| Issue |
Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
|
| Timely |
Yes
|
| Company |
M.A.R.S., Inc.
|
| Product |
Debt collection
|
| Sub Issue |
Debt was paid
|
| Sub Product |
Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
|
| Date Received |
2016-08-19
|
| Submitted Via |
Web
|
| Company Response |
Closed with explanation
|
| Consumer Disputed |
Yes
|
| Date Sent To Company |
2016-08-19
|
| Company Public Response |
Company disputes the facts presented in the complaint
|
| Complaint What Happened |
In XX/XX/XXXX I was served eviction papers due to a month of non payment, which we were withholding due to a breach of the lease that led to habitability issues. In court, we settled. We provided {$200.00}, and they let us out of the lease. All to be concluded by XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. One XXXX/XXXX/XXXX the case was dismissed by the former landlord as settled. Then the landlord, through a bogus company, submitted a claim to the debt collection company reported for {$1000.00}, There was no protocol in place for investigating what was clearly a fraudulent claim by this landlord, and this company in spite of never contacting me, had a derogatory mark placed on my credit report. They did contact me by phone, but never in writing ... and over the phone I expressed that this was an error. I sent them a copy of the lease and a copy of the disposition. ( They state they never received those, but do admit that I made it known that it was not accurate at that time ) They did not investigate when the fraud was initially perpetrated, and they did not any time subsequent for 6 years ... that 's right, they knowingly kept an erroneous mark on my credit report for 6 years. I now have a letter, they just sent it today via fax, that states that the account was turned to them in error and 6 years later, they will finally have it removed. There was never any written information provided until this very moment. As a point of issue, the letter they sent today was an address I held for two years and not a single letter came from them to this address. The claim was, according to the collection agency, supported only by a lease and a statement of non payment with no other verification sought or needed. I believe them to be initially grossly negligent before providing derogatory information to the Credit Bureau, but further had a duty to investigate upon first indication that the information was incorrect, in spite of their claim that they never received anything in writing. They WERE informed, and they actively chose to ignore this information. In doing so I believe they were willfully publishing incorrect information on my credit report, without providing instruction on appropriate dispute procedure, ignoring appropriate dispute procedure and ignoring federally mandated protocols for fair resolution which led to significant troubles gaining housing, medical care and employment. The fact that now they admit it was given to them in error, although they could have checked when initially notified but chose not to is inexcusable in this line of work, and a breach of Federal Law.
|
| Consumer Consent Provided |
Consent provided
|
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