Consumer complaint received 2023-04-21
Company: FAIR COLLECTIONS & OUTSOURCING, INC.
State: VA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
To whom this may concern, On XX/XX/XXXX I pulled my credit report to see what exactly was reporting on my credit because I just saw my score constantly dropping. I found several issues but the one I am referring to were two collections from Fair Collection & Outstanding Inc. I noticed that they were reporting two accounts in my name, one in the amount of {$5800.00}. My credit report showed that the account first was delinquent XX/XX/XXXX but it just started to reflect in XXXX. I wrote Fair Collection & Outstanding Inc. to validate the debts on XX/XX/XXXX because I did not know what the debt was. I did not receive anything portraying to this debt. Since I did not receive any information about this account I wrote the three credit bureau 's XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX requesting that this debt be removed from my credit report as the collection company was unable to verify this debt and still have not verified the debt to this day. I do not know why but the account was not deleted from my report. Since the Collection company was unable to provide me with any information in regards to the account balanced at {$5800.00} I decided to contact the original creditor, XXXX managed by the XXXX XXXX to obtain these documents. Before going to the office location I called to speak to the community manager who was reluctant to answer my questions and kept on trying to refer me back to the collection company for answers. I asked him directly if I were to come to the office with proof showing that I am who I say I am, will he provide me with the files and he said he needed to talk to a lawyer and get back to me. He then emailed me back stating that he would not be able to provide me with the files and I should talk to the collection company. ( I have the entire email thread which will be attached ). I did not think his response was right so I did my research and I learned that according to the Federal Trade Commission businesses who conduct background checks to provide housing are required to provide the entire file to the individual in which they have done a background check on if requested. In addition to that, I learned that in the District of Columbia document retention is 3 years and after 3 years companies can get rid of files. Learning this did not sit right with me. It is very convenient that the account was closed in XXXX but doesn't start reporting on my credit report until XXXX and now we are in the spring of XXXX which means that they could get rid of the flies very soon. If I did not check my credit report when I did I would have never known about it as I did not receive any notification of either of these debts which is another violation of my consumer rights. 
Yesterday XX/XX/XXXX after several calls to the corporate office to speak to the regional manager, leaving messages and then waiting a week to speak to her I received nothing. Then called again Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX to speak to the regional manager or her supervisor and again, I was unable to speak to anyone on the corporate level, I then decided to book an appointment and take two forms of ID to XXXX XXXX the original creditor to request the files. When I got there and engaged in conversation with the Community Manager he then looked me in my face and refused to provide me with the file account in question. I then informed him of the Federal Trade Law and he continued to refuse to provide me with the files and said something along the lines of him being okay with this playing out in court because he would feel more comfortable giving it to a lawyer or a police officer but not the person in which their office decided to take two account to collection even though his refusal to do so is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In all honesty, I have reason to believe that this company is conducting fraudulent activity because when I ask for information from the collection company they are unable to provide me with any documentation and when I go to the original creditor they avoid my phone calls, stop responding to my email and outright in my face deny me access to the files they sent to collection in my name. In addition to that, I received zero information about this debt and would not have ever known about it if I did not pull my credit report. Again, the timeframe of the debt reporting 2 almost 3 years after the account was closed and knowing that they can get rid of files after 3 years is far too coincidental. I am so frustrated and confused as to why they will not release the file 's to me and the only reason I can think of is the file 's do not exist or the file have been tampered with and the tampering of file 's is a common practice and would expose their fraudulent business practices.

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