Consumer complaint received 10-02-2017 about Debt collection (Credit card debt) with Direct Recovery Services, LLC (NY).
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint: I owed a debt to XXXX XXXX. I was contacted by Direct Recovery to  pay the debt. They also called my mother and in laws discussing the debt with them. I arranged to pay the debt off in 2 payments of {$160.00} and did so on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. At that time I asked the debt collector to stop contacting my family members. They apologized for doing so and said they would remove all family members from my account and their numbers would NEVER be called again which were my Mother and my in laws and my husband. I attempted to contact Direct Recovery by the number they had given me on our initial call. The person that answered said they were sorry but there were no accounts with them for me and they frequently get calls for Direct Recovery Services and they are Direct Recovery Inc and they wanted to warn me that the people that are calling me from DRS are a SCAM. I was at this point very upset and continued to try and reach out. I emailed the email I had from my initial call and asked that my 2nd payment be postponed until two weeks later. No one ever responded and the payment was taken from my account that week putting me even farther behind in debt. However, I was relieved to have the debt taken care of. The next week my in laws received ANOTHER call from Direct Recovery AGAIN providing details to them about the debt and that it was still owed. ( Even though it was paid in full ) I assured them it had to have been an oversight as this bill is paid and to let me know if they called again. I was so embarrassed that my in laws were told I owed a debt that I had gave up other bills to pay. Fast forward to this past Saturday they were calling my family members AGAIN and myself AND my husbands cell phone! This was EXTREMELY upsetting and I called the number they left. I spoke to a gentleman who never identified himself. He apologized for my being so upset. I asked why they are calling me and FAMILY members when the debt is PAID. He said it must have never been taken from the report and there was nothing he could do. He went on to say how busy they are and that he was working on his day off even though I have NO idea how this has anything to do with these people relentlessly harassing my family members and myself. Especially when the debt is PAID and they continue to call and harass not only me but my family. It is embarrassing and unethical and I am very upset over it as is my family. He did inadvertly read aloud emails received from me and read the email where I asked them to post pone the payment so I do know they received that email and IGNORED it even though the initial gentleman I spoke with had told me if ANY issues arose where I needed to change a payment just to email or call and NO problem at all they could change it. I told this current person they caused further financial hardships for me by taking the payment even when I had told them not to. Please please look into this! This company is unethical and they should be ashamed of them selves and the way that they conduct business. As I told them I am a hard working citizen doing my VERY best to get these debts taken care of as I can but I do NOT appreciate their harassing behavior especially when it involves my innocent family and my private information which they are sharing. And I fear they may be some sort of scam buying old debts and not actually applying the payments to the debt. This has all been very upsetting to myself and my family. Thank you for your time and understanding!

Company public response: Company believes complaint is the result of an isolated error
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation