Consumer complaint received 2026-04-01 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: RI

Complaint narrative:
I am a XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX filing a complaint against Midland Credit Management , Inc., XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, Michigan XXXX, for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in connection with their attempts to collect an alleged XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, account ending in XXXX, with a claimed balance of {$3600.00}. I received Midland 's first collection letter on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a second letter via XXXX titled " Pre-Legal Notice for Non-Payment of Debt, '' threatening to refer my account to " an attorney in Rhode Island '' if I did not respond by XX/XX/XXXX. No specific attorney or law firm was named. This letter was dated XX/XX/XXXX on its face. However, the XXXX tracking label on the envelope shows the letter was not actually shipped until XX/XX/XXXX XXXX days after the date shown on the letter. The letter was delivered XX/XX/XXXX. By backdating the letter by XXXX days, XXXX made the XX/XX/XXXX deadline appear to provide approximately 30 days of notice when I actually received only 19 days. This misrepresentation of the date of the communication is a violation of 15 U.S.C. 1692e. Violation XXXX Backdated Collection Letter / False Representation of Date : Midland Credit Management dated their pre-legal notice XX/XX/XXXX but did not ship it via XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX, as confirmed by the XXXX tracking label on the envelope. The letter was delivered to me XX/XX/XXXX. This backdating falsely represented that I had approximately 30 days to respond to the XX/XX/XXXX deadline when I in fact had only 19 days from actual receipt. Misrepresenting the date of a collection communication violates 15 U.S.C. 1692e. Violation 2 Vague Legal Threat Without Named Attorney or Genuine Intent : The XX/XX/XXXX pre-legal notice threatens referral to " an attorney in Rhode Island '' without identifying any specific attorney or law firm. Under 15 U.S.C. 1692e ( 5 ), threatening to take action that can not legally be taken or that is not intended to be taken is a violation. Midland can not lawfully initiate collection litigation on this account without first establishing a complete, documented chain of title which they have not done and without accounting for a prior payment instrument tendered to the original creditor which they have also not done. A vague reference to an unnamed attorney on a disputed, undocumented account may not reflect genuine intent. Violation 3 False Urgency Through XXXX Delivery : Midland used XXXX overnight delivery to transmit a routine collection notice. There is no legal or contractual basis for expedited delivery on this account. The use of express XXXX delivery is a tactic designed to create the appearance that legal action is imminent, which is an unfair collection practice under 15 U.S.C. 1692f. Violation XXXX Manufactured Deadline : The XX/XX/XXXX response deadline has no basis in federal law, Rhode Island law, or any contractual provision. No statute or court rule makes XX/XX/XXXX legally significant. It is an artificial deadline designed to pressure payment, in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1692e ( 5 ). Violation 5 Undocumented Chain of Title : XXXX XXXX 's letter to me dated XX/XX/XXXX states that account XXXX was sold to Midland Credit XXXX on or about XX/XX/XXXX, implying a direct sale. However, my TransUnion credit report pulled XX/XX/XXXX contains inquiry records that tell a different story. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX pulled my credit on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, and sent collection letters beginning XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX pulled my credit on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, and sent collection letters dated XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX. Midland Credit XXXX pulled my credit on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX day after XXXX XXXX 's stated sale date. XXXX is therefore the third purchaser in a chain that includes First Source Advantage and XXXX XXXX XXXX as intermediate owners. Midland 's collection letters reference only XXXX XXXX as the original creditor with no disclosure of the two prior owners and no documentation of the complete chain of assignment. Collecting on a debt without establishing documented standing misrepresents the legal status of the debt under 15 U.S.C. 1692e ( 2 ) ( A ). Violation 6 Unaccounted Prior Payment Instrument : Prior to the charge-off of account XXXX, I transmitted an indorsed payment coupon to XXXX XXXX via USPS Certified Mail. XXXX XXXX received and signed for this instrument, as confirmed by the signed return receipt in my possession. XXXX XXXX never acknowledged, rejected, or accounted for this instrument and subsequently sold the account without any accounting for it. Midland acquired the account as the third purchaser with this unresolved obligation outstanding and has made no accounting for it in any of their communications. The balance of {$3600.00} can not be verified as accurate without resolving the disposition of this prior instrument. Violation XXXX Account Never Reported to Any Credit Bureau : Despite being a {$3600.00} charged-off XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX account, account XXXX does not appear as a tradeline on any of my XXXX credit bureau XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as confirmed by reports pulled XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX routinely reports charged-off accounts. The complete absence of this account from all three bureaus raises serious questions about the documentation Midland is relying upon to collect. I note that Midland Credit Management and its parent Encore Capital Group are subject to a XXXX CFPB XXXX Order and subsequently paid {$15.00} XXXX in civil penalties for suing consumers without required documentation and failing to provide documentation after consumer requests. The conduct described in this complaint collecting without complete chain of title documentation directly mirrors that prior conduct. I respectfully request the CFPB investigate these violations and contact Midland Credit Management under its existing consent order obligations. I have sent Midland Credit Management a formal debt validation demand via USPS Certified Mail.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief