Consumer complaint received 2025-12-04 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Didn't receive notice of right to dispute
Company: FAIR COLLECTIONS & OUTSOURCING, INC.
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint because Fair Collections & Outsourcing ( FCO ) continues to violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). They have not provided the legally required validation of the alleged debt, they have not provided proof of the initial notice, and they continue reporting an unverified debt to the credit bureaus. Their previous CFPB response was incomplete, unsupported, and did not resolve the violations. 



Failure to Provide the Required Initial Written Notice FCO claimed they mailed the initial written notice on XX/XX/year> and emailed a copy on XX/XX/year>. However, they did not provide any proof to support these statements. They offered : No copy of the alleged letter No proof of mailing No address used No postal confirmation No tracking information Under FDCPA 1692g ( a ), a collector must be able to produce this notice upon request. FCO did not. Their unsupported statements do not meet the legal standard required to show compliance. 



Their Email Claim Is Unsupported and Legally Insufficient FCO also claimed they emailed the notice and that it was confirmed open. This statement is problematic for several reasons. 

First, email is not a legally acceptable method of delivering the FDCPA initial notice unless the consumer has explicitly consented to electronic communication, which I did not. Therefore, the emailif it was even sentwould not satisfy 1692g ( a ) requirements.

Second, FCO provided no evidence of the email they claim to have sent. They did not provide : A copy of the email The sender or recipient email address The email header or metadata A timestamp A delivery confirmation A read receipt A screenshot showing it was opened Without proof, their statement is unverifiable and insufficient. The FDCPA requires documented proof of the required notice, not unsupported assertions. Their inability to produce any evidence strongly indicates the notice may have never been emailed or opened.

Even if the email existed, which is not supported by evidence, it still would not fulfill their legal obligations under the FDCPA.

Failure to Validate the Debt In response to my dispute, FCO provided only an itemized list of charges. This does not satisfy the validation requirements under FDCPA 1692g ( b ). Proper validation requires documentation that the debt is legitimate and accurate, including : The lease agreement The final move-out statement A full rent ledger Proof of each charge Move-out inspection notes Photos or evidence of alleged damage Proof that the apartment sent a final bill Proof charges comply with state law None of this was provided. An itemized statement alone is not validation. Because FCO failed to validate the debt, they were legally required to cease all collection activity, including furnishing it to the credit bureaus, yet they continue to report the account. 



Failure to Provide Required Documentation from the Apartment The apartment was required to provide or request a forwarding address, send a final bill, and provide proof of mailing. No such documentation has been provided by FCO or the creditor. Without these documents, the legitimacy of the charges remains unverified.

Continued Reporting of Unverified Information Despite the debt being disputed and unvalidated, FCO continues to furnish the account to the credit bureaus. This violates : FDCPA 1692g ( b ) collection must stop until validation is provided FCRA 1681s-2 ( b ) furnishers must investigate and remove unverified information An itemized list does not qualify as verification under federal law.

Pattern of Consumer Complaints Regarding FCO My experience wit
h FCO mirrors a well-documented pattern of consumer complaints found in public records such as the CFPB complaint database and XXXX  listings. Many consumers report similar issues, including : Failure to send or prove the initial notice Failure to validate debts when requested Reporting unverified information to credit bureaus Incomplete dispute investigations Failure to respond to consumers with supporting documentation I am not asserting that FCO has been found legally liable for all allegations made by other consumers, but these publicly reported patterns indicate concerns regarding their compliance practices. My experience aligns closely with these documented issues. 



Requested CFPB Intervention I respectfully request that the CFPB require FCO and the apartment complex to produce the appropriate documentation, including : From FCO : A copy of the initial 1692g ( a ) notice, proof of mailing, proof of any email sent, a full validation package, documentation authorizing collection activity, and documentation supporting their furnishing of the debt. 

From the Apartment Complex : Any forwarding address recorded, a final move-out statement, proof of mailing, the lease agreement, inspection notes, photos, and a full rent ledger. 

If neither party can produce these documents, I request : Immediate deletion of this account from all credit bureaus A stop to all collection activity Written confirmation of compliance

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation