Consumer complaint received 2024-01-17
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Advantage Financial Service LLC (Idaho) (ID)

Medical debt XXXX Fought insurance, they said they paid it, received collections notice with no insurance payment Insurance was no help Gave up and paid in XXXX XXXX received multiple calls from same number, no caller on line, googled and found number labeled as Advance Financial Service. 

Called them to see why they were calling, XXXX refused to provide anything more than his first name and stated I needed to provide him with all my personal information like my social before he'd identify himself. I told him that if this is really a debt collection, he needs to send me an official letter stating the debt. 

They sent a letter claiming there was a debt, but no verification of the debt. 

I requested verification and their license number so I could make sure they were legit. 

They stated I owed {$500.00} from XXXX and about {$400.00} in interest. They also stated that I had made a payment in XXXX but the bank couldn't find the account so it didn't go through. I asked if they had notified me of this, and he stated that they did not, nor did they have to, any statement of debt is a courtesy and they are not federally required to tell me that the payment didn't process on their end. 

They also told me they could accept a {$750.00} cash ( or cashier 's check ) payment to an address that does not match the address on file with the credit reporting bureau. I asked for their license number again and was informed that they do not legally need to provide that, so they wouldn't, and that I could call the state and check if they were real ( once again with an incorrect address ) and then send my cash or cashier 's check to the incorrect address with their assurance that this would solve the issue, otherwise they could continue destroying my credit. 

I offered to pay the balance as of XX/XX/XXXX when I thought I had paid it before they waited 4 years to tell me I had a debt accruing interest and they declined, stating again that it was not their responsibility to tell me and that my bank should have ( my bank who had no knowledge of any of this because AFS did not properly process the payment or notify either of us of issues ) They said they've reached out to me, and it's XXXX fault I didn't receive a single call or voicemail, as well as XXXX before that ( my cell providers ) when all other calls and voicemails did not have these issues. They stated that I did not receive the letters because I moved ( I didn't ) and when I told them this, they added it was then the post offices problem, not theirs. 

I still have not received a verification of debt or any documentation proving that they are even a real company regardless of how many times I asked. 

I asked for contact information for their legal department/attorney so I could work with a lawyer on getting this issue resolved and XXXX ( representative ) refused. 

My bank is looking into this debt on their end to make sure the payment in fact didn't process, and I am willing to pay the balance as of XXXX  ( if it in fact did not process ) ... Or I was prior to the threats, coercion, and extortion... I still will because it's the right thing, but it seems like this " business '' does this kind of thing to a lot of people, and I really hope we can stop them from harassing, threatening, and extorting people out of their hard earned money by letting interest accrued for 4 years before reaching out to let us know the payment did not process on their end. 

They have told me they will destroy my credit if I don't pay their ridiculous charges and meet their demands to send cash or cashier 's check ( neither of which can be stopped when it turns out this is a scam ). 

They have also stated that they will not provide any information to verify the debt, verify themselves, or prove that they did in fact reach out