Consumer complaint received 2025-04-24 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Lake Area Collections, LLC
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to formally report the extremely unprofessional conduct I experienced with a locally owned medical debt collections agency, specifically regarding an employee named XXXX. My interaction left me deeply unsettled, not only due to her hostile tone and threatening language, but also because of the agencys lack of ethical communication and basic customer service.

On XXXX/2024 during a phone call to collect a debt by XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, I calmly asked XXXX to verify whether a small balance she was collecting wasnt a duplicate of one I had already paid the prior month. Rather than assist me, she became XXXX and disrespectful, immediately cutting me off and threatening to call the originating medical provider to demand I be denied future services due to non-paymentdespite me never refusing to pay. Along with this, she threatened to immediately report it to my credit that I had refused to pay - SPECIFICALLY after I attempted to pay by a due date or via a payment plan, as I previously mentioned, I never once refused to pay completely- I just wanted to explore options outside of paying right then, right there, no questions asked, as she seemed to expect me to. 

The amount she was calling about was around {$110.00}, and I had recently paid about $ XXXX {$140.00} the month prior for a debt from the same provider, The XXXX XXXX XXXX 

I explained I was days from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and asked if there was a due date or if I could set up a short payment plan. XXXX ignored my request, repeated her threats louder, and hung up on me when I asked her not to speak to me in such a demeaning tone, as if I was XXXX XXXXXXXX. I then called back, spoke with another representative, and paid the full balance online the same day - something which only emphasizes how simple and quick this phone call could have been previously had XXXX cooperated with me and simply answered my questions. 

After posting an honest review of my experience, one which did not include any name-calling, derogatory terms, cussing, false claims or any threats, XXXX then escalated the situation further. She yelled at my husband when he called the agency to express concern, in an attempt to resolve the debt on my behalf in the event that maybe XXXX was being XXXX XXXX XXXX against me. She then yelled at my husband on the phone, telling him she was issuing him a formal " cease and desist '' based on the nasty review and email his wife ( me ) left her. She then called me back again personally to issue a baseless cease and desist, threatening legal action and telling me she'd call " law enforcement '' over practicing my basic right to freedom of speech. She was also extremely short with me during this phone call, which I recorded for my safety, and was completely unwilling to speak with me. 

These intimidation tactics are not only unprofessional but entirely inappropriate and coercive. No customer should be treated this wayespecially for calmly asking questions and sharing a factual personal experience.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief