Consumer complaint received 2018-05-10
Company: I.C. System, Inc.
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
Complaint against IC System. 

IC System is a debt collecting agency based out of XXXX XXXX MN. XXXX, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX  XXXX. Tel XXXX. 

They were hired by a XXXX XXXX to collect a debt of {$8900.00} from me for uncompleted service. 
Initially when I got a letter from IC systems on XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a letter back to IC systems disputing the debt. In the letter I attached a copy of the " Term and Fees Schedule addendum ( Also attached ). 
The addendum that I signed stated that a payment of {$8900.00} would be due if a minimum guarantee of {$80000.00} in loan amount was acquired. In my letter, I stated that the minimum guarantee per contract had not been met and that's why I am not obligated to pay. 

IC system, then forwarded my letter of dispute to XXXX XXXX, who wrote back to IC system stating that they had acquired loans in the total amount of {$82000.00} and on XX/XX/XXXX I received the letter from IC system stating that they had been provided information validating the debt. They forwarded me a copy of a list of credit lines that XXXX XXXX  claim as approved and received ( Attached ). 

The IC letter dated XX/XX/XXXX to me ( attached ), also stated that " If you still question the obligation to pay, contact our office immediately. Since the list showed credit lines in my name that I was not aware of, I called the banks to ask if I had any existing credit lines in my name in the credit amounts listed that I was not aware of that were opened in the first quarter of XXXX, since XXXX started applying on my behalf during XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX. Every bank I doubted to have a credit card with them, confirmed that I didn't have any credit lines with them in the amounts stated which had been opened in that time period. 

That very night, I wrote a letter back to IC system ( attached ), indicating what credit lines on that list were legit and which ones were not legit. I mailed that letter with the copy of the verified credit lines from that list on XX/XX/XXXX and mailed it the next morning. The verified credit lines amounted to {$37000.00} and only 2 of the credit lines were in the business name yet according to the initial promise from XXXX XXXX all credit lines were to be business. 

Please check XXXX to see how misleading their website is to small business owners. They appear to be a real financial company that will give you good size loan at 0 % for 12 months, sounds appealing and then they collect all your personal information for the approval and then turn around and start to apply for multiple credit cards on your behalf and at the same time coach you how to lie to the banks if you get a call. If there wasn't anything misleading and fraudulent, they would tell you straight up on the first call and on the first page of their website state their services as " We will apply for multiple credit cards on your behalf for 10 % commission, but that is not the case. Please look up their reviews from other small business owners that have been scammed. 

Back to the story, Later that day I got notified by XXXX XXXX via email that there were collection debts in the amount of {$8900.00} reported to my name on the 2 of the credit bureaus.

Issues with IC system : 1.Why did they report my account on a debt that had an unresolved dispute?

2. Why did they send me a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX and received XX/XX/XXXX and then report my account to the bureau on XX/XX/XXXX, without giving me a chance to respond. 
3. Why did they say on the letter dated XX/XX/XXXX that if I still questioned the obligation, I should contact them immediately and yet turn around to report my account to the agency without giving me a window of time to receive the letter and respond accordingly? 

I immediately called IC system, I spoke to the first lady and expressed the above stated issues, she would not listen to my questions, she was rude on the phone and told me that they didn't have to wait for my response and asked me if I wanted to make a payment. Noticing that she couldn't listen to me, I decided to end the call and call again and hopefully find someone else to talk to. 

I immediately called back and spoke to a gentleman by the name XXXX, he noticed that I just called and so I gave him a quick history of the situation and asked, why was I reported to the bureau on disputed account and why didn't they give me a chance to respond and why was my credit score being ruined unfairly? I also asked what was their standard procedures on accounts that were in dispute? 

After putting me on hold, he came back and said, their client was XXXX XXXX and they don't have to wait nor giving attention to my second dispute, they only consider first dispute and once they get back more information from their client, they would not be open to second dispute. I asked then, why does your letter tell me to contact you immediately if I still question the obligation to pay, yet you would not honor the very statement in your letter to me? He didn't have an answer for me and could not escalate the issue to someone higher either. 

At that point, I told him that I was going to seek help and consult with CFPB and the bureaus to protect my already excellent credit. 

So that is my story and I am sticking to it, please let me know if any questions and appreciate your help looking into this case.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation