Consumer complaint received 2019-07-30 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Commonwealth Financial Systems, Inc.
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
The following is a letter I sent to Commonwealth Financial Systems disputing the debt that I do not owe and have already paid: 


Commonwealth Financial Systems
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX

Account Number: XXXX. 

Dear whoever it May Concern:
This is the second time that I have disputed this account with your bureau. The first time, they stated that I owed the debt, yet could NOT provide me with documentation proving that I owed the debt. This is unlawful and completely unreasonable. The Fair Debt Collection Processes Act allows me to request you to send proof of the debt through debt validation which you have not done. I have requested that your business not contact me, and yet I still get phone calls from this agency demanding that I set up a payment plan for a debt they cannot verify. This is illegal and against everything that debt creditors should stand for. 

The fact that you as a business have purchased an inaccurate and somewhat questionable collection account from me with no paper trace is unethical. I have been harassed to comply with payments that have no bearing and no trace to me as a person due to no verification. I filed a dispute with XXXX, which was submitted on XX/XX/2019. It is now XX/XX/XXXX, and the status is not yet under investigation. I demand this account be taken off of my credit report or I will take legal action against you as a fraudulent bureau. 

I made a XXXX payment to the account thinking it was another medical bill, however I was mistaken and had already paid that bill. This bill from “XXXX XXXX XXXX” is inaccurate given that I had already paid the hospital for the visit that I sustained. This is a poor practice that has negatively affected my credit and has led to many harassing and demanding phone calls from people inside your business claiming that I owe the debt, yet CANNOT supply me with ACCURATE, DATED information.

The most recent paper trail I have in my documents is a piece of mail from XX/XX/2019. I have been asking for documentation for 6 MONTHS. Medical bill collections are a violation of HIPPA, and I have had people from your business refer to my medical bill as an “ailment” when they should NOT have released my medical history without authorization. I have contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX and they have no recollection of this debt and cannot verify it either, and to reiterate, did NOT have my permission to release such pertinent, personal information about my health records to a third party creditor. 

As previously stated, this is unethical and illegal. The harassing phone calls and demands of payment for an account neither business can verify is ridiculous. If this proceeds, legal action will be taken against your bureau as a means of a fraudulent business who is not complying with the regulations set forth by the FDCPA. You would not pay a creditor that cannot verify a debt, so why should your customers?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation