Consumer complaint received 2021-11-18
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC. (GA)

After much consideration, I am filing a complaint regarding the business tactics of Midland Credit Management. The company has engaged in exceptionally poor taste with their written communication style. They have been nothing but aggressive in pursuit of trying to collect payment for a credit card debt that I may not be the account holder for. They are expecting me to pay {$4400.00} or risk legal action against me. 

For context, I never received the initial letter stating that the account in question was transferred to them. I sent a response to their XX/XX/2021 letter on XX/XX/2021 to dispute the claim and to obtain verification of the account in question. I responded because I wanted to make an informed decision, receive confirm that they are licensed to operate in the state where I live now, and most importantly, I don't get subjected to a lawsuit for an account that is not mine. I was a victim of identity theft a few years ago, which that case was never solved. Upon discovery of accounts being established under my name that did not belong to me, I filed a police report with my local police station in the area where I lived at the time. I received their response dated XX/XX/2021, on XX/XX/2021, and not only did they not confirm whether they were licensed to operate in the state where I live now. They provided a letter that they claimed was sent to me dated XX/XX/2021, regarding a transfer of my credit card account to them. They did NOT provide a copy of the original documents showing that I signed for the credit card account in question. Likewise, I never received the letter they claimed they sent to me dated XX/XX/2021. They requested a copy of either a police report or a completed FTC report regarding the identity theft. I was in the process of honoring their request when I received another threatening letter dated XX/XX/2021, giving me until XX/XX/2021, to either pay the entire amount or provide a response. I didn't receive this most recent letter until XX/XX/2021, which didnt allow enough time to provide a response, nor did it allow me to provide what they requested to verify that I did have an identity theft report. I tried to do what is right to protect myself and instead of some progress toward a resolution, I get the feeling they are using the threat of legal action as an intimidation tactic. 

This company is by far the worst that I have seen in my life. I have never seen a company that seems so intent on trying to gouge money out of an individual and when the individual attempts to at least request the information required, they don't honor their request. I am not unwilling to come up with a payment plan if they provide a copy of the original contract from the original creditor. I do not want legal action being taken against me over any potential technicalities. I prefer to work out a resolution that bodes well over the long term over having a litigation that will cause more distress than it is worth over me exercising my right to require documentation before I go into a debt collection agreement. This is especially important as I have had identity theft happen to me. Please note that I am NOT using identity theft to get out of potentially resolving a debt, if I receive a copy of the original contract confirming that it is mine. I must make sure that I protect my financial well-being.