Consumer complaint received 2021-09-02
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Transfinancial Companies, Inc (LA)

Unbeknownst to me in XXXX or XXXX of XXXX ( or possibly even later than that ), a medical bill in my name was sent to my mother 's old house, an address at which I have not lived for some XXXX years. I am now XXXX XXXX XXXX, and I have lived at at least three different addresses since leaving my parents ' home in my early XXXX. Each time I moved I gave my new addresses to my doctor 's office to update my chart. My doctor 's office apparently updated their records but neglected to inform their own central billing office of these address changes. Consequently, a {$150.00} bill for blood work was sent to my mother 's old house ( at which she no longer lives either ) and I therefore never received it. I was reported to a collections agency out of XXXX XXXX Louisiana called Transfinancial Companies , LLC . 

When Tansfinancial contacted me on XX/XX/XXXX, it was the first I had ever learned of any unpaid medical bill in my name. They erroneously told me that it was for a " hospital visit '' in XX/XX/XXXX, but I insisted I had not been to the hospital for any medical care at any time in XXXX. They persisted. I ended the call and immediately contacted the billing office at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to find out what all of this was about. XXXX XXXX XXXX explained that it was a bill for blood work at my doctors office ( not the hospital ) for the meager sum of {$150.00} that my health insurance had not covered. I immediately issued payment in full on XX/XX/XXXX to hospital billing office. I was told at that time, that since I had paid it in full, I would experience no negative consequences to my credit score. XXXX XXXX notified Transfinancial Companies, LLC of my payment in full and they payment posted on or before XX/XX/XXXX. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, more than a week after it had been notified of my satisfaction of this debt, and at least a week after my payment had posted, Transfinancial Companies, LLC reported me for non-payment to all major credit reporting agencies XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, and possibly others, and I received a " major derogatory '' notice from my bank affiliated credit monitoring service. I called all three major credit reporting agencies and initiated disputes with each one. I also called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to verify that all debts were paid and had been paid since XX/XX/XXXX. Finally, I called Transfinancial Services and explained to them for the second time that the non-payment was as a result of my doctor 's office 's negligence in failing to notify its own central billing office of my updated address that had been provided to them years prior. 

The Transfinancial Companies, LLC representative I spoke to was very rude, refused to hear anything I tried to explain, and tried persistently to suggest that the failure to pay this meager {$150.00} charge was my fault, that it had been " delinquent '' since XX/XX/XXXX, and further implied that she had no interest whatsoever in whether I had actually received the bill or not, no interest in whether I had already paid it, and no interest in whether the bill was sent to the wrong address or anywhere else. The entire phone call left me with the clear impression that Transfinancial Companies, LLC intended to improperly report me for non-payment when I had already satisfied the debt in question, and that they had no regard whatsoever for the negative consequences that might flow to me and my family. 

When I tried again to explain the mistake, the representative then indicated that she had no intention of helping me, and said that I would need to speak to the first representative that had called me back on XX/XX/XXXX -- the day that I paid the debt in full. She then placed me on hold, and left me on hold for more than an hour. I ended the call while holding as I was on my lunch break and was by that point already more than an hour late in returning to my office. 

During all of this process, I also submitted an online inquiry to find out what could be done about this error, but no one ever reached back out to me in a timely fashion. 

I find this conduct by Transfinancial Companies, LLC to be despicable. All I intended to do in making my call to them on XX/XX/XXXX was merely inform them of my formal disputes to XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. In fact, I was instructed to do so as a courtesy and for good measure by the XXXX representative. Transfinancial " stonewalled '' me and acted as if I was wrong to do so. Therefore, I hope you will consider any reprimand against them that might be available to help curb such aggressive conduct, particularly when the debt has already been paid and when it was incurred due to a careless clerical error by the original debtor.