Consumer complaint received 2016-01-02
Product: Debt collection — Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: AFNI INC. (MI)

We were charged for a wireless router when we switched service providers from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to XXXX. This was 5 years ago. XXXX XXXX XXXX has since acknowledged that they did, indeed, receive the router as required, since we produced the tracking number and a copy of the delivery receipt signed by their shipment center. 

However, they sold the erroneous collection, and never cancelled it with the original collection company they hired - which began this circus years ago. Since then, XXXX has cleared our credit report, but new collection companies attempt to charge us, and report the collection as a recent debt when it is neither recent XXXX XXXX XXXX and nor outstanding. In fact, if the collection companies contact the original creditor, XXXX, they will confirm it is not outstanding. However, that does not stop them from reselling the debt after we prove the collection is an error. 

We have filed disputes with the bureaus and he collection drops off for a while. Then, a new company reports it, and it 's back on. It 's reprehensible. Hopefully a letter from the CFPB will resolve it once and for all. Because, really, if you can not, who can? 

So, every year, we receive collection notices from yet another collection company for this debt. And because they KNOWINGLY REPORT IT AS RECENT ( XXXX ), they are causing us harm by intentionally misreporting false information and refusing to check the validity of the debt. 

This has been going on for 5 years. 5 years. Every time it happens, we must sit on the phone for hours, track down or paperwork AGAIN, and argue with yet another collection company that gets paid pennies to collect debts. Further, after we resolve it, these horrible companies sell it AGAIN, and it reports on our credit again. 

It 's beyond stressful, frustrating and criminal. Please help us make this cycle stop. We are trying to refinance, and this has effected the interest rate we will receive. We have to pay more to order a re-score credit report, to have our score improve in order to get a more favorable rate. 

Why is this allowed? How come these collection companies have to perform NO DUE DILIGENCE before they negatively effect our credit, yet we have to deal with their incompetence for years? 
This has meant the difference between XXXX % in interest rates, all because there is no one enforcing the rules. 
This is simply criminal and we are at our wits end. I am in tears every time another collection company starts the cycle again. Why ca n't they just stop selling this erroneous debt to other collectors, intentionally ruining our credit month after month. 
It is a fact - we prove the debt is not ours, and the collection company sells it to Someone else, starting the cycle again. 

AFNI, Inc. is no different. They have proof we do not owe this. But they have reported the debt as created XXXX - that is NOT accurate! This debt is from XXXX. XXXX is likely when THEY purchased the debt. But, since they only earn money if it is paid, they will keep misreporting it because, who is going to stop them? Really? The disputes do not. They just start reporting again. 

DO we have any financial reparations for this? Is XXXX Responsible? Are n't the collections companies required to perform due diligence before they report on credit? And, do n't they have to actually report CORRECT info? They are INTENTIONALLY reporting the date wrong, to maker our credit look worse AND not confirming the debt is erroneous.