Consumer complaint received 2016-09-28
Product: Debt collection — Payday loan
Issue: False statements or representation — Indicated committed crime not paying
Company: Financial Credit Service, Inc. (OH)

I was contacted by a women named XXXX claiming to be a representative for a company called A.R.A. she stated that I was being located for check fraud/passing bad checks. she said that I had taken out a payday loan and closed my bank account to defraud the company. I told her that I had no knowledge of what she was talking about but that if it was my debt I had no issue taking care of it. I continued on by asking for proof of debt. XXXX then said that we know its your debt you used to pay on it. I still insisted that I needed proof she then told me good luck in court have a nice day & hung up on me. About 15 min later I received a call from a gentlemen I know he told me that he was also contacted by the same company they told him that I had committed check fraud & that he was being located as a co-signer. Immediately I contacted the company again I spoke with XXXX I asked why they had taken this course of action when I had called in & spoke with them regarding the matter. She relayed to me that the calls would continue unless I established a repayment plan. At this point I asked to speak with a supervisor I was transferred to a XXXX XXXX she did extend an apology for the treatment I received she also stated that if I could pay XXXX $ at that moment everything would be resolved otherwise I could make payments totaling XXXX . out of intimidation and fear that they would continue to call anyone they could contact. I gave them a credit card number to establish payment. Again I asked to receive proof of debt prior to making a payment. I was then transferred to a representative to set things up again I stated that I needed proof of debt prior to making any payment. Later that evening it was brought to my attention that they contacted the gentleman 's wife as well as my father with the same accusations they were all told that they were being served papers & needed to make statements legal representation was even mentioned even though at least two of these individuals indicated that they had no knowledge of the information A.R.A was seeking. I contacted A.R.A first thing the next morning I asked to speak with XXXX XXXX regarding the aggressive approach they had taken she than transferred me to who she referred to as an in office paralegal named XXXX. I told him that I felt consumer laws had been broken he stated that this was a criminal issue & that I was not a consumer. That check fraud was a criminal act and that those laws only applied to debt collectors & he was not a debt collector. He also defended the practices of his representatives. continued on to say that regardless of any request by myself & others to not be contacted he was allowed to contact any one he wanted. That the calls would only stop if I made good on my payment. A few hours later I called again I spoke to XXXX I asked for an address for the company he refused he accused me of wanting to show up to his offices he offered me a XXXX .I also asked him who the original creditor was he stated XXXX. I than contacted the headquarters of XXXX I did in fact have a small outstanding debt that they actually sold to a company called XXXX XXXX XXXX upon contacting them I was told that they also sold the debt to a company called XXXX who is the current owner of my debt they assured me that this company has no legal right to collect on this debt. I contacted A.R.A again and spoke with XXXX I asked that all my info be deleted & that all contact needed to stop I also forwarded to them all the info I had on the current debt holder. I than contacted A.R.A to ensure that my request was being honored at which time XXXX said that since I had contacted XXXX that I was no longer to call his offices that my number was being blocked & that they were moving forward with forced collection against me