Consumer complaint received 2020-10-06
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Company: BYL Collection Services (HI)

I have credit monitoring services. A collection came through on my credit report this XX/XX/2020. I examined the collection and called the collection company BYL. When I called to verify the debt and try to negotiate a pay for delete ( as I needed it gone because I was in the middle of a VA mortgage contract finalizing ) I was rushed by the representative. She could not verify the debt over the phone but if I paid it that day, it would be removed on the next credit Bureau report day, I believe it was the following Thursday. She pushed and pushed for me to pay that day, using my VA MORTGAGE as leverage, knowing I would loose it if a collection was there at closing. I explained that I never received any mail about the debt and that I wasnt getting my normal mail on time due to the Corona Virus pandemic and the USPS. I was made a promise to delete for payment with the emotional aspect of my  mortgage closing in XXXX without issue ( thats not what happened ). I  paid in full and kept my end of the VERBAL CONTRACT. BYL collections has not removed the paid collection as they promised but they wasted no time taking my payment. This is a blatant lie. Collection agencies are not allowed to make false promises in order to obtain payment. Debt collectors know that VA mortgages require clear credit for closing and I believe that was used against me to get me to pay without verification of the debt. Backtracking, I was still never issued a verification of the debt as I was promised, it never came in the mail. I did receive an emailed notice of payment received by them. I called several times throughout the months of XXXX and XXXX to verify that the account was to be removed from my credit report. I explain that I was promised a deletion of the account and I am always told that I am a liar and they never do that, which is a lie because all over the internet, others have had BYL accounts removed for full payment. I was also told that I should have paid it before it went to their company. Thats rude. If the mail would have been delivered, I would have paid it. I paid it the day it was reported to my credit. I am always told to call the original creditor, XXXX XXXX XXXX. I did contact them many times. Every time I called XXXX XXXX, I was reassured that they had cleared the account for deletion and that it was expedited for deletion to be sent to the contracted collection agency. If XXXX says to delete it and BYL promised to delete it, why is it still on my XXXX  report? I work very hard to keep my credit clear and this one small collection is a severe mar on my financial future. I feel that the current climate with the ongoing pandemic and the effect it has had on mail communications should allow for some leniency from the collection agencies and creditors. If the banks can keep their word and forgive major credit missteps during this time, an agency like BYL should be made to keep their word and hold up their offer of forgiveness to their consumers. This is horrible etiquette and poor business practices. Companies should not be allowed to lie to consumers just to get a payment when they have no intention of keeping their word. I lost my VA mortgage because of this.