Consumer complaint received 2022-07-09 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Professional Debt Mediation, Inc.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted an application online to lease an apartment in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX which is a new Rental Community that it was developing. I was assisted by XXXX XXXX. Everything was running smoothly. I submitted all the paperwork needed for rent of the apartment and paid the amount of {$450.00} which covered the Administrative fee and the application fee. Nothing due balance was XXXX. Moving date was for XX/XX/XXXX. My monthly rent was {$1900.00} USD. I contacted XXXX to change the moving date to XX/XX/XXXX and she said it was ok. Since everything seems legit and in order, I proceeded to send a 60 days notification of move to my previous landlord. 

I tried to email XXXX to get an update of my application but then it was about a month without hearing from XXXX. I went to the location and discovered that they did not have a leasing office set up yet. A month later, I received an email from XXXX XXXX saying that XXXX no longer works for the company and he would take over instead. I had to resubmit all the paperwork required for the rent. Communications with XXXX or XXXX were awful. They normally took weeks to reply to my emails. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX I got an email from XXXX stating that due to County Permit problems they were not able to finish the construction at the given time and they couldn't provide a date for us to be able to move. I emailed XXXX about my situation after a couple days. He said that I should try to extend my current lease with my previous landlord because their apartments would be ready at the date we sign the contract and he believes that my apartment, which was the last building to be finished, would be available around XXXX, XXXX. 

I did try to contact my current landlord at that time but he told me that he already rented the apartment and he could not extend my lease. I contacted XXXX again. I asked if there is a chance that they might have an apartment from the other buildings available for the date we agreed on the contract and I suggested an apartment on building XXXX that was listed to be available on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX told me that any apartment of any building would be ready at that date. and if I wanted to try to get this other apartment they would not honor my previous rental rate, that I need to accept the new rates which was {$2200.00} USD, almost {$300.00} USD over. I told XXXX that this situation was not my fault and he should be held responsible for any situation, that we were talking about the roof of my family and because of them I would end up in XXXX XXXX literally. XXXX told me and quoted " I am just a messenger here ''. I told XXXX that I would like to cancel my application and I want my money refunded because that was their fault, Then he said he would put me in contact with the Manager and asked me to provide my current address so he can send me a refund check over the mail. 

Almost one month has passed, I have no refund on the mail, no communications with XXXX or XXXX. I sent another email to XXXX asking about the cancellation of my application and my refund he stated he would send. two days later, I got an email from XXXX XXXX, the manager of the XXXX XXXX  telling me about the possibility of having me another apartment but that they still don't have a moving date for me. I told XXXX that in my last conversation with XXXX, he was supposed to cancel my application and sent me a refund check. She asked me for my current address which I provided for the second time and she said that she processed it and I should get my refund XXXX to 30 days after, but most likely 15 days. 

After a month, I did not get any refund via the mail or my bank, So on XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a dispute with my credit card creditor claiming the money I paid to XXXX XXXX After their investigation, my bank resolved in my favor and returned me the {$450.00} USD I paid to XXXX. I have not heard from XXXX since then. On or about XX/XX/XXXX. I got a letter from Professional Debt mediation, a collection company claiming a debt of {$500.00} USD that I owed to XXXX XXXX. I responded to a dispute over their website like they instructed on the letter to try to resolve this misunderstanding. I never got an answer back from the dispute but I took a screenshot of the record that I submitted. on the beginning of XXXX the collection company sent me another letter with a validation of debt which disclosed that as of XX/XX/XXXX I owed {$500.00} USD for administrative fee and online application, the same charges they were supposed to refunded me but never did, and the same charges I disputed with my credit card bank that end on my favor. On XX/XX/XXXX I got a credit alert from XXXX stating that I have a derogatory mark on my credit. My credit has been perfect since I started building in XXXX. I submitted a dispute to XXXX and XXXX. They are under investigation. I visited the XXXX XXXX and I found that they have a live chat service and I contacted them. Then I was told this chat was a XXXX XXXX and not XXXX directly but that they would contact XXXX  in regard to my claim. Last week I was contacted by XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX ( yes they now have a leasing office ) over the phone. I explained everything I wrote in this complaint. She told me that the XXXX XXXX XXXX who was the person responsible of submitting my cancellation and my refund check no longer works for XXXX and it was the assistant manager who is taking charge of everything in the absence of a manager. She also said that he was really busy but she would leave him all the information I provided to her about my situation I he would contact me in a few days. its been a week now and I haven't got any calls or emails from this or any other XXXX representative towards my situation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation