Complaint Review: Palisade Collections LLC

I have submitted the following, along with a link to www.ripoffreport.com, to Trans-Union, Equifax, Experian, the Atlanta Better Business Bureau, and the Georgia Attorney General's Office:

While preparing to apply for a mortgage, I noticed a delinquent debt on my credit report from Palisade Collections - a company from which I have never received any sort of billing for any good or service. As no contact information was provided, I performed an online yellow pages search for the company and found a telephone number. When I called the number, I was told, "We don't keep the information on your account here; you need to call [another number]."

When I telephoned the second number, the identifier used by the clerk was that of an entirely different company. She asked for my social security number, which I - perhaps unwisely - provided. I requested to know to what the credit report item was in reference and was told that it was a delinquent AT&T billing. I informed the clerk that AT&T had left our city several years ago and that I was in good standing with the company. I stated that in the past two- to three-years, I had received no billings - either from AT&T or from any collection agency - until this line item showed up on my credit report.

I then asked for an account number so that I could contact AT&T and was informed that while she could give me an account number, it would be one assigned by her company after it had "purchased" delinquent accounts from AT&T - and that the account number would mean nothing to AT&T. She did not provide a telephone number for AT&T.

I conducted another web search and found a telephone number for AT&T. When I spoke with a representative, I was told that no such account existed and that I had, in fact, been in good standing with AT&T in the years since their departure.

A google search of the internet for Palisade Collections turned up no company website but NUMEROUS reports of similar fraud by aggrieved victims. The company's modus operandi appears to be placing fraudulent, relatively small delinquencies on individual credit reports in the expectation that a hurried, loan-seeking consumer would rather pay the $60/$80/$150 to clear his or her report than to go through the drawn-out process of a dispute. Sadly for them, they will get no such satisfaction from this consumer.

The Better Business Bureau's online Reliability Report on OSI Portfolio Services (dba Palisade Collections) states: "Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaints" and identifies 287 complaints in the last 36 months regarding credit and billing issues from a total of 329 complaints. (See: http://www.atlanta.bbb.org/common.html?location=/home/common/www/mis67/report.php&bureau=atlanta&compid=10127)

While low income during my early post-collegiate years led to credit issues for me, I have worked diligently for the last three years to repair my credit. It is incredibly disheartening that a fraudulent claim such as this could undo all of the hard work I have done.

Anna
Lexington, Kentucky
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Palisade Collections

STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, its paid for!