Consumer complaint received 10/20/2016 about Debt collection (Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)) with Diversified Consultants, Inc. (VA).
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt
Sub-issue: Not disclosed as an attempt to collect

Complaint: INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEBT COLLECTOR My name is XXXX XXXX. I started being harassed by Diversified Consultants Inc last year. I was told that I still owed on bill that I had with XXXX 3 years ago. I clearly remember paying that final bill with XXXX and terminating the phone because it no longer had service in the area where I lived. Now, three years later, in XXXX, I received a bill from Diversified Consultants , Inc., showing that I owed a debt of {$160.00} to XXXX. I requested Diversified Consultant to send me the final bill that was not paid to XXXX before I paid anything because I thought it was a scam. 

I PAID THE BALANCE In XXXX XXXX, Diversified Consultants sent me a copy of the billing statement from XXXX, showing that I had a remaining balance from XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX and they verified that I indeed had a debt with Diversified Consultants , Inc. and would need to pay Diversified Consultants, Inc., the {$160.00} balance. Since I did not have any documentation to prove that I did pay that balance in full in XXXX, I paid the debt to Diversified Consultants along with a {$10.00} fee on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, so I could remove this debt from my credit report. My confirmation number is XXXX. 

FOLLOW- UP # 1 AFTER PAYING THE BALANCE After a month, I checked my credit report and the debt was still showing as open. I called and spoke with Diversified Consultants, Inc. on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and advised that the balance was still showing a status of open on my credit report, even though I already paid it on XXXX.I was advised that it would be updated in 5- 30 business days. 

FOLLOW UP # 2 AFTER PLAYING THE BALANCE On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I decided to check my credit report again to see if the debt status had been updated to paid in full, especially since exactly six months had passed by. However, I noticed XXXX was still showing this debt in collections. So I called Diversified Consultants BACK AGAIN to let them know that the balance was not updated with XXXX. This time, a XXXX XXXX told me that he saw notes, proving that I initially paid the debt on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and also could see that I had called before seeking clarity of the balance being updated and reported to the bureau. He apologized and advised, that he will update the bureau and the status will be updated within 5-30 business days. To expedite the status update on my end, I also disputed the balance with XXXX. 

FOLLOW UP # 3 AFTER PAYING THE BALANCE Now, here it is XXXX XXXX, and I received an email from XXXX showing that Diversified Consultants is showing that my balance HAS NOT been paid. So this time, I called Diversified Consultant 's back to advise a supervisor, XXXX XXXX, of what was still showing on my credit report. He advised that it should have been updated to paid in full and was not sure why my credit report was showing that it was not paid in full. So I asked XXXX if he could email me a receipt to show that my balance was paid so I could send that receipt to XXXX and he told me that they could not do that. 

TAKING LEGAL ACTION After several disputes with XXXX, this account is still not showing that the XXXX debt with Diversified Consultants is still open. This is unacceptable and my credit is suffering because of it. Please let me know what I can do to escalate the removal of this debt on my credit report. I have carried this balance for 6 months even after it was paid. I 'm still not sure why it was there in the first place, but I paid it just to be sure nothing was on my credit, yet I am still suffering because of it. I am starting to feel like I was scammed and I am ready to take legal action, because I do n't have any proof in written documents showing that the balance was paid. 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO PRIOR TO SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL. 

XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation