Consumer complaint received 2023-06-12
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Hollis Cobb Associates (GA)

Hello, I would like help with an issue that I am having with collections ( Patients Accounts BureauXXXX PAB, located in Georgia ). I attempted to pay a settlement amount on a medical bill from XXXX XXXX with XXXX on XX/XX/2023. The bill amount was {$960.00}, but I was offered a settlement amount of {$670.00} by XXXX. On that date, ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I agreed to pay the settlement amount and gave my credit card information to the XXXX representative over the phone. I then got a call on XX/XX/2023 from another XXXX  representative, saying I owed {$960.00}. I explained to him that I paid the settlement amount of {$670.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, and he said he did not see a record of that. He checked his notes and said that he realized someone tried to collect the balance, but that the representative did not properly process the transaction, so it was still outstanding. I told him that I needed to verify that the payment did not go thru on my side before giving my card number again. 

The specific timeline of events are below : XX/XX/XXXX : Gave card number to representative, to pay settlement amount ( full amount was {$960.00}, settlement amount was {$670.00} ) XX/XX/XXXX : Got a call saying I still owed the balance because my payment was not processed. I said I would check my bank statement to see if it did. I checked a couple of weeks later and realized it didnt go thru. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I called back XXXX to give my card number again to pay settlement amount of {$670.00}, I was told the settlement amount option expired XX/XX/XXXX and I needed to pay full amount. I explained what happened on XX/XX/XXXX, that it wasnt my fault that my payment wasnt processed, then I explained that I spoke to someone on XX/XX/XXXX. AT NO TIME was it communicated to me that the settlement amount was going to expire. I had no way of knowing that. The lady on the phone with me ( on XX/XX/XXXX ) at the time insisted she didnt see any record of me trying to pay, despite me telling her that the gentleman I spoke to on XX/XX/XXXX was able to see it. I told her to check her recordings to hear the phone call ( since all phonecalls are recorded ) and see that I tried to pay on XX/XX/XXXX. She said she would have the supervisor check the recording of the call and then call me back. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Someone ( XXXX ) called me telling me I need to pay full amount of {$960.00}, with no acknowledgment that I was owed a call from a supervisor who was supposed to review the phone recording. I asked what happened to the supervisor calling me. She said she didnt know about that and would check her records. She claimed to look thru records and said the settlement amount expired and that I need to pay the full amount because I should have checked my bank records on XX/XX/XXXX and known that the payment didnt go thru. I told her if I give a payment over the phone, that I wouldnt think to check if it went thru. She still insisted that I pay the full amount bc the settlement amount expired. I told her I would get an attorney because they are not honoring what was told to me and she said ok and hung up on me. 

I spoke to a lawyer who said I can file a civil suit since I attempted to pay and it was their fault that the payment didnt go thru. Also, at no time was an expiration date of settlement amount communicated to me. I have not pursued a civil suit. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I decided to call back patients account bureau and spoke to XXXX again. I asked if the supervisor was aware of what was going on, that up until now, I had not heard about the outcome of the reviewed phonecall to prove that I attempted to pay, and I asked whether the supervisor reviewd the phonecall. She told me she would transfer me to supervisor. She transferred me to a lady who I explained everything to and I asked her if she listened to the recording on XX/XX/XXXX. She said she was just a lead and did not have access to the recordings. She said the supervisor wouldnt be back until Monday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and would send an email of details that I explained to her to both the supervisor and to XXXX. She claimed she could not see any settlement amount of {$670.00} in the records. I told her that that was weird because thats what was offered to me on XX/XX/XXXX and the guy who called me on XX/XX/XXXX could also see the {$670.00}, so I dont know why/how that history suddenly disappeared. I also told her that no one disclosed to me the expiration date of the settlement amount. 
She said she would send the email and have someone call me the following week when the supervisor was back in office. 

Today is XX/XX/XXXX and no one has called me back. I would like to get the settlement amount paid, but the dishonesty, rudeness and shortness of the representatives at the XXXX is proving to be a hindrance to me getting this behind me. Any assistance on this matter would be greatly appreciated. 

In the attachment section below, I am including a snapshot of the bill that I kept for myself after attempting to pay on XX/XX/XXXX, unfortunately it isnt the full bill, but it does have the account number on it and the full + settlement amount.