Consumer complaint received 2023-07-17
Company: MRS BPO, LLC
State: PA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
This letter is an attempt to resolve a $ XXXX alleged debt and XXXX collection account resulting from an erroneous {$1200.00} XXXX bill for wireless phone service and XXXX device charges generated from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, despite my documented call to cancel XXXX XXXX  service on XX/XX/XXXX and despite having returned all XXXX devices in original packaging/condition for full refund back on the same date XX/XX/XXXX, all in accordance with XXXX instructions and with our contractual agreement. 

Despite the devices returned in accordance with contractual agreement and service cancellation, and confirmation of return by XXXX tracking, charges erroneously continued to be billed to my account for XXXX XXXX  service, device payments, and additional fees/charges totaling a sum of the current alleged debt by XXXX and XXXX collection entity. 

XXXX failed to correct the error and discrepancies on my XXXX XXXX account, despite multiple calls from me into customer service, promptly notifying them of the errors/discrepancies and demanding resolution. 

XXXX agents identified/confirmed the errors/discrepancies on my account on multiple occasions and assured me that the errors and discrepancies would be corrected and charges reversed. However, the efforts by XXXX agents to correct the errors failed each time, and caused further erroneous charges. 

Since this debt is due to errors on XXXX  part, I am demanding that all debts, charges, and billed amounts assessed after my request to cancel XXXX service on XX/XX/XXXX ( with return of all XXXX devices documented on the same date ) be cancelled, and that XXXX XXXX  and their collection agency MRS BPO , LLC immediately cease all debt collection and debt reporting activity with respect to my account. 


The details and timeline of the events pertinent to the matter are as follows : XXXXOn XX/XX/XXXX, I visited XXXX  online website and I ordered : an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  [ XXXX : see attachment, IMEI see attachment, Mobile no : XXXX ] that I will refer to as phone or XXXX and an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX [ XXXX : see attachment, IMEI : see attachment, mobile no. XXXX ], that I will refer to as XXXX XXXX or watch. 

At times I will refer to both the XXXX XXXX and the XXXX XXXX XXXX collectively as devices or XXXX devices I paid {$88.00} on the day of the above mentioned order ( see attachments ). 

Per the attached sales agreement, Devices and accessories purchased between XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX may be returned or exchanged on or before XX/XX/XXXX since it was considered a holiday order. ( see attachment ) I was never able to get the XXXX activated. 
I do believe that the watch activated, but because the phone was never activated ( due to XXXX system issue ), the watch was also unable to be used. 

Thus, I was never able to use the XXXX XXXX  service and I decided to return both the XXXX and XXXX XXXX  within the penalty-free return period. 

*On XX/XX/XXXX, I then visited the XXXX XXXX  store at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX PA in an attempt to return both XXXX devices to a XXXX store in order to have immediate confirmation of a completed return. This is because I was not comfortable returning the devices by mail and trusting the XXXX infrastructure and systems to complete the return correctly ( id lost confidence given the inability of the system to process the simple phone activation in the first place ). 

The device return was refused by XXXX associates at the XXXX XXXX  store and I was told that the devices could only be returned by calling customer service since it was purchased online at the XXXX XXXX  website. 

I received a bill for {$150.00} ( a significantly higher amount than the originally quote XXXX XXXX  monthly service charge ). 

Since my device return was refused at the physical XXXX XXXX  location, I decided to pay the {$150.00} XXXX bill ( see attachment ) even though I was planning to return the devices ( and had not used ANY XXXX XXXX  service ). 

I did this to prevent any outstanding charges on the account after my return, because I was also not confident that XXXX systems would know to cancel this bill when I returned the devices by mail. ( see attachment ) *Unfortunately, I fell quite ill with XXXX within days, delaying my ability to return the device by just over 1 week. ( see attachment ). 

*On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX customer service and after substantial wait time, I reached a female customer service agent. 

I requested cancellation of my XXXX XXXX  service for both the phone and watch because I no longer wanted to continue service with XXXX and I requested immediate return of all XXXX devices back to XXXX for full refund. 

I stated that I had attempted to return the devices and cancel XXXX service in person at the XXXX XXXX  store and was refused and she confirmed that this is XXXX policy for orders originally placed online. 

The customer service agent confirmed that I was appropriately within the return window per the sales agreement to cancel service and return the devices for refund without penalties as long as I shipped the devices by XXXX XXXX. 

I was told that due to my recent payment, that there should be no balance due on the account after the return, but that the agent was unable to confirm at that time. I was told that I may receive a regular monthly bill in the meantime, and that once devices were received, that I should allow at least one billing cycle/30 days for the account to update to reflect the return and canceled service with XXXX balance. 

The customer service agent sent me a paid XXXX return label via email ( see attachment ) and confirmed that I should return the XXXX and XXXX XXXX in their original packaging via XXXX using the paid shipping label that she provided *within hours on the same day XX/XX/XXXX, I packaged the XXXX and XXXX XXXX in original packaging as instructed with all of the original accessories and manuals. 
I affixed the XXXX shipping label provided by XXXX customer service, per XXXX instructions. 

I then dropped off the return package containing the XXXX and XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX at XXXX XXXX  [ tracking XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ] ( see attachment ). 

*On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a confirmation from XXXX, that the device shipped successfully on XX/XX/XXXX and was delivered XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX return center. ( see attachment ) *On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bill from XXXX XXXX  for {$350.00}. 
I called XXXX Customer Service, but was traveling at the time, and I did not successfully reach a customer service agent within a reasonable wait time. 

I was concerned at that time by receiving what appeared to be another monthly service bill, well after the time the devices had been received by XXXX, and also after having sent an extra payment in XXXX. 

But I also kept in mind what I was told by the prior customer service agent. 

*On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notice from XXXX that your account changes are complete referencing line ( s ) ending in : XXXX. ( see attachment ). 

At the time, I was under the impression that this meant that the return had finally been processed and was complete as this was about one billing cycle later, consistent with what the the original customer service agent had told me. 

*However, on XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification about a pending SIM change /device transfer that I did not initiate, request, or authorize. 

A mobile number that I did not recognize was listed mobile line ending in XXXX ( see attachment ). 

At that point, I realized that XXXX had made a significant error and that my return was clearly not processed appropriately. 

I called XXXX Customer Service and spoke with customer service agent XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. 

Customer service agent XXXX confirmed that both the XXXX and XXXX had been received in their original packaging and condition per agreement and sent within the approved penalty-free device return window, per XXXX instructions . 

Customer service agent XXXX told me that he saw notes in the XXXX system from the prior customer service agent on XX/XX/XXXX indicating that I had called to cancel my XXXX XXXX service and that a device return was initiated and completed. 

Customer service agent XXXX told me that the service cancellation was not completed properly by the prior agent, and that the error resulted in my XXXX XXXX service erroneously continuing with additional monthly charges. 

Thus, It was at that time that I learned that negligence on the part of the XXXX customer service agent that processed my return on XX/XX/XXXX led to the initial errors and erroneous charges on my account. 

Customer service agent XXXX assured me that he would escalate the matter so that my XXXX XXXX  service could be canceled appropriately and all charges reversed. 

Customer service agent XXXX also stated that he would request for refund of the {$150.00} that I paid on XX/XX/XXXX for XXXX Service that I was unable to use, in light of the devices having been returned. 

I was told that account charges should update within on thee billing cycle over next 30 days. 

*Days later around XX/XX/XXXX, I received a Default letter in the mail from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX. 

The letter alleged a total balance of {$350.00} was due including a device payment or payment plan agreement of {$61.00} ( despite all devices having been returned over a month prior on XX/XX/XXXX ). ( see attachment ) Furthermore, the default letter contained a device mobile number XXXX that I was/am not familiar with, never requested, never authorized, and which was not on my original order ( see same attachment ). 

When I opened the pay my bill page online at XXXX to confirm what information the system was showing at the time, I saw that the system displayed a total of {$350.00} that the system labeled as due on XX/XX/XXXX and additionally displayed a total of {$180.00} labeled as past due. 

The page did not show any details regarding what the charges were for. 

However, any reasonable person would have concluded, as I did, that services were still erroneously active despite my phone call days earlier and despite service cancellation request and device return back on XX/XX/XXXX. 

*On XX/XX/XXXX, at approximately XXXX I contacted XXXX by phone after an extensive wait and spoke to customer service agent XXXX and ultimately customer service manager XXXX. The phone call lasted well over an hour. 

It was confirmed to me that prior customer notes dated XX/XX/XXXX were seen in XXXX system, documenting that I had called to cancel my XXXX XXXX services and receive instructions for returning both the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX watch devices in their original packaging. 

customer service manager XXXX confirmed to me that the entire history of the devices on the account showed XXXX usage confirming with documentation that devices had never been used. 

customer service manager XXXX confirmed that he had finally successfully disconnected my XXXX XXXX service on the devices ( as should have been done on XX/XX/XXXX ). 

Customer service manager XXXX assured me that the matter would be appropriately escalated and told me that he would personally follow-up on my account to make sure that all charges on the account were reversed and full balance on the account cleared. 

Customer service manager XXXX stated that it may take 1-3 billing cycles, and that in the meantime I may receive bills showing erroneous amounts as it would take some time to fix the issues due to the escalation needed, but that I should ignore these bills until the charges were fully resolved on a final bill. 

I was provided a Ticket # XXXX regarding the incident. 

*On XX/XX/XXXX I received a notification that device promotional credit had been removed from my account because a device payment buyout was completed ( see attachment ). 

At the time, I was under the impression that the phrase device payment buyout seemed consistent with customer service manager XXXX assurance that the device and service charges would be reversed and cleared. 

XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, A letter was sent to me ( I did not receive until much later ) noting that a device payment eligibility check had been performed on the account at the time when I called XX/XX/XXXX ( see attachment ). Since I did not initiate/request/authorize/or approve any such action, this action was exclusively done by a XXXX Manager. 

Meaning or significance was unclear to me at that time, but it was clear that actions were being taken to make adjustments to the account as customer service manager XXXX assured me. 

*on XX/XX/XXXX, I received a confirmation that the service was terminated, but an outstanding balance of {$260.00} was alleged ( see attachment ). 

I continued to wait for a final bill as the billing amounts seemed to fluctuate with changes that XXXX was making to the account as customer service manager XXXX had advised would occur. 

*However, on XX/XX/XXXX, A letter was sent to me stating that XXXX XXXX claimed that I owed a debt of {$1300.00} and that the alleged debt was sent to collections with MRS BPO , LLC a XXXX entity. 

I have not been provided with any documentation in order to validate the alleged debt. 

However, it is reasonable to conclude that rather than reversal of all charges and billed amounts, new charges were apparently added ( Again, I was never provided an itemized bill for these charges, but one possibility appears to be that I may have been charged the full retail price for both the XXXX ( {$570.00} ) and XXXX XXXX XXXX ( {$520.00} ) that were returned on XX/XX/XXXX plus additional unclear charges ). 

Thus, the presently alleged erroneous debt now clarifies that the actions taken in attempts to correct the errors on my XXXX account were ineffective, negligent and contributed to additional erroneous charges/debts. 

This alleged debt is the result of invalid charges billed to me erroneously by XXXX XXXX for wireless phone/watch service and devices due to XXXX  failure to cancel my XXXX XXXX service when appropriately requested on XX/XX/XXXX, failure to process my appropriately returned XXXX devices , failure to appropriately document and update/synchronize systems to reflect that I had returned all XXXX devices for full refund on XX/XX/XXXX in accordance with our agreement, and further negligent actions on my account by XXXX  agents. 

Since this debt is due to errors on XXXX part, I am demanding that all debts, charges, and billed amounts after my service cancellation XX/XX/XXXX, ( totaling {$1300.00} to my knowledge at this time ), be cancelled and for XXXX XXXX and their collection agency MRS BPO , LLC to cease all debt collection and debt reporting activity. 

Furthermore I am demanding that XXXX return all payments that I have sent to them, totaling {$240.00}, for XXXX XXXX service/fees and for XXXX device XXXX ( XXXX and XXXX XXXX ) given that there was never any use of XXXX XXXX Service on these returned devices. 

Thank You,

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief