Consumer complaint received 2015-08-28
Product: Debt collection — Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Communication tactics — Threatened to take legal action
Company: Feldman & Stern, LLC (VA)

I 've received two phone calls from a gentlemen from a gentlemen from the office of Feldman and Stern. The first call was received approximately XXXX on Thursday, XXXX XXXX, 2015. It was received via my cell phone with no caller ID information attached to the phone call. I also received a phone call from my work, again with no caller ID information attached to the call. Later in the day, on Thursday, I received a phone call that appeared to be from my local area from again, XXXX representing Feldman and Stern out of Florida about a debt from XXXX XXXX regarding health club membership dues that were outstanding. I was advised that I could settle at that point or be served with papers in XXXX XXXX, Virginia XXXX location where the fitness facility is in ). He advised that I had until noon, Friday, XXXX XXXX to make up my mind and let him know what I wanted to do. I advised during the conversation on Thursday where he was calling from because the number appeared to be a local number. He said that he was calling from his corporate office in Florida. I advised to him that seemed suspicious and he advised that he had several regional offices. I contacted the office back on Friday morning, XXXX XXXX to XXXX and a call was answered by a lady who answered the call as " XXXX XXXX ''. Not Feldman and Stern as was told to me earlier. I asked the gentlemen, XXXX, after advising who I was, to send me a letter indicating the debt and all pertinent information. He advised that he had already done that. Up to this point, I 've yet to receive anything at the address of my home regarding a debt of this nature. I asked him to set up payment plans and he said that I was " worthless ' that " I did n't pay my membership on time, what makes him think that I would pay him monthly ''. He was very intimidating and was very " bullying ''. He said that he would now provide me until XXXX eastern time on Friday, XXXX XXXX to decide what I wanted to do. He said that I could borrow money from my boss as I did n't have the amount he stated that I owed. He also told me to go to a payday loan place to get the money or seek if from a family or friend and make payment arrangements with them, but he was n't going to set up a payment arrangement. The only thing he would do would be collect {$250.00} now and allow me to pay the remaining next month. I advised that I could n't do that and that I would be really pleased if we could set up payment plans. Again, he stated that would n't be an option. This time he stated that he had my credit bureau in front of him. I asked him who gave him authorization to pull my credit because neither did I give him verbal or written consent to do. His response to that question was " I do n't need authorization, that when I defaulted on the contract, it automatically gave them the ok to pull credit for business practices ''. I advised that does n't sound legal. He said it was. That authorization is n't written on the back of the contract, he said. I feel as though this company has purchased this debt for pennies on the dollar and going through bullying tactics to try and recoup their fees and make a commission on this. I am willing to set up payment arrangements but the collection agency will have no part of that. All they want to do is file for litigation. They have not proven to me a debt exists. They claim to have sent documentation to my home address, but nothing, at this time has been received by such agency. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau on this company and as of today, the BBB advised they have a C- rating. I am wishing to get this matter settled without the fear of having to be served at work or wages garnished. But, I do not appreciate the tactics in which this company is using to pursue such said debt. Thank you for your time and assistance.