Consumer complaint received 2021-04-09 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Paramount Recovery Systems, L.P.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
PARAMOUNT RECOVERY SYSTEMS reported a {$400.00} collections for an allegedly unpaid ER bill to 2 of the 3 credit bureaus. Ive disputed the same exact entry multiple times under XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX. It was removed from my credit report every time due to inability to verify the debt was indeed mine. 

The debt is noted first delinquent as of XX/XX/2015. 

I called the hospitals billing department and was informed that they have no record on file under my SSN for me visiting the ER in which I was not covered in full by an insurance plan. The receptionist said I have no outstanding bills or debts in their system. 

I inquired about the collections agency ( Paramount Recovery Systems ) and their contact information, and she said that the collection agency isnt even one shes ever heard of. She gave me two phone numbers of collections agencies they use, and neither of those two could verify an account for collections. 

I searched back through my old insurance claims and EOB paperwork ; I couldnt find anything about a bill or debt from the hospital for who the original creditor is listed for, nor correspondence from the collections agency notifying me of the debt. 

At the time the debt was reported, I was covered under Georgia XXXX  womens XXXX, as I was XXXX  through XX/XX/2015 and covered the entire time. All of my claims paperwork says it is only an EOB, and that there is no outstanding balance due by me. The online portals say the same thing. My medical records have no listing of outstanding balance or present debt. 

When I called Paramount Recovery Systems to address the issue, the woman who answered the phone was unhelpful, uncaring, and generally rude. I explained the situation to her and asked her to verify the debt. 

She said, verbatim, We dont do all that. 

I asked her who the original creditor was, when the debt was originally owed, what it was for specifically. 

She said, We dont do that here, we probably bought the debt from someone else. 

Okay, Im aware of how all of that works. But in order to collect the debt, you have to know and prove that it is indeed mine. So how do you know that this is my debt, that it even exists? 

We just handle the payments, you can pay it today or set up a payment plan but we dont handle anything else. 

I asked to speak with someone who could give me more information, because Im not paying a debt that is either entirely falsified or mistakenly appointed to me. Im not paying a debt I dont owe, and Im well within my rights to request additional information. 

She said there wasnt anyone else there I could speak to, that I would have to call XXXX XXXX and ask them for the information about my debt. 

I said okay and who is that? Do you have a contact number for them, an address, a website? 

She said No, we dont give all that out, you will have to XXXX it and figure it out. 

Seriously? I should just take a shot in the dark on the internet and ask a completely different company about a debt that you are trying to collect for one company, after its been disputed and determined NOT MINE multiple times? And you cant and wont verify the debt or provide any information to me regarding this debt, but you can report it to the credit bureaus and provide them with information that proves its mine? 

L O L. 

Sounds like some blatant dishonesty to me.. maybe forging or fabricating proof for credit bureaus to tank my credit scores until I crack and pay a nonexistent debt. 

Ive read a couple hundred other complaints regarding Paramount Recovery Systems, the lawsuits filed against them, and their seemingly uncanny affiliation with XXXX  XXXX  XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, etc .... 

I disputed it and they couldnt prove it, so then what, they pass it off to the next company and just keep passing it around until someone finally collects on the debt? XXXX companies maybe? Sharing the profit? 

I noticed all those agencies are located right there together in Texas. THATS WILD. I dont know how anyone could even willingly work for a collections agency knowing how they work. 

Yeah someone falls on hard times and cant pay a bill, so companies decide they can just ruin peoples livelihoods and quality of life by wrecking their credit score until they can profit off of it. Thats gross. 

The AUDACITY of a country that is TRILLIONS of dollars in debt to give us a credit score anyway.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation