Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was turned over to a debt collector with 3 months notice. They sent an ambiguous statement that made no claims to be a bill. They had my insurance claim number, I was told that they would bill insurance.It seemed handled until Nov 2023, when I received a letter from their new secretary claiming I might still owe. On Nov 13th 2023 I called, after a breif discussion I agreed that I would check with the liable insurance co. So much time has elapsed, there's also a chance that I paid in cash, that is my preferred means of transaction when dealing with local business. The new secretary assured me not to worry, that I had time.It turns out that was a lie. The next communication I received regarding this matter was a letter from a debt collector (on about March 13th 2024). There was no other contact with me in this time frame.Had I of been told that I was in danger of being sent to collections, I would have paid immediately. If they are double-dipping, as I suspect might be the case, I'd deal with that later in small claims court.All I want is to be able to pay the billed amount ($2463.71), I am even ok with paying the interest ($768.53), as I just want this behind me and my credit left undamaged. I have the ability and will to do so immediately.The amount being demanded by their collector is $6258.28, in violation of Montana's usury laws. I will not pay that and be punished for their dishonest behavior and actions, which will also almost certainly not be covered by insurance.I have a heart condition, and am dealing with copious amounts of stress right now. The stress caused by the actions of Fine Fabric Care have only made my symptoms worse. As of late, due to this stress, I have considered stopping my cardiac drugs and allowing nature to take its course, this is just too much for me to deal with.Please help me, I don't know where to go or what to do from here. Thank you for reading and providing any help that you are able, I understand if you cannot too.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Dear BBB Great West & Pacific,

  On March 18, 2022 ************ contacted Fine Fabric Care regarding a sewer backup.  Our restoration team responded on March 19, 2022.  According to our records the clean up was completed and the estimate billed out to his insurance company on 4/6/222.  His insurance, ******** Insurance, reported no sewer coverage in his policy.  At some point there was mention of the damage being an MMIA (e.g., city) claim.  MMIA was called on 3/8/24 and we were told no claim had been filed for **************** name or address.  An invoice and report were mailed to ************ on 8/1/22.

  In October 2023 the new office ******* conducted an audit of our account's receivables and sent a letter and invoice to ************ indicating we had not received an payment (14 months after he was billed).  ************ called on November 13, 2023 and spoke to the office ******* indicating he thought he had paid but would check with his insurance and get back to us.  On 1/18/24, after not hearing back from ************, the office ******* called and left a voice mail message asking him to call back and let us know what he had found out.  ************ did not respond.  On 2/15/24 a letter with a statement was sent out indicating his account would be sent to collections if not heard from by the end of February.  ************ did not respond.  On 3/8/24, close to 24 months from the time of our initial response, his account was sent to collections.

  Our collection agency, ********************** reported that ************ did not respond to any of their initial attempts, by phone or mail, to collect the debt and therefore his account was sent to their litigation department, which speaks to the increase in what is owed.  We will not benefit from that.  On April 4, 2024, ************ called the office to complain about being sent to collections.  Following the conversation, the officer ******* called and spoke to the collections' agency then emailed ************ indicating that in order to get his account out of the attorney's hands he would need to call the collection agency and take care of the debt.  Contact information was provided. We are unaware of whether or not ************ contacted the collection agency.

  As for his cash payment, we have no record of it.  If he has a receipt, which should have been provided to him at the time of payment, we, of course, would honor that.  He has not provided us with any record of payment.

  ************ continues to say he would pay immediately, but we have yet to receive any payment or proof of payment.  We are sorry about his heart condition and certainly wish him no ill will.  We simply want to be paid for the work we completed for him.

  Sincerely,

  *******************, Owner

  Fine Fabric Care, LLC

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 21649946
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I offered to pay immediately upon learning I had been wrongly reported to collections, though I suspect the bill may have been paid. My payment offer was rejected at that time.

  I don't know what attempts Fine Fabric Care has made to contact me beyond the initial statement, which, again, had no indication it was a bill, then, the letter from the new secretary, which I had responded to, and then a letter from the collections agency, with the fee having been added BEFORE any litigation or correspondence with their "legal department" had ever began. Such is a violation of Montana's users laws.

  Upon receiving the letter from the new secretary, I had asked specifically "so you will not report me to collections without getting ahold of me first, correct?" The response was a yes. The question wasn't "without TRYING to contact me" it was precisely "without contacting me", I am willing to sign a sworn statement to that effect and can provide my phone log.

  With the exception of the two calls WHICH I INITIATED, I have no record of any contact from Fine Fabric Care. Reporting me to the collections entity after a lie, was not only dishonest, but constitutes a violation of a verbal contract.

  I do not want the burden of litigation, but *** has left me little option. Either pay the supposed "debt" to the collections contractor at an illegal rate, or wait to see what actions that contractor is willing to take. If the debt collection contractor decides to further pursue and harass me, I will have no other option but to sue *** for violation of that verbal contact. I am documenting all hours spent on this matter and will include that in the litigation costs.

  Fine Fabric Care can choose to recall this debt at the original amount, thus owning up to their dishonesty and correcting their mistake or can face the prospect of litigation just as it appears I am facing from RMC as a result of their dishonest actions.

  I have an excellent credit rating, and have paid all but two bills on time and in full in my lifetime, the two bills were still paid in full, but were late, only one of which was late enough to impact my credit... one was a car payment, the other a medical bill, both occurred many years ago do to an address change.

  I am a responsible person, and I am still willing to pay the amount agreed upon prior to ***'s violation of the verbal contract and be done with this matter. Paying the debt collector is not an option, as it would constitute me taking responsibility for ***'s dishonest actions at additional expense. I will die before I pay a debt collector a single dime that they did not earn as such only serves to fund further exploitation of others. For me to pay RMC would be a violation of my core principles that I could not, and will not live with.

  Choice is yours, ***, I guess. Either own up to your mistake, or be one more nail in my coffin, I don't really give a **** which one at this point. I am so sick of having to fight just to live and this is too much. I worked hard for everything I have, including my good credit and you are trying to destroy me.

  Before I make any decisions, I have letters to write to the editor, warning ads mentioning ***and this issue to be placed on-line. I also have letters prepared to send to ******, several other government offices/officers including state legislators, the *** as what RMC has done is a clear violation of the ****** as well as both state and federal ***** laws... which since their actions were the result of ***'s contact violation, they are responsible for, as none of this would have happened without such violation.

  The bottom line, I just want to pay the amount that *** claimed I owed in the conversation that occurred in November, I am willing to pay interest as well. I am willing to do this weather I actually owe that amount or not and just be done with all this. However, again, the business refused this offer which I made as soon as I became aware of what they had done... the offer still stands.

  Had I of only been informed that I would be handed to a collections contractor on a specific date, instead of being lied to, told that I would be contacted first, none of this would have happened. I get it, new secretary, probably still learning the ropes, and that's fine, but perhaps I shouldn't be made to bear the burden of their mistake and dishonesty, weather the dishonesty was intentional or not, the effect is the same.

  
  With great contempt,
  
  *******************