Consumer complaint received 2017-10-26
Company: The CBE Group, Inc.
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) cable, internet, phone services were cancelled and the account was closed after years of being a loyal customer. This service was at my mother 's home, under my name since I lived there 3 years ago. 
XXXX account # : XXXX. 

The reason the services were cancelled was because of an exorbitant change in services and the bill price by an unauthorized upgrade made by a XXXX Sales phone agent. The triple service upgrade was made at my mother 's apartment instead of another location. Overall, the regular bill paid doubled from about {$65.00} per month to over {$120.00} a month and the phone service and upgrades were not utilized. My mother who is senior and only has basic cable and basic internet was upgrades without her knowledge to a promotional triple service package with a phone line she or I never accepted or knew the number to. During this upgrade, the technician took the old equipment and did not properly note this in inventory of his seizing the digital adapter that went missing after. 

Once the account was closed officially it seems on XX/XX/XXXX, the balance jumped from around {$550.00} down to {$230.00} or so after adjustments and much back and forth with the billing department over the next months. I was told that equipment ( a digital adapter for basic cable channel tuning ) was not returned and that was the reason for the charge. I then received a collections bill from the CBE Group on XX/XX/XXXX indicating the cable bill debt was sent to them to collect under CS-Number : XXXX. I objected to this collections debt and mailed a dispute on XX/XX/XXXX to the CBE Group. 

I immediately called XXXX again and spoke to a supervisor who then had the issue researched via XXXX program. I was then told shortly after that the equipment research ticket was done and the charges were removed leaving a {$0.00} clean balance after the proratings and incorrect package change chargers. 

The agent confirmed to me that XXXX would formally reach out to CBE Group to let them know to close the collection and remove my name from their list by mail. In the meantime, I called CBE and informed them that this letter would be arriving and to ensure my credit nor name would be reported. I was told nothing was received or could be done yet. 

Finally, I received a response from CBE on XX/XX/XXXX indicating the debt was valid along with copies of the last 5 billing cycles from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. I called XXXX immediately after and was told mixed answers by various agents. I set up a call back with a supervisor which I never received. At this point, I am being told that the remaining flat {$80.00} balance and collections amount is somehow a valid amount stretching back from the previous months. It is not clear where this balance or flat cent amount comes from especially after being confirmed by an agent that it was in error and brought to {$0.00}. This is notated on the XXXX account memos as I was told. 

I was not able to confirm if my credit has been affected yet by this invalid and quickly rushed off debt. The amounts kept changing every month after the XX/XX/XXXX closure and after being told the balance was adjusted to {$0.00}, to then hear that I am in collections, is beyond a scam or extortioning manner to collect a balance by ruining a consumer 's credit.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation