Consumer complaint received 2024-06-14 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: Amsher Collection Services, Inc.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
My situation : On XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for the Affordable Connectivity Program ( ACP ) provided by the federal government and I was approved and got a {$30.00} discount for Internet service. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the customer service number of XXXX XXXX to request opening an account for me. I provided the customer representative with my ACP ID and other personal information and asked her to check if the {$30.00} discount could be applied to my bill. The representative said he would take care of it and asked me to pick up some equipment in the Spectrum store at the location of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I picked up the equipment on the same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I received a bill ( account number ending in # XXXX ), in which the customers name was totally wrong-spelled compared with mine and there were no {$30.00} XXXX discounts applied. I called the billing department ( XXXX ) immediately to ask them to correct the spelling of my name and adjust the amount by adding the discount. However, they did not adjust it but just corrected the name. I called them again XXXX XXXX later to reflect on this problem, but after that, the bill amount was the same as the previous one ( {$76.00} ) without any adjustment. Based on they did not modify the amount for my bill, I returned all the equipment to the store in person and requested to cancel the account on XX/XX/XXXX ( the return receipt attached shows the date ), which was within XXXX days from the opening day. At that time, I had never opened the box of the equipment, not installed it, and not used any Internet service. The associate told me that I didnt need to pay the bill because I returned the equipment within XXXX days. However, they marked down the end date as XX/XX/XXXX, which was over XXXX days. It shows on the attached screenshot below from the XXXX system. Normally, I should not receive any bill after that, but they kept mailing me XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) bills with the same amount ( {$76.00} ). They did not follow up and cancel the case completely in time for the customer but just requested the money. I called and notified the billing department right away to request to remove those two unreasonable bills, but they still did not process it. 

In addition, I dont know why a customer representative generated another new account ending in # XXXX for me without my consent. I received an email sent on XX/XX/XXXX, which was regarding another account than the first one and an order placed but without my willingness. However, they were supposed to be aware that it was improper for the customer ( me ) to have two different accounts under the same name, and the same address, and at the same time while my first account seemed still active on the system on XX/XX/XXXX because they marked down the end date of the first one as XX/XX/XXXX. There were two emails about the first-month bill statement, verifying the XXXX status XXXX and delivering equipment sent on XX/XX/XXXX ( attached below ). At that time, I thought that it was okay to use the service if they helped to switch the previous account to a new one along applying with the {$30.00} XXXX discount. However, it was not what I thought. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email about delivery confirmation of equipment. In fact, I had not received any equipment during that week. I contacted the customer service department right away to state this situation when I found out those errors ( the first time call ). They suggested me to wait if the equipment would be out of delivery a few days later because there may be a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Actually, I had not received any equipment or devices from the beginning when I received the order confirmation ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to the end when I still received the fifth bill notice by mailing ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I contacted the customer service and billing department again and explained the situation I met up to the date by XX/XX/XXXX, the next day when I received the first bill statement ( {$71.00} ) online ( the second time call ). The agent responded that I had to return the equipment and they could help me cancel the account after they received that equipment within XXXX days ; otherwise, I had to pay the bill. I stated If I received the equipment, I would return it to Spectrum because I know if I do not return it or pay the bill on time, it must impact my credit score. Besides, just keeping the equipment is not useful and accessible to the Internet without subscribing to it. Therefore, it is impossible that I receive it and keep it but without using the Internet service. to the agent via my phone at that time. Due to the possible delivery delay because of the pandemic, I decided to wait for the equipment XXXX more XXXX. However, by XX/XX/XXXX, I had still not received any Internet equipment and I called the billing department the third time to request a cancellation for my second account. However, the associate said that the customer, I had to pay for it no matter whether I used the service or not, based on the accounts existence and the issued billing statement. I debated with her with a note Billing will start when you activate any of the equipment. stated on the email of the order confirmation from XXXX. ( The email attached shows it. ) As the policy stated, I had never received any equipment, so how I could activate them, and how the bill started? I have the right to dispute it and refuse to pay the bill because it was not my willingness to open the second account. Moreover, I had neither received any equipment nor used any service ; I already performed my duty to reflect the errors and tried to figure out the problem with the customer service and billing department in time every single time. However, whenever I called and reflected on the problem, different staffs were answering my phone with different statements but without any feasible problem-solving methods. Therefore, they confused the customer ( me ) and I had no additional idea to solve the problem exactly but just by calling because I did not have any physical equipment on my hand to return. I contacted them ( the fourth time ) before the first bill was due and I got the same response as the third time. None of them could help follow up on the case and solve the problem thoroughly but just requested me to pay the bill. It was unreasonable and unfair to the customer who had not received any equipment and had not used any service. Furthermore, I even received the next XXXX months ( XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ) bill by mailing and they requested me to pay off XXXX Internet service ( {$49.00} ) along with the first months balance ( a total of {$120.00} ). Obviously, the staffs had never followed up on my case and terminated my account after my reasonable request but had continued to charge me. 
I did not know the associate from XXXX submitted this credit record to XXXX and XXXX until I got my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX. A customer representative from XXXX suggested me to call the billing department of XXXX again to explain if they can remove the history based on my situation. Then, I contacted a customer agent of XXXX ( XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX and the agent just rushed me to pay off the balance without considering the customers situation. Additionally, I requested if they could pull up the calling histories or any following notes on their system from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. Those were the proofs that I contacted the billing department in time proactively. The only reason caused these situations was the associates of XXXX postponed following up on my case. The agent said they did not have the calling history and refused to provide it. The only information showing on their end was my account ending in # XXXX was opened on XX/XX/XXXX and closed on XX/XX/XXXX along with the equipment returned, but without how the ways were by. Obviously, the information did not match the sending date ( XX/XX/XXXX ) of the email about my second account being opened. However, I did not have any equipment to return but they marked it returned on XX/XX/XXXX, which it was weird. I inquired of the agent how I returned it ( by mailing or in-person to a store ) ; who or how you received it if I did return them. She answered it in a perfunctory way There was limited information on the system and she was not able to get it either. However, the customer ( me ) has the right to request and get the record, but they represented XXXX and rejected to provide it again and again. I tried to pull up the contact histories that I initiated the calls to the billing department by myself, but there were only XXXX records available on my mobile phone XXXX account. The period from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX was over XXXX XXXX backward from XX/XX/XXXX, when I corrected the supporting proof ( attached below ). 
Overall, I have been treated unfairly and deeply wronged by XXXX and I have been considered as a creditor bearing the credit delinquency. I have strived to request XXXX and XXXX for this dispute but I can not achieve it successfully. Therefore, I sincerely expect and XXXX Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would help me with justice and remove the wronged credit record. 
Thanks for your patience and help!

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