Consumer complaint received 2025-07-28 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive notice of right to dispute
Company: HEAD MERCANTILE CO., INC.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
1. Violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA 609, 611, 623 ) Each of these accounts contains incomplete, inconsistent, or unverifiable data, specifically : ND ( No Data ) reported across multiple months from XXXX Unexplained increases in balance amounts ( e.g., {$2000.00} {$2300.00} ) without itemized statements Duplicated or misnumbered accounts, including two separate tradelines with Account # XXXX, which may be a violation of FCRAs anti-re-aging provisions Reporting that does not conform to XXXX XXXX standards, making the tradelines misleading and harmful These reporting practices violate FCRA 623 ( a ) ( duty to report accurate and complete information ) and constitute negligent or willful noncompliance. 

2. COVID-Era Hardship & CARES Act Guidance Ignored All debts in question originated in early XXXX, during the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency. I suffered documented financial hardship during this time, including job and income disruption. 

Per CARES Act guidance and multiple CFPB bulletins, furnishers were instructed to : Pause or adjust negative credit reporting when hardship was present Honor forbearance or deferment requests Refrain from aggressive reporting, particularly for medical debt Comply with Provider Relief Fund terms if federal aid was accepted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is believed to have received federal COVID funds. If so, they were bound by terms that prohibited negative credit actions without offering reasonable hardship accommodations. Neither XXXX nor HMC ever offered or disclosed such options, nor did they acknowledge these protections when I raised them. 

3. Validation Incomplete Despite Documentation Provided ( FDCPA 809 ) While HMC sent me some documentation ( including bill images and a copy of a judgment ), they still failed to provide complete validation, and refused to address the following : No explanation or breakdown of added legal fees or inflated interest No HIPAA-compliant authorization or documentation confirming the legal right to transmit my protected medical data to a third-party collector No explanation for the existence of four distinct tradelines allegedly stemming from one provider ( XXXX  ) and one court judgment Their claim of debt validation is insufficient under FDCPA 809, and their failure to respond in good faith to prior disputes violates FCRA 611.

4. Misuse or Duplication of Judgment Reporting HMC Group claims that the debts were secured by an interest-bearing judgment. However : Only one judgment was referenced Yet four separate collection tradelines remain open and active, each reporting a distinct balance and status This creates a misleading impression of multiple delinquent debts or court actions and may constitute re-aging or duplicative reporting, which is misleading under FCRA and XXXX XXXX guidelines. 

If there is only one judgment, only one tradeline should reflect it, and the others should be either : Marked as paid/closed, or Deleted entirely HMC has not disclosed docket numbers for multiple judgments, suggesting that only one exists and the other tradelines are duplicative. 

Requested Resolution : I am demanding the following : Permanent deletion of all four HMC-related collection accounts from my credit reports with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Written confirmation of deletion or correction within 30 days, as required under FCRA 611 Cease all future reporting and collection activity on these accounts Disclosure of any legal basis or documentation justifying continued reporting, including full itemization, HIPAA compliance , and hardship policy acknowledgment If these issues are not resolved, I will : File additional complaints with the FTC, HHS Office of Civil Rights , and State Attorney General Request investigation into Provider Relief Fund misuse tied to aggressive medical debt collection Consider legal action for damages under the FCRA and FDCPA.

I AM NOT DISPUTING THE EXISTENCE, I AM DISPUTING THE ACCURACY! 
5. Validation Confirms Only One Legal Action, Yet Four Active Accounts Remain The validation documentation HMC Group provided lists all four debts under a single packet number ( # XXXX ) and totals the amount owed as {$8100.00}, implying one consolidated legal judgment not four. 

However, my credit report reflects four separate tradelines, each : With its own inflated balance Reporting an active collection and separate delinquency status Not marked paid via judgment or consolidated This creates the false impression of four separate judgments or legal actions and causes excessive credit damage.

In fact, the validation confirms the opposite these were all grouped under one legal action, and continuing to report them as four separate delinquent tradelines may constitute : Re-aging or duplicate reporting under FCRA 623 Deceptive collection practices under FDCPA 807 Violation of XXXX XXXX and credit furnishing standards. 

CREDITOR COPY AND PASTED SAME REPLY ACROSS COMPLAINTS WITH NO INVESTIGATION OR VALIDATION. MUST BE REMOVED!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation