Consumer complaint received 2022-02-16 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Company: WAKEFIELD & ASSOCIATES, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX XXXX Office of Civil Rights XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Washington , DC XXXX Dear Sir/Madam 809. Validation of debts ( a ) Notice of debt ; contents Within XXXX days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing ( 1 ) the amount of the debt ; ( 2 ) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed ; ( 3 ) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector ; ( 4 ) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such 809 15 USC 1692g verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector ; and ( 5 ) a statement that, upon the consumers written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor. 
( b ) Disputed debts If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period described in subsection ( a ) of this section that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, or that the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment, or the name and address of the original creditor, and a copy of such verification or judgment, or name and address of the original creditor, is mailed to the consumer by the debt collector. Collection activities and communications that do not otherwise violate this subchapter may continue during the 30-day period referred to in subsection ( a ) unless the consumer has notified the debt collector in writing that the debt, or any portion of the debt, is disputed or that the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor. Any collection activities and communication during the 30-day period may not overshadow or be inconsistent with the disclosure of the consumers right to dispute the debt or request the name and address of the original creditor. 
( c ) Admission of liability The failure of a consumer to dispute the validity of a debt under this section may not be construed by any court as an admission of liability by the consumer. 
( d ) Legal pleadings A communication in the form of a formal pleading in a civil action shall not be treated as an initial communication for purposes of subsection ( a ). 
I am writing to register a compliant with Wakefield & Associates for hastily putting a false, negative and derogatory information on my credit profile. They circumvented the above stated law of the FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT in many ways that dont warrant distinguishing Some of their illegal actions and consequences include the following : 1 ) They backdated their letter to make it appear I was giving 30 days. I called it out the moment I noticed it and sent them a certified mail informing of this unscrupulous action ( letter enclosed with certified receipt ). As the above law stated, they were supposed to give me 30 days to reply to their letter. They did not. That should be a basis to removal of this false and injurious report from my credit. The envelope they used to send this mail did not have a stamped date on it ( enclosed ). I believe they can not prove to you that they sent the letter more than 30 days ago. The deceit is so brazen that you need to question their decision to disregard the law. The burden of proof is on them. They must prove to you they gave me 30 days to dispute the charge against me of {$1200.00}. Additionally, I have the suspicious that they backdated the mail beyond the date they received the Contract from my Creditor XXXX XXXX. You should demand prove from them to show they abided by the Fair Debt Collection practices. I am betting the date of XX/XX/XXXX is beyond the date they received the contract from XXXX XXXX. 
2 ) I do not owe the amount of {$1200.00} to XXXX XXXX. As I explained in the letter to Wakefield, XXXX XXXX was contracted with a hospital where I had a medical emergency. I never requested their services. It was a medical transport that took about XXXX minutes at less than XXXX miles. They did not bring me back to my original location. I took XXXX to get back at cost of {$23.00} as reflected on my XXXX statement enclosed. Please compare the difference between {$23.00} and {$1200.00} and tell me if this is not armed robbery. I said their charges were not only unreasonably but criminal. They are the reason US medical System is broken. A company has the impunity to charge {$1200.00} for XXXX minutes ride to second hospital location. An abomination 3 ) I believe it is not enough to ask them to remove this negative information from record, they should pay cost of my registered mails and time spent trying to clear my name. They are rogue company that needs to know that they can not in good conscience ruin consumers credit because they can. Their actions are egregious. Wakefield should not be allowed to ruin peoples credit for no just cause. They refused to follow the law and listen to reason. They are a lawless company that dont want to play by the rules. You should make it clear to them that their actions will not be tolerated. 
4 XXXX XXXX XXXX was supposed to file with my insurance company XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to get their money as is the protocol with US medical system. They refused to collect from my insurance for reasons best known to them. Please read my correspondence with XXXX XXXX and Wakefield, you will see they have circumvented both the Fair credit reporting Act and the Fair debt Collections Act. They are not above the law. I have paid XXXX XXXX the balance after they collected from my insurance. They followed the protocol which XXXX XXXX refused to do. 
Name : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX SS # : XXXX XXXX Weeks XXXX XXXX # XXXX Derogatory account Wakefield & Associates Opened XX/XX/XXXX Amount : {$1200.00} Thank you for cooperation and prompt action Sincerely XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation