Pursuing collection on paid bill
Complaint
Savona Bailey-McClain
Country: United States
RPM is trying collect on a telephone debt that has been paid. There was confusion from Verizon on the bill and the amount. I contacted Verizon who admitted that their records were confusing and that they did authorize RPM to collect a debt. BUT I was told and they called RPM with me on the phone that they should stop contacting me because I agreed to pay Verizon directly. They also explained that wrong information was given. It has now been six weeks and RPM is trying to harass me to pay them on a two year old bill. That was the confusion in the first place. I didn't owe a two year old bill. And I cleared the matter with Verizon. These people should not be in business.
Comments
From other complaints it is clear their ability to maintain compliance with debt collection laws is compromised, and their tolerance of abusive collection tactics will subject you to continued damages if you do not proceed to act. Each step you take should ensure you are proceeding toward the the capability to successfully resolve the matter, through the courts if necessary.
Send a letter to RPM, certified return receipt requested, requesting validation of the debt. Indicate in your letter that you have confirmed with Verizon that no debt is owed, that Verizon has notified them that no debt is owed, and that you are disputing the debt in its entirety, and requesting that they obtain proof from the original creditor that you owe them anything.
If you continue to receive collection attempts after you confirm (through the Post Office site, and return of the green card) that they have received your validation request, file complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the Washington Attorney General.
In the mean time, contact Verizon and request that they confirm in writing that your account has no amount due, as they indicated in your phone inquiry (include the call date, contact, etc). Call Verizon and find where to send your written request, to build your paper trail. (If Verizon will not cooperate, contact your state Attorney General for assistance, since this problem was originally caused by Verizon's error.)
If you find erroneous negative information posted on your credit reports by RPM, send a written dispute of the information to the credit reporting agencies, again certified return receipt requested.
If RPM erroneously "verifies" negative information to the credit reporting agencies in response to your CRA dispute, find an attorney and sue them for FDCPA and FCRA violations. By that point you should have all your ducks in a row.
In this case, the pattern of problems are two-fold, both in the original error in Verizon's records, compounded by RPM's failure to check with Verizon and cease collection activities.
Numerous consumer complaints indicate that RPM employees frequently fail to handle consumer disputes, even diverting or evading consumer attempts to dispute, resulting in attempting to collect on unowed or already paid "debts".
Attributing blame to RPM for this failure is not "scapegoating".