Complaint Review: Certified Recover Systems - Houston Texas

The only thing "certified" about this company is that they are all certified pains in the butt! How is a collection agency going to refuse a payment?

This nightmare started about a month ago. I received a call from my mother saying that Ms. Babin left a message requesting a call back. This was regarding a complaint filed against me.

My mother gave me the contact number and reference number. I called Ms. Babin to see what this was about.

She informed me that she had two collections for United Cash Loans in her office. At first she demanded payment in full by western union. I refused and asked for a payment arrangement.

Then she set me up on an arrangement for 3 payments but there was a $10.00 processing fee an automatic debit. In an attempt to avoid the fee I asked where I could mail a payment.

She informed me that I could not mail in a payment. I asked her what would happen if I had just mailed a payment to their address. She stated that it would be returned because they are not set up to receive payments in the mail.

Since I was at work and really couldn't dispute this issue with her I went ahead and set up payments for $85.00 on 10/31/05, $93.75 11/11/05 and $93.75 11/25/05. I gave Ms. Babin my checking account information and confirmed it with a second representative. The first payment was scheduled for Oct. 31,2005.

Needless to say the payment was never taken from my account. I received a letter dated November 4, 2005 showing that my balance was decreased by $85.00 and the next payment would be taken on 11/11/05. On 11/17/05 I receive a call from Ms. Babin.

She called my house at 4:20pm and my cell phone at 4:21pm. She left a message on both with a call back number and my reference number; and this was "not a solicitation or a sales call";she has a important matter in her office concerning me and will be making a decision on this matter if I wish to have a say and she suggest I pick up the phone and return her call.

When I called her back she informed me that my bank returned the payment because the account I gave them could not be found. I informed her that the account is very much active and I just used it today. I asked her to confirm the account number I gave her and she told me they no longer had it file.

Once the bank returned the payment they deleted the information. I told her they had to have a record of the information but she denied it. She then told me I needed to pay the debt in full plus a $25.00 NSF fee.

I disputed this fee because my account was valid and active. She told me I needed to contact my bank. Then she told me I had 2 days to Western Union the full amount to them.

I refused and she asked me if I had an attorney that I was working with on this issue. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she refused to let me. I then hung up and called my bank.

A representative from my bank said that no checks from this company had attempted to clear my account and nothing had been returned. She also couldn't understand why they had me call my bank and had no longer had a record of my account. I called them back, this time requesting to speak to someone other than Ms. Babin.

Some other woman, sounding like a young girl, answered the phone. She did not identify her name or the company name. I told that I was trying to clear this matter up. She also told me my bank refused the payment.

Then she said they sent me a letter and I was aware of this. The letter was sent out 11/17/05....hello, today! She also demanded payment in full plus the $25.00 NSF. I refused because the check wasn't NSF.

I even told her that I spoke to someone at my bank. After about 15 minutes of getting nowhere I asked to speak to a supervisor. She also refused to let me speak to one.

I asked repeatedly and she refused. She said she wasn't going to waste her supervisors time and they were going to tell me the exact same thing she did. I asked again and she said ," I don't know how you're going to speak to one because I won't let you."

Then she hung up on me. I called back again and another woman answered the phone. She asked for my reference number. I refused to give it to her.

I told her I had been hung up on by the previous rep and demanded to speak to a supervisor. She put me on hold and then came back asking for the number again. I told her I was holding for a supervisor.

She said she was a "senior floor rep". I asked if she was a supervisor and she repeated what she said before. I told her I wanted to speak to a supervisor and she informed me they were in a meeting and asked for my reference number again.

I gave her the number and asked if she could take my name and number and have a supervisor call me back. She told me that they wouldn't call me back and asked what it was in reference to.

I told her the situation and she stood by what the previous two women said. I told her I wasn't paying the fee and she said ,"Find don't pay it and this situation won't be resolved."

I told her I'm not refusing to pay for my debt, which I did incur, just the NSF fee on something that wasn't NSF. She proceeded to get loud with me and told she needed to put it on pause and check her tone. She told me not to disrespect her because I didn't have my sh** together....yes she did curse at me.

I then raised my voice and told her to hold fast. I just kept repeating, "Let me speak to a supervisor." She continued to yell...what, I'm really not sure. Then she too hung up on me.

I started to call back but didn't. I decided to go to the website and report this abuse. No such luck. The website was only set up for payments and a proposal for a payment arrangement.

Instead I have posted my experience here. I also wrote a letter detailing the events and sent a copy to the Better Business Bureau, each address listed for CRSI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Texas State Attorney General's Office and the Houston Newspaper.

I hope they get shut down and put out of jobs. I am not some dumb a** that has no clue of my rights. I a human who fell on hard times and works hard every day to recover. It's not like I was refusing to pay. I was trying to give them money.

I refuse to be treated unfairly and disrepected by some collection company that thinks scare tactics and nasty phone calls will get them a payment. I refuse to take anymore phone calls from this company. I will continue to hang up on them just as they did to me.

Tiffany

Charlottesville, Virginia
U.S.A.