Consumer complaint received 2025-05-25 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened to sue you for very old debt
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX, I was sued for a credit card debt that was opened in XXXX. Due to the XXXX shutdown, I was unable to appear in court and had no legal representation. In XXXX, XXXX years later, my bank account was frozen without warning. I had to figure out how to get the funds released on my own, and I was successful in doing so. 

Because the account was nearly XXXX XXXX XXXX, I couldnt remember the full balance or what I had already paid. I requested full documentation to understand the amount being claimed, verify its accuracy, and determine if the collector had the legal right to sue and add fees. Instead of providing full validation, they sent partial and inconsistent records. To this day, they have not provided : A signed credit card agreemen A complete account history from XXXX through charge-off An itemized breakdown of interest, fees, and charges Proper chain of title showing the debt was legally transferred Proof my specific account was included in the debt sale An affidavit from someone with personal knowledge Consistent payment history ( conflicting dates and a reversed payment were listed as valid ) They are now attempting to collect {$3900.00}, even though the card had a {$3000.00} limit. I did not use the full limit, and I made several payments toward what I did use. Unfortunately, because they refuse to provide all billing statements and the original agreement, I can not determine exactly how much I still owe. 

I explained to them that I am not currently working. I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I can not afford to make large payments or take on additional financial burdens. Despite this, they demanded a one-time payment of {$2400.00} followed by scheduled monthly payments an amount I clearly stated I could not afford.

I also offered to settle the matter using a {$1000.00} emergency grant from my school. The law firm refused to provide a W-9 form required for the payment to be processed, which caused me to lose the grant opportunity altogether.

I was assigned a free legal aid attorney who told me to reschedule my court date due to a conflict. I followed his instructions, but he failed to appear at the rescheduled hearing and never contacted me again. I was left completely unprepared and confused. I had no understanding of how debt collection lawsuits worked until I was forced to learn on my own and try to defend myself with no legal support.

I then wrote and sent another letter clearly stating that the documents provided did not meet the legal standard for validation. In response, they mailed me a second packet with the exact same missing and incomplete documentation. What they provided included : Partial account statements ( only from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ) A general affidavit from a Midland employee with no direct knowledge of my account A redacted bulk sale document that did not include my name or account number Standard credit card terms with no signed agreement or application Conflicting payment records, including a reversed payment listed as valid Its clear that this law firm and debt collector are using the court system to extract money from people without proper legal validation. They rely on the fact that most consumers do not understand debt collection laws. This creates an unfair advantage and amounts to bullying pressuring people into paying inflated amounts they may not even legally owe. 

Ive made repeated efforts to resolve this fairly, but Ive been met with missing documents, excessive fees, and a complete lack of cooperation. They are taking the court sy

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief