Consumer complaint received 2025-06-25 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint regarding two separate collection accounts from Midland Credit Management ( MCM ) : a XXXX XXXX account and a XXXX account, both originally issued by XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. I have now filed formal consumer arbitration due to serious and ongoing violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) by Midland. 

Arbitration Case Number Filed : XXXX Filed with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Filing confirmation received on XX/XX/year> Arbitration includes full exhibits and a signed XXXX fee waiver Respondent : Midland Credit Management Claim : {$85000.00} in damages due to FCRA, FDCPA, and deceptive collection tactics 1. FDCPA 1692g ( b ) Failure to Validate Debt On XX/XX/year>, I submitted a detailed debt validation request for both accounts. I clearly requested : A signed original contract or agreement; A full itemized breakdown of charges and payments ; Proof of legal assignment/ownership ( chain of title ) ; Proof of Midlands license to collect in Georgia ; Documentation showing compliance with 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( b ).

Midland responded with a generic balance summary that did not fulfill any of these requirements. This was not proper debt validation. Despite this, they continued collection activity a clear violation of FDCPA. 

2. FDCPA 1692e False or Misleading Representations Before I even submitted my dispute, Midland sent a pre-legal collection notice suggesting legal escalation. This was a false threat of legal action under 1692e ( 5 ) and misleading during a time when they had not validated the debt. This violates both the letter and the spirit of the law. 

3. FCRA 623 Furnishing Inaccurate or Incomplete Information After disputing the debts, Midland failed to flag the tradelines as disputed with credit bureaus, violating FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 3 ). This omission misled other lenders and harmed my credit.

Additionally, even after being notified of the arbitration filing, they continue to furnish this unvalidated debt to CRAs a direct violation of FCRA and a reckless disregard for consumer protections. 

4. Deceptive CFPB Complaint Response Behavior In previous CFPB responses, Midland : Pretended that generic statements constituted full validation ; Ignored the specific items I lawfully demanded ; Claimed the debt was properly validated, without meeting the legal standard ; Responded with templated language that failed to address my evidence ; Completely omitted any mention of arbitration, despite having already been notified. 

5. Obstruction & Communication Failures I also attempted to communicate directly with Midland through every known legal contact method. Many of their public and internal email addresses bounce, and they have not acknowledged any legal service of the arbitration documents even though they were submitted digitally and in full compliance with XXXX protocols. 

This pattern of avoidance suggests intentional obstruction and a strategy of evading responsibility. 

6. Why I Am Requesting Enforcement Midland Credit Managements behavior reflects : Systematic FDCPA and FCRA violations ; Refusal to acknowledge legal proceedings ( XXXX arbitration case ) ; Misleading and deceptive complaint responses ; Ongoing reporting of unvalidated debts ; A pattern of exploiting CFPB procedures to issue false " resolutions '' without addressing underlying violations. 

7. Requested Outcome I respectfully request that the CFPB : Force Midland to fully acknowledge and respond to XXXX XXXX Case # XXXX ; Refer the company for enforcement action based on continued FCRA and FDCPA violations ; Require the immediate deletion of both tradelines ( XXXX XXXX and XXXX ) ; Investigate systemic practices of deceptive responses and false validation methods; Prevent Midland from misrepresenting dispute resolution status or bypassing consumer rights through delay tactics.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation