Complaint Review: GC Services Limited Partnership

This note is to formally report the unfair and poor collection services/practices of GC Services Limited Partnership.

I received a red-light violation related ticket in the mail back in 2011.   Upon receipt of the original citation I wrote to the Los Angeles Superior Court to contest the citation due to it was originated via the now defunct "Red Light Camera" program.  A reply from the court was never received. 

Now in January February 2013, I received a letter from GC Services demanding payment of an unpaid citation here in the city of Los Angeles. After researching, I realized the citation in question was the "red-light" citation a couple of years back.  GC Services is now collecting the due amount plus and additional $300.00 for a total of $780.00. 

When I contacted the Spanish-speaking line ( as Spanish is my 1st language) the call was answered by an English speaking representative (name: Mr. Mathew..?) who displayed very little empathy or disposition to answer two basic questions: 1) Can I still contest the ticket with LA Court and 2) Can I make payment arrangements to pay? His reply was "Sir..I don't understand what your point is...so am going to note the account as a default )or something like that) since you are not paying.."

" I said, please don't..I just need to know my options. " So he proceeded to disconnect the call.  After that I called several time to the 800-511-0734 (Spanish) and was put on hold numerous times or transferred somewhere only to be disconnected again - with no resolution.  The same thing happened during the same day, when I called to speak to a supervisor.  I was put on hold...heard the music for about ten minutes and then someone would pick up...stay silent and put line on hold again...

I am now going to the LA Court House - Traffic Division to contest the Collections activity and log a complaint against the overall collections process and the vendor who manages it for our city..the city we pay taxes (and citations) to.  

As a consumer protected under Fair Debt Collection practices in the state of CA, GC Services failed to provide me with:

1 - Process to follow if you dispute the bill.
2 - Unwilling and and unable to provide me with any form of payment arrangements.
3 - Good service by instead engaging in conduct the natural consequence of which was to harass me and abuse me as a person. 
4 - Fair collection practices by threatening me that my DL was then going to be suspended for not paying the outstanding debt.  An action GC Services cannot legally take. 
5- A dedicated language line that works, since all the agents I spoke with,including Ms. Garcia stated their Spanish was not good and could not understand what I was asking. 
6- Appropriate call-recording disclaimer at start of all the calls and not verifying my personal information in at least two instances of the nightmarish call cycle. 

I need some help in addressing this complaint - beyond my individual follow up with the LA Court.  GC Services is an abusive vendor, working for the city of Los Angeles and its Superior Court.  The un-explainable and astronomical fee of $300.00 cannot be legal anywhere.  They must be replaced or be held accountable.

Thanks for the forum and - hopefully - the follow up in getting issues addressed. 

GGR