Consumer complaint received 2020-07-09
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Rowland Avenue Management, Inc. A/KA Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC d/b/a Genesis

Complaint:
I contacted Genesis Credit on XX/XX/2020 and spoke with debt collector XXXX XXXX. He explained to me that the alleged debt they were trying to collect would be reported on my credit report soon because the original creditor had been trying to collect the debt since XX/XX/2020. I asked specifically if the original creditor had sent us notices and which method they used. He explained it would have been in late XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXXand that these notices would have been mailed. He also implied more than one notice had been sent. 

I cancelled an application to XXXX XXXX ( parent company XXXX ) on XX/XX/2020. On that day I was informed in writing that I would be receiving a refund of {$190.00}. After several attempts to collect my refund I put in a successful credit card dispute on XX/XX/2020. The dispute was for the 2 payments of {$170.00} each myself and my husband made because I was unable to dispute a different amount. Upon request Genesis Credit provided me a Final Account Statement from XXXX XXXX that was dated XX/XX/2020 that was for the money I received for the credit dispute plus 2 non-pay fees. 

I reiterated in an email to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX that " I also want to point out per our phone conversation that you indicated XXXX  XXXX  sent us letters in XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/XXXX( that we never received ) about the money we owed them. From my understanding from both yourself and XXXX XXXX ' Business Manager XXXX XXXX that we are being charged the {$500.00} because we disputed the payment we made with our credit card company. However I didn't make that dispute and reverse the charge until XX/XX/XXXXand they totaled {$350.00}. There's a lot that isn't adding up on this situation. I'd like to reiterate that the letter I recieved on XX/XX/2020 was the only correspondence I received about this alleged debt. '' No reply was ever sent back from him. 

I have had one other conversation with Mr. XXXX via phone on XX/XX/2020 and again he tried to explain that I was running out of time to pay because they had been trying to get this money since XX/XX/XXXX. 

Of course per of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act that states " A debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt '' I see 3 instances that violate this act. 

1.Telling me I owe debt from months prior from when the alleged debt occurred for the purpose of pressuring me to pay the alleged debt. 
How is it possible I owed money in XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/XXXXwhen the credit card dispute and account statement from the original creditor both occurred in XX/XX/XXXX? 
2. Telling me invoices had been mailed to me. Because I have not received these alleged invoices despite requests to both Genesis Credit and XXXX XXXX I can come to no other conclusion than this was a false statement. 
3. Implying more that one invoice had been sent. 

All of these instances were misleading, deceptive and false for the purpose of inflating the situation and adding more pressure to pay the alleged debt. It also implied that I didnt have time to dispute the debt because they had been trying to get ahold of me for so long and the time was running out before the alleged debt would be added to mine and my husbands credit report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation