Consumer complaint received 2021-08-12
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: AFNI INC. (GA)

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from a representative of AFNI , Inc., a disreputable debt collector. The AFNI, Inc. representative informed me they were calling about a debt due to XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$380.00}. I informed the representative that this was not a valid debt, that they were the fifth debt collection company that XXXX XXXX XXXX has used to collect this invalid debt, and that any further attempts to collect the debt would result in another complaint about this matter to the CFPB. The very next day, AFNI , Inc. reported this invalid debt to the credit reporting companies as a means to intimidate me into paying the invalid debt. It is worth noting that AFNI, Inc. made one effort to communicate with me and did not request any additional information. It is also worth noting that XXXX XXXX XXXX has likely defrauded at least five debt collection companies by repeatedly selling this same invalid debt. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding my Internet service account, XXXX, to inform them I had closed the bank account I had been using for automatic payment deductions and to inform them of my new account. I was directed to a customer service center that was clearly not in the United States, where the XXXX XXXX XXXX representative proceeded to go over my payment details for this account. This XXXX XXXX XXXX representative inaccurately stated that my monthly payment for Internet service was {$70.00} per month. I corrected the representative and advised her it was {$30.00} per month and that this had been my monthly payment, which XXXX XXXX XXXX had been deducting without complaint or notice of change, for more than two years. The representative placed me on hold several times and then told me that the price was {$70.00} per month because I had discontinued XXXX service. I informed the representative that I discontinued XXXX service in XXXX, nearly two years prior to that time, and maintained only the Internet service that XXXX XXXX XXXX had been billing and receiving payment for {$30.00} per month since. It is important to note that XXXX XXXX XXXX never informed me that the Internet service was subject to a price increase and continued to process the automatic deduction for $ XXXX  monthly for nearly two years. Of course, had XXXX XXXX XXXX ever attempted to more than double the price for this Internet service, I would have cancelled it immediately. At this point, I informed the XXXX XXXX XXXX representative that I had simply called to change my bank account information and that her repeated insistence that the price was more than double what I had been paying was going to instead result in XXXX XXXX XXXX losing my business. After a few minutes more of this intolerable customer service, the XXXX XXXX XXXX representative informed me she would transfer me to another customer service center. I informed her I would not wait to be transferred and directed her to simply cancel my XXXX XXXX XXXX Internet service. The XXXX XXXX XXXX representative protested and stated she was transferring me, and I advised her that I had now authorized her to only cancel my account immediately. Later that same day, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a voicemail from XXXX XXXX XXXX wanting to discuss my cancellation. Clearly, since all customer service calls are recorded and XXXX XXXX XXXX contacted me regarding such, XXXX XXXX XXXX was well aware of my direction to cancel the service. 

Somehow, within 30 days, on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX sent me a bill for {$170.00} for Internet service and informed me that the service I demanded they cancel was suspended. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX sent me another Internet service bill for {$290.00}. ( Notably, XXXX XXXX  XXXX bills for XXXX and XXXX suggest they increased the Internet service to more than $ 100 monthly. ) Based on this interaction and egregiously awful customer service, I made a decision to also terminate all of my business with XXXX XXXX XXXX, which included my XXXX XXXX XXXX cellular phone service, account number XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I transferred my cellular service to XXXX and discontinued my XXXX XXXX XXXX cellular service effective immediately that day. However, XXXX XXXX XXXX somehow did not make this connection and continued to attempt to bill me, sending a bill on XX/XX/XXXX for {$380.00} and threatening to suspend the cellular service that I had voluntarily disconnected and transferred on XX/XX/XXXX. It is important to note the disconnect between XXXX XXXX XXXX website and their billing department ; immediately after transferring my service to XXXX, I was unable to log into my XXXX XXXX XXXX account. Clearly, XXXX XXXX XXXX was well aware I had terminated service, yet continued to attempt to bill me for a service they were not providing. At the time I transferred my service to XXXX, my cellular balance was {$0.00} as I had made an XXXX XXXX XXXX cellular service payment on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$150.00}. Clearly, I had no balance at the time I transferred my cellular service to XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX has subsequently sold this invalid debt to XXXX, XXXX and now AFNI , Inc. collection companies.