Consumer complaint received 2019-01-13
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Continental Credit Control (CA)

In XXXX, XXXX, Continental Credit Control, a third-party data mining and collection agency located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX . XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX, reported a collection account to all three of my major credit bureaus on behalf of a healthcare service provider ( XXXX XXXX/XXXX-XXXX XXXX ) for the amount of {$2400.00} with an accruing interest rate of 10 % in demand to collect on a settled medical lien that was paid in full and as agreed nearly 4 years ago as part of a litigation settlement in a personal injury lawsuit. The original principle lien balance with XXXX XXXX ( {$1500.00} ) was negotiated down to a final settlement amount of {$410.00} by my attorney ( XXXX XXXX ). Prompt payment for this balance was remitted by check ( no. XXXX ) from my attorney 's office to XXXX XXXX/XXXX-XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Bank records of the canceled instrument indicate that the check was presented and collected-on by XXXX-XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. At no point within the intervening 4 years since the account was paid and settled did XXXX XXXX/XXXX-XXXX XXXX  or the furnisher ( Continental Credit Control ) attempt to contact me directly or notify me of the claim for a balanced owed before suddenly reporting a collection to my credit bureaus in XXXX. Upon notice of this collection account ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX ), I took immediate action to contact the furnisher to submit documentation showing that this account was paid as agreed and has been settled since XXXX ( including copies of the canceled instrument from my attorneys escrow account referencing the lien settlement at XXXX XXXX as well as a settlement agreement signed by both the management at XXXX XXXX/XXXX-XXXX XXXX  and my counsel, which I have also attached to this complaint ) ; however, repeated attempts to provide this documentation and to remedy the issue have gone on rebuffed, disregarded, and dismissed by the furnisher. The refusal by Continental Credit Control to receive the documentation demonstrating that this account has been paid as agreed and settled since XXXX and correct the invalid reporting on my credit bureaus accordingly represents willful violation of their obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and a blatant and fraudulent attempt to extort me for a balance not owed. Concomitantly, during the time since XXXX when the invalid collection account was first reported to my credit bureaus, I have repeatedly disputed the collection record with all three major credit reporting agencies ( XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX  ) to no avail. Despite the settlement documentation ( referenced above ) which Ive submitted with each dispute, the credit reporting agencies allege to have verified that the information provided to them by the furnisher is valid and accurate ( cf. XXXX  Report No. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ; XXXX Confirmation No. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ; XXXX  # XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ). Thus, even with documentation demonstrating that I have no liability or obligation for this collection account and that this collection account in invalid, the credit reporting agencies have remained unresponsive and unwilling to remedy or correct the error and expunge this invalid collection account along with all derogatory remarks pertaining thereto from my credit bureaus. This also represents willful violation of their obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. As a direct result of the respective failure at the credit reporting agencies to fairly revue my disputes and remedy this issue as well as the ongoing invalid derogatory remarks that continue to be posted to my credit bureaus by the furnisher, my credit score has suffered tremendous and unwarranted damage and continues to decrease. This issue has caused creditors to withdraw offers of credit and/or close good-standing credit accounts as well as other personal and financial damages. Moreover, the negative effects of this invalid collection on my credit bureaus hold serious long-term personal and professional ramifications for me if the issue remains uncorrected.