Consumer complaint received 2023-02-20
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Credence Resource Management, LLC (NJ)

I received a letter under my door from my neighbor on XX/XX/2023, from Credence Resource Management LLC. The first thing I noticed was that the address was wrong. The correspondence was an offer to settle my account at a reduced amount. I sent them an e-mail about them possibly granting me a 'Pay For Deletion '. After I sent them the e-mail, I called their customer service line to correct my address in their system. When I called, I was transferred to a gentleman who claimed he was a supervisor at Credence. He reminded me that the call was being recorded because it was an attempt to collect the debt. He asked told me the amount and about the offer, I told him I wasn't calling to make any payments because I sent Credence an e-mail and rather wait for a response. After some pushing and claiming he can help me, just told me what I wanted, and told him I didn't want to try and get a 'Pay for Delete ' in which he said he can do that for me. I even reminded him that he was saying this on a recorded line. He says he knows and that he's not lying after he said they don't put them in writing. I asked his name and he said his name was XXXX. ( I asked him again because I didn't believe him. ) Things even go contentious on the phone because he wanted to take my card info and charge at the agreed payment date. I declined because I'd never been comfortable with that method. He backtracked on his agreement for which I called him on it and he denied he was doing that. He stated that I would have to pay the full amount of my debt after I decline to pre-submit my debit card information. 
* ( The call was on XX/XX/2023, beginning at XXXX XXXX  EST and lasted 20 minutes and 25 seconds from number XXXX ) Below is email # 1 to Credence : _____________________________________________________________________ Date : XX/XX/2023 RE : REGARDING THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT Reference Number : Original Creditor : T-Mobile Amount Listed : {$390.00} Dear Credence, I, ____________________, am writing this letter to humbly request to create a plan to settle the alleged amount due of {$390.00} that you graciously offered me via letter. I am recovering from some financial hardships brought on by the pandemic so it helps. Please note that while I am offering to accept this amount of money to settle the debt, this is not my acknowledgment of its liability. 

I need to ask for further help from Credence. I am hoping that we can come to a mutual agreement to settle this debt and you would be gracious enough to help me save a 7 to 10-year hit on my credit report. Please consider the following : 1. Remove all information regarding this debt from the credit reporting agencies XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX ; 2. Payment will be made to satisfy the payment in full under the Account ; 3. This debt will be deleted from your records ; and 4. There will be no mention of this debt or settlement to any third ( 3rd ) parties. 

If the above-mentioned items are acceptable to you, I am willing to pay this debt in two payments of {$170.00}. I would like to only correspond to an individual who is an official representative of Credence with the terms of this offer expiring in thirty ( 30 ) days upon receipt. Also, if agreed, I would need an e-mail stating the acceptance of the terms on company letterhead. ( .pdf files or document scans will also be acceptable. ) Hoping for a mutually beneficial outcome for both Credence and myself. 

I can be contacted via the following : Email : __________________ Phone : _______________________ Respectfully, _____________________________________________________________________ After my conversation with XXXX at Credence, I received an e-mail responding to my email # 1. 
_____________________________________________________________________ Hello, We are in receipt of your email, dated XX/XX/2023 Please be informed that upon payment of the offer amount your account will be marked as resolved less than the full balance. We will inform all credit reporting agencies that we have reported, to mark the account as paid in full/ resolved less than the full balance. The offer amount can be paid in installments at your convenience and ease. 
To activate the payment plan on your account, please call on our toll-free number XXXX and our executives will be happy to help you in scheduling the payment arrangement as per your request for the said account. 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at : Credence Resource Management , LLC _____________________________________________________________________ After reading this e-mail, I sent Credence e-mail # 2 to inform them of the arrangement that was promised to me on a recorded line that was for a 'Pay for Deletion '.

This e-mail # 2 to Credence : _____________________________________________________________________ Good morning, Thank you for the response. I have one concern I would like to bring up. Yesterday, I had a long conversation with a gentleman who claimed his name was XXXX. He said he was a Supervisor. 
During the call, I was reminded ( and I kept stating to XXXX during our conversation ) that I was being recorded. I was told on more than one occasion that my account would be " removed '' from my credit report fully. The call was yesterday, XX/XX/2023, beginning at XXXX XXXX  EST and lasted 20 minutes and 25 seconds. I called from number ______________________. 

Since you have it recorded, please look into the conversation yourself, please because there is a major contradiction between your e-mail and the guarantee your customer service supervisor ( XXXX ) told me during our recorded conversation. 

Patiently awaiting your response, _____________________________________________________________________ This was Credence 's response. e-mail # 2 : _____________________________________________________________________ Hello, We are in receipt of your email, dated XX/XX/2023 We apologize for the inconvenience you may have experienced thus far.

Please be informed that this email itself is the confirmation stating that the offer amount can be paid in installments at your convenience.

Also be advised that once the offer amount is paid, your account will be marked as resolved for less than the full balance.

We will also inform all credit reporting agencies that we have reported, to mark the account as resolved less than the full balance.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at : Credence Resource Management , LLC _____________________________________________________________________ As you can see, they only addressed my concern as an " inconvenience, I may have experienced '' I feel that Credence is obligated to honor the agreement made by their representative, just as I would be held to honor any payment arrangements or any agreements I would've made to them. As they mentioned, my calls were recorded in attempts to collect a debt. The transcripts of that call will verify my claims.

I was misled that I had an agreement to have my debt deleted from my credit report.