Consumer complaint received 2024-10-17
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: MSCB, Inc. (AR)

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX  I was around XXXX weeks pregnant and was having issues with bleeding. 
The first visit was XX/XX/XXXX and the second was XX/XX/XXXX. Both visits were {$430.00} each. 
I was working for a company called XXXX XXXX at the time and they were not understanding about my extended absences ( doctor put me on bed rest after XX/XX/XXXX ). I had a meeting with HR and my director and was asked to step down before my visit on XX/XX/XXXX. I had health insurance ( XXXX ) through XXXX XXXX. 
My date of separation was XX/XX/XXXX and I do have the letter to prove that. My XXXX health insurance ended on XX/XX/XXXX and I could not afford XXXX. I applied for Medicaid since I was pregnant on XX/XX/XXXX. Medicaid was backed up in XXXX  at this time and I did not end up getting insurance until XX/XX/XXXX. They backdated my bills only 45 days, so it would not cover these XXXX hospital visits. 
When I received this bill online via my portal, I reached out to financial aid at XXXX XXXX XXXX. We got to a point in the process where they wanted a year of my bank statements as well as a year of my husbands bank statements in order to work with us on a payment plan. I did refuse to do this as I told them this information would not be accurate. I had worked that past year ( and was now let go from my job ) and my husband had just started his new job ( he had been staying home with the kids when I worked ). They told me that they would get back to me and then I received a denial message for a payment plan/financial aid. The balance continued to stay on my portal and even now gives me the ability to pay it on the portal. 
I received letters and emails from XXXX XXXX, but I did not receive any letters from MSCB ( the debt collector that they sold my {$870.00} debt to ). I was very communicative with XXXX until they refused to continue to work with me after requesting proof of assets which I denied. 
I began to receive calls from XXXX. The phone numbers constantly changed, did not have caller ID on it except once, so I set my phone to block spam. Looking back through my phone, MSCB called XXXX total times in XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX. They never left a message, so I did not call them back to inquire about who they were. 
I received a letter from USPS in the mail on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX. It said that I had a final notice for certified mail that I needed to pick up by XX/XX/XXXX. 
I picked up the certified letter on XX/XX/XXXX and signed for it. Once I opened the paperwork, I could see that MSCB filed the court case on XX/XX/XXXX. I could also see that it said I had 30 days to respond upon receipt ( which would start my 30 day clock on XX/XX/XXXX ). 
I called MSCB on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke with a lady on a monitored and recorded line. She did not ask me to verify my information. Instead, she gave out my personal information and asked me to verify it ( name, address, phone number ). It was actually kind of creepy that she knew who I was. She answered her line XXXX XXXX? I said Yes. XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX? I said Yes. " And you work at XXXX XXXX, correct? '' " No. '' And she immediately went into a spiel about my balance. I offered to pay her the full amount of {$870.00} and she put me on hold to ask the lawyer. She came back and said that they will not settle for less in this case and that the lawyer is going after me for attorney fees, court filing fees, sheriff fees, certified mail fees, and pre-judgment interest. The balance listed on the paperwork that I received from USPS states my new total is now {$1200.00}. The lady on the phone told me that that was no longer accurate and that it is now {$1400.00} because they recently paid to send the sheriff out to me. I asked her why this was when I just received this paperwork that I havent even had time to respond to yet. She told me hed be here in XXXX hours and that they hired to sheriff to serve me because the paperwork that came via certified mail was not " signed accurately '' so they needed to resend the paperwork and I was financially responsible for both servings. I asked her again if she would take {$900.00}. She said no. I told her I would be calling a lawyer and see her in court, then. The sheriff has not been here as of XX/XX/XXXX to serve me again, but she assured me he would be within the next XXXX days. She confirmed several times I needed to pay for the fees for the certified mail as well as the sheriff coming out. I ended the call by telling her I was going to obtain legal counsel, which I now have. Additionally, this debt collector also told me if I paid the {$870.00} that day, they would still pursue judgment against me for the remainding balance due to all of the fees.