Consumer complaint received 2015-07-18
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: NJ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt resulted from identity theft

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I decide to try XXXX service for my iPhone so I stopped by XXXX XXXX store and got a pay as you go plan and prepaid it. I explained I want to try service to see if the iPhone would work. I was told I had to activate service and to get pay as you go plan, then if the phone proofed to be unlocked I could cancel and get a monthly plan. So that day after trying the phone and finding it to work on XXXX network I cancelled the pay as you go and converted it to a monthly plan. XXXX agent at the XXXX, NJ store did the paper work and put the {$75.00} credit from the pay as you go plan onto my monthly account. 
XXXX, NJ store requested my main business line to be " Ported In '' to XXXX for my use. 
After a couple of days I realized no calls were coming in so I tried to call my number, that 's when some girl answered. I asked how did she get this number, she said " I just got this number from XXXX ''. I realized She got my number the SAME DAY XXXX PORTED THE NUMBER! 
That 's when I called XXXX and expressed the urgency of getting MY NUMBER back to me. I told them " It 's the XXXX and I build ecommerce web sites and it was urgent that I get that number back immediately. XXXX Customer Service apologized and processed the procedure to get the number back to me. 
A few days later I called XXXX Customer Service and I was told the agent never put the request in to correct the problem and XXXX agent would take care of it while I was on the phone with them. 
The next week I found out from what was to be new customers that my main business phone was called and no one got back to them and they rapidly the calls only to have a very annoyed girl answer and tell them is was her number. I LOST THIS NEW BUSINESS AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR. 
I call XXXX and told them exactly what has transpired. I argued for compensation, I said " The number was not theirs to give away and that their mishandling porting my number has cost my business over {$8000.00} in list sales plus the lost and cost of calling each and every business we had deals pending with. XXXX told me that MY NUMBER I AHD FOR OF 20 years, was actually theirs because they ported it in for me, I TOLD THEM BULL and to stop trying to cover their but and fix the problem! 
They offer free service from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX plus a new driod phone at not cost. I said I was use to IPhones but if the driod works well I would accept that as a settlement, but If I was not happy with the driod and returned it in original box I want the value in a credit applied to my account. XXXX said ok but the phone would have to be retuned in the box. 
A month later I called XXXX to make arrangements to return the phone for full credit and I was told yes I would get the additional credit for the phone put onto my account as a credit and that is would mean their would no phone bill due until XX/XX/XXXX. So with this understanding I sent the phone with it original box back to XXXX. 
A month later I still did not receive a credit on my bill so I called XXXX customer service to see when the credit would be applied. I was told " they sent me the phone for free and no further credit would be given ''. I argued my points about why I was supposed be given the credit. 
At this point XXXX has caused enough stress and hardship to myself and my business that I canceled all service. I had no contract so I think this was best! 
I never got my {$75.00} cash credit applied and I never got the credit for merchandise that was mine and retuned. I feel XXXX was dishonest and took property and assets from me. I feel XXXX was deceptive and their mismanagement lead to my losses. 
I have filed a complaint with The State Of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief