Consumer complaint received 2024-07-19
Product: Debt collection — Telecommunications debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: The CMI Group, Inc. (AR)

I called Credit Management at phone number ( XXXX ) XXXX on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. We spoke for XXXX minutes and XXXX seconds. I asked to pay my debt over the phone. The person on the phone " XXXX '' attempted to collect more than the amount due. 

I had just confirmed what was due with XXXX a few minutes prior because I saw the collections account on my credit report and did not recognize the debt, so I completed a long process of debt verification with XXXX. The XXXX account was found and the amount due with XXXX was valid even after we reviewed an account breakdown line-by-line to see what happened ( they did everything correctly line-by-line, but I did not get my mail at my new place when I left the mailing address they had on file. I left that address in the spring of XXXX so I did not get my bill so didn't pay it ). 

The amount due was only {$59.00} for a final prorated XXXX  bill from XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. They noted on the account that I disconnected my service and received a prorated rate. When the person who answered the phone for Credit Management told me {$74.00} was due, I told her that amount was higher than I thought, and she said it includes late fees of {$14.00}. I asked her what company the interest fees were from. She said XXXX is charging late fees, but she offered to take a payment for the amount I expected but said it won't close the collections account. I told her I would not be able to pay because there is a discrepancy between the amounts between the original creditor and the collector, so I'll have to mail the debt collector a debt verification request letter first. I asked what their mailing address is and wrote it down, confirmed the company name and my account number, then I got off the phone and went back into XXXX. 

I gathered documents from the XXXX account since I was going to be working with the collector via snail mail now, so in total I got printouts of the account summary as of XX/XX/XXXX, a computer print-screen of the line-by-line account management which does not contain an account number, and the final notice/bill with an account summary as of XX/XX/XXXX which was the last thing XXXX  sent before charging the account off, and I asked for a copy of my contract but I was told there are no contracts at XXXX ( I thought that was strange. ) So while we were chatting as these printed off and I prepared to leave, I told one of the workers I had to mail a debt collector a verification of debt request letter and I need these papers to compare against their response to find the discrepancy and see what happened. She told me since my account still exists at XXXX I can just pay the debt with the original creditor and move on. ( I had asked to pay at XXXX earlier but they said it would be " easier '' if I just paid the collector and discouraged me paying on-site at the XXXX service desk . ) So I paid the debt in full to the original creditor by debit card on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX 

I uploaded a recording of the call where the debt collector attempted to collect more than what was due since Arkansas is a one party state ( and so is XXXX, where their mailing address is ). The file is titled " XXXX and XXXX Collector. '' I initiated the call and spoke with " XXXX. '' This was my first time speaking with this company about this debt. In the recording they attempted to charge {$74.00} which included late fees of {$14.00} that they said were from XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX  mailing address they provided : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX In the other file titled " XXXX saying there is no late fee, '' a XXXX worker says I do not have a late fee on top of the {$59.00}.