Consumer complaint received 2024-04-18
Product: Debt collection — Auto debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Pacific Retrieval LLC (CA)

My little brother was in a car accident that totaled my vehicle on XX/XX/2024 after he dropped me off at the airport so that I could go back to XXXX XXXX XXXX for the XXXX XXXX. My vehicle was towed to a storage yard and when my little brother went to pick up the items inside my vehicle, he was told that the insurance would come and inspect the vehicle. After this, neither my little brother or I received any communications from my insurance, my little brother 's lawyer, or the storage yard. 

My little brother then received mail and email from a Debt Collections service called Pacific Retrieval, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  CA XXXX. ( phone number ( XXXX ) XXXX, email : XXXX ). He received this on XXXX XX/XX/2024 notifying him that I owed {$2900.00} for the towing and storage fees associated with my totaled vehicle. He responded to the email asking for information about this debt and they called him the next day very early in the morning. During this call, they told him that he must pay the total {$2900.00} debt that I owed, and that if he did not pay this debt in total that they would file paperwork to damage my credit. My brother clarified with the Pacific Retrieval representative that he did not owe any debt, and the representative confirmed this, but told him that they were going after him because he was my brother. The representative explained to my brother that his failure to pay any of my debt would result in Pacific Retrieval going after myself or my mother and that the company would file paperwork to get us in trouble. My brother explained that he could not pay this debt in full and the Pacific Retrieval representative again explained that he would file paperwork against me or my mother that would effect my credit if my brother did not pay something. My brother then explained to the representative that he could pay {$100.00}, and further explained that the reason they may be having trouble contacting me was because I was in XXXX XXXX XXXX for the XXXX XXXX. The representative then started telling my brother that my military service was a joke and that this did not excuse me from not paying my debt. My little brother then paid the {$100.00} because he was afraid that if he did not, I or my mother would get in trouble. The representative then told him that they could extend the total debt payment out another week because of the partial payment and that if my little brother paid more money, they could lower the total debt I owed. 

Since my little brother had never been contacted by Pacific Retrieval before, he asked the representative on the phone to send over the invoice for the fees associated with this debt. They sent him over the documents which showed the debt I owed. My brother then contacted me and informed me of the situation. I asked him why he paid the debt collection service and he said he did so out of fear due to the threats the representative was making. From there, I had my little brother email the representative my contact information so that they could deal directly with me. I had never heard from Pacific Retrieval before this point. The representative upon receiving my information told my little brother that he did not want to get me involved because of my military status, but instead wanted to continue to collect the debt from my brother. Just to clarify, at this point the representative knew that my little brother was not the one that was obligated to pay the debt, the debt was under my name. They had my information, but refused to contact me. I then reached out to the representative and told them that I would be seeking legal assistance from my base 's legal office. The representative then emailed me back saying that they would be pursuing the collection of the debt against my mother. My mother does not XXXX  English very well, so I am worried that they will try and scare her into paying more of my debt. 

During my legal assistance appointment on XXXX XX/XX/2024, an XXXX XXXX XXXX ( an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX attorney ) at the legal office helped me write a cease and desist letter to the Pacific Retrieval representative. They did not acknowledge this letter which contained a notification that I would file a CFPB complaint against them if they did not cease their actions and respond by XXXX XX/XX/2024. 

Pacific Retrieval should not have contacted nor threatened my little brother about a debt I owed. This matter is not his to solve, and the tactics of the Pacific Retrieval representative of calling my little brother early in the morning and threatening to get myself or my mother in trouble are entirely inappropriate. The representatives derogatory comments about my military service were also highly unprofessional. Calling my little brother early in the morning to threaten him over paying a XXXX dollars instead of contacting me directly is an abhorrent business practice.