Pinnacle Financial Group, Pat O'Shay, Rocco, Debra, Gabriella,Christina, Ryan, Judy, Heather, Jane, Jeanine Makes multiple calls when they believe you owe them, but once you've proven you don't, can't get anyone to talk to you. Minneapolis Minnesota
My daughter was 19 when she contracted pneumonia and had to go to the hospital. Being a college student, she applied for, AND received 100% financial assistance from the hospital. The problem is, the hospital had already "sold" the debt to Pinnacle. Shame on the hospital number one. Number two, SHAME SHAME on Pinnacle for not listening to my daughter when she tried to tell them that she was waiting for an answer from them before she would agree to a "payment plan". Pinnacle's incessant calls, rude comments and down right verbal abuse put my daughter in a position where she believed she would lose all rights her first born (strictly a figure of speech) if she didn't pay them. So she did and was advised that once she received her letter, to let them know. Documentation was faxed to Pinnacle, who assured my daughter that all would be made right with the world, but that didn't stop them from putting the dreaded scarlet letter on her credit report. Now she is in danger of receiving less financial aid than expected for college, not to mention how it will affect her credit in the coming years. We asked for a supervisor, thinking they would be more professional about the issue... NOT!! Mr Pat O'Shay is more of an idiot than the rest of them. He must head up the new employee training classes. Anyway, Mr O'Shay says it's not their problem, it's hers, he's "not giving anyone back any money" nor will he "ever remove anything from a credit report". Even though it's their error, their hostility, and their total lack of respect for people in general. HOW DO THESE PEOPLE SLEEP AT NIGHT?? HOW DO THESE PEOPLE LOOK THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR EACH MORNING?? How dare they take advantage of people like this. Some may actually owe money, but to those that don't, a little common courtesy goes a very long way. Innocent until proven guilty is not a term known to those folks. It's GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY... even when proven innocent!!!!
PS And yes, I called him an a**h*** and hung up.
Irate in Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Laurie
Haslet,Texas,
U.S.A.
She Reinstated the debt when she agreed to pay them
#3Consumer Suggestion
Tue, August 26, 2008
although legally she did not owe any money.
You both handled this very poorly. Once you sent them money and agreed to the debt you restarted the clock on the statute of limitations
There is information at www.ftc.gov and www.fair-debt-collection.com. (free information) that would have resolved this with no money and no credit reporting or at least removal of the bogus credit report.
Had either of you checked on the internet you would have known the correct way to handle this. Instead you both went into panic mode and reacted in the wrong way
Collection agencies use nasty under-handed and illegal tactics to collect on bogus debts - hoping to scare you into paying. You have to be smarter then they are and that means taking a couple of minutes to research and handle it correctly.
Moneymaker69
New Hampton,Iowa,
U.S.A.
you are very wrong
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, August 26, 2008
First off, i have to start out by saying that i think you should know what you are talkin about before you come on here and start slamming people.. Second off, your daughter is 19 years old. She is an adult and i dont know why you're on here complaining when it is really none of your buisness. im going to assume that your daughter went in to the emergency room and she was diaginosed with pneumonia. The dr that works in the er is a contracted physician. Even if he works at the hospital during normal buisness hours, when he is in the emergency room he is getting paid from an outside company. Therefore, you are getting billed twice. The hospital does not forward insurance information to the dr office. That is patient responsibility. If you dont do so, the insurance will not pay. There is also something known as 'timely filing period.' you have a certain amount of time to file insurance and if you dont file within the alotted time, you are out of luck and will get stuck paying the bill. Im also 110 percent positive that pinnacle financial group is not listed on your daughter's credit report. 9 out of 10 times, the dr office sends the debt to a much larger agency who tries to collect on it. You should also know that after the dr office 'sells' the debt, they have washed their hands of it. you can no longer contact them for anything. you have to deal directly with the agency who is in charge of your bill. she received services at the hospital and the dr deserves to get paid. Would u go to work and expect to not get paid? Like i have said, this was your daughters responsibility to make sure that this was followed up with, and she didnt do so. That is why she got stuck either paying it, or letting it sit on her credit report. i think its ridiciulous that you come on here insulting people that you dont know when the situation has nothing to do with you. i have worked for collections for a long time and make a lot of money. i get to work with people like you everday, which would explain why collections is now a multi billion dollar industry!