Consumer complaint received 2015-07-09
Company: American Collections Enterprise, Inc.
State: MD
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt
Sub-issue: Not given enough info to verify debt

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX CFPB XXXX, which was subsequently turned over to the Federal Trade Commission-FTC, complaint # XXXX. The complaint was based on the fact that American Collections, called my residence several times and requested my social security number and my address over the phone. I refused to provide the information and in turn requested that they provide me with written debt validation as required by the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act XXXX FDCPA XXXX. After repeated requests to the collection agency to provide written debt validation, I filed the complaint with CFPB. When I did n't hear anything else from the company after filing a complaint with CFPB and did n't receive the validation required by FDCPA, I believed they were a SCAM, because no legitimate company would ask you for your social security number over the phone. It was not until I ran my credit in XX/XX/XXXX, that I realized that this company had placed a collection account on my credit report for some type of medical bill. 

Upon learning of the collections on my credit files, I contacted the credit bureaus in XX/XX/XXXX to dispute the account. After a thorough investigation, the credit bureau deleted the account from my credit report in XX/XX/XXXX, because the debt collector failed to validate the debt when contacted by the credit bureau. 
At this time, I am submitting another complaint against American Collection based on the Prohibition of Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Act or Practices in the Collection of Consumer Debts. On XX/XX/XXXX American Collections appear to be threatening to start this harassing cycle all over again. They began calling my house again, but to this day have never sent any written verification of this debt. I have gone through the proper process of disputing this file and getting it removed from my credit report and they continue with the abusive collection processes of asking consumers for the social security number and other pertinent information over the phone. These illegal tactics have jeopardized my ability to attain an acceptable credit rating after XXXX years of flawless credit. 
In addition to filing this complaint, I have mailed ( return receipt XXXX a letter to the creditor asking them to mark any submission to the credit bureaus or other parties as disputed. 
In my previous complaint, I was told by CFPB that you could n't send my complaint to the company because they had not been registered by CFPB and that my complaint had been forwarded to the FTC and entered into the XXXX. At this time, I am asking CFPB to register American Collection to ensure proper handling and adherence to consumer protection policies and procedures. I am also asking that CFPB and/or FTC contact the company and required that they stop harassing me and to remove any derogatory markings from my credit files. In addition, I am asking that CFPB take the necessary actions with FTC to investigate American Collection for violations of FDCPA and UDAAP.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed