Consumer complaint received 2024-02-15 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive notice of right to dispute
Company: Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery Inc.
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
Hi, how are you? 

I hope this information helps resolve my issue with the company XXXX XXXX. 

They are charging me {$2.00} unfairly. I did not receive any service, product, or experience certification. The company did not incur any expense because of me. I drove 36 hours for them during training. 

1. XXXX XXXX never notified me that they would proceed with this charge and sent it directly to collections. No e-mails, no mails 2. My driver 's license and residential addresses were completely up to date. 

3. I never took advantage of the situation and gained NO experience. I wonder, if I pay this {$2500.00}, will XXXX certify six months of experience as a XXXXXXXX driver for me? 

4. The company did not incur any expenses with me. On the contrary, I drove the truck safely. Safety is my top priority. 

5. The company LOCKHART , MORRIS & MONTGOMERY, who is pursuing the collection, also never formally notified me. No e-mails, no emails. 

6. The company that notified me about this collection was my app, XXXX. If not at this time I did not have any communication. 

I am being greatly harmed because they are affecting my credit. 

1. As you can see, I am a responsible person with my finances. 

2. I had to make a payment arrangement with the collection agency to prevent them from completely damaging my credit, but this is affecting my household finances. 

3. I genuinely want to know what I am paying for or what I received in exchange for these USD XXXX. If I must return to work for six months, I will do so. If you are certifying six months of experience without actual driving, please inform me. 

4. This situation is affecting me and my home expenses. I am unemployed. 

I am an honorable person ; I dislike deceit and am very hardworking. I am currently unemployed and do not have the means to pay for this. I want to emphasize that if I need to return to work to fulfill this obligation, I am willing to do so. 

The following text mentions how everything happened. 

I began the hiring process via email with XXXX XXXX to work as a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The recruiter who contacted me is named XXXX XXXX, and his email is XXXX. We spoke on the phone, and in summary, we agreed that I would present myself in XXXX, Virginia, on Monday, XX/XX/2023, to start driver training. 

Here are the detailed differences that I want to mention : XXXX told me he would send a bus ticket for me to travel from New Jersey to Virginia. 

I called him and told him that I would use my own means and didn't need a ticket. He accepted without any issue. 

He mentioned that the company would pay for my hotel stay in XXXX. In this case, I informed him that I didn't need it and would cover my stay in XXXX, Virginia. Again, he accepted without any problem. 

On Monday, XX/XX/2023, I presented myself at XXXX XXXX under my own means without the company incurring any expenses. 

Proof that all this was accepted by the company is that they admitted me to the theoretical training without any issues. I attended two days of theoretical training, which, although basic, was important. 

While in XXXX on the second day, XXXX called me to inform me that I needed to sign a contract committing to work with them for a minimum of 6 months. This was the first misunderstanding. They told me this when I was almost done with the training, and it was never communicated to me beforehand. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, they sent me many emails with numerous documents to sign electronically, including, I assume, the 6-month contract. This happened 2 to 3 hours before I was about to start traveling. I had no other option but to sign due to the need for the job. 

Now they have sent me to collections for {$2500.00}, charging me for breaking the contract because I resigned 36 hours later : Here is a detailed explanation of why I resigned : I signed up to drive alone, not in a team. The instructor who was supposed to train me handed over the truck to me within 20 minutes of leaving XXXX XXXX facilities. From there, I started driving like a regular driver. I never received training on using the sleeper berth or using seatbelts in the sleeper berth. 

When I was tired and needed to sleep, it was impossible as I didn't feel secure in the sleeper berth, and the person I was with didn't inspire confidence. This person was very sleepy. 

I stayed awake for 24 hours and had to continue taking shifts with the instructor. So, what kind of training was this? 

At 36 hours, I couldn't stay awake any longer, and the instructor, driving while very tired, handling the phone, etc., made it unsafe. 
Key takeaways I covered the expenses for obtaining my Class A driving license ; XXXX XXXX did not cover nor sponsor it. 
The hotel accommodation in XXXX, VA, was paid for with my funds as XXXX XXXX did not reimburse me. I opted not to accept it to avoid any binding commitments. 
Transportation from NJ to VA was self-funded, as I declined their offer to avoid entanglements. 
Contrary to the advertised promise of an entry bonus, I did not receive it. This can be verified in the payroll records for the 36 hours I worked as a regular driver. 
Being an experienced driver, I did not undergo any driving training, as it was unnecessary for me. Even though I was in training, I commenced driving the truck as a regular driver shortly after leaving XXXX XXXX facilities in VA. Less than 20 miles away. However, I got paid as a driver in training. 
I have not received any certification letter from XXXX XXXX regarding my experience. Consequently, I remain unemployed, and I currently drive for XXXX. 
I was told I had to sign a 6-month commitment contract when I was already in Virginia. Otherwise, I wouldn't have traveled. 

What I did receive : During the two-day theoretical training, which was considerably basic compared to my prior driving course, the following directives were explicitly mentioned : a. No obligation to drive while fatigued. 
b. Prohibition of using cell phones while driving. 
c. Prohibition of executing U-turns. 
d. No parking on the roadside unless it's an emergency. 

Regrettably, most of these directives were adhered to during my tenure. 

I hope this helps clarify the situation.

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