXX my correct address along with my XXXX insurance card to copy because my address via the DMV had remained wrong despite several documented attempts to change it. Nevertheless, they appear to have billed the wrong address, and sadly my insurance company did not notify me of their billing process ... indeed when in late XX/XX/XXXX my Grievance rep at XXXX tried to find the billing she had to " go in through the back side '' of their records to find it at all. This was only done because I screenshot my bills on that insurance and sent them ( and XXXX ) a copy showing no bill from the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ambulance. Sadly again, XXXX refused to consider their normal '' process of availability for discharge of the fees ... which may only be performed within 30 days ... a time during which I was unaware they'd even billed my insurance ... but remained un-notified and unaware that I had any further responsibility due to no EOB. Fast-forward after my six weeks of emailing Harris Collect despite a total lack of supporting documentation on this bill from them, after which my insurance co Grievance rep could not get XXXX to reconsider nor get Harris Collect to put my account on Hold while we were investigating. This is not legal per California Statute. Today due to rudeness on the part of " Miss XXXX '' via the number interior to their voicemessages, I was forced to wait again and again, and upon calling back after perma-hold, a recorded message promised a rep " in 30 seconds, '' twice, over several minutes, and upon call back again, the line went dead when my call was detected. The next call to their outgoing number this time, resulted in eventual " help '' after more gleefully contemptuous singsong voicing by " Miss XXXX, '' which I consider more harassment ... I was eventually connected to " Miss XXXX, '' who refused to put me on the line with one of their firm attorneys " because they only speak with other attorneys. '' When I told her I did not trust her or " Miss XXXX '' to handle my financial information without a license that would be risked if yet more behavior were promulgated by the Firm in conflict with California law ... she offered me a website to pay through, but it was also unaccredited, sketchy ... and despite my request for her to remain on the line, the line went dead as soon as I had connected to the " payment '' website. Wishing to be rid of this horrifying company, I paid via credit card knowing I would change the number immediately ... and sadly confirming my suspicions, the receipt is not in accordance with California law ... as the receipt came without any documentation of who paid ( myself ) and it is only by screenshotting the " account '' they created without my permission, that I have any record that it was myself making the payment. Indeed the receipt per their own programming, came via " blob, '' as you can see in the screenshots I am uploading. I have documented my payment to XXXX via fax ... but I am changing my account number on that credit card, in fear for the downright odd, even dangerous behavior of this " agency. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation