Complaint Review: West Asset Management - Sherman Texas

If you get a collector who is rude on the phone with you just hang up and call back. Most of the people that work at West are nice, laid back, and easy going. However I do concur with some of your claims that some collectors are rude. While few and far between just hang up and try and get a nice rep...

Wrong your company is not following FTC rules. Your company gives out info about debt collection to 3rd parties (it happened to a co-worker of mine) and they are not allowed to call repeatedly (that is called harassement) the company is not allowed to keep the debt on a credit report for more then 7 years and collection agents should not be calling people and verbally abusing them over their debts. My co-worker was yelled at over her daughter's bill and the person on the phone from West Asset Management was not willing to work out a settlement or be nice or work out a payment plan. Guess quality control should be working a bit harder there.... Many FTC complaints have been filed against West Asset Management, look them up.

Wrong your company is not following FTC rules. Your company gives out info about debt collection to 3rd parties (it happened to a co-worker of mine) and they are not allowed to call repeatedly (that is called harassement) the company is not allowed to keep the debt on a credit report for more then 7 years and collection agents should not be calling people and verbally abusing them over their debts. My co-worker was yelled at over her daughter's bill and the person on the phone from West Asset Management was not willing to work out a settlement or be nice or work out a payment plan. Guess quality control should be working a bit harder there.... Many FTC complaints have been filed against West Asset Management, look them up.

These stupid bastards are just dumb! I am the legal guardian of my sons heath care. he had his heart rebuilt in June 06 and we had insurance, it maxed it out and then we paid all the rest of the medicals bill but this one. We first was paying the hospital 50.00 dollars a month then they just got pissed because we couldn't pay them the rest of the 1,000 dollars we owed them at once. So they turned it over to these people who happen to be 45 minutes North of me. Well we had a agreement to pay 500.00 dollars to settle the debt. then they told me I would have to pay the hospital so I'm like okay. I call the hospital to pay them the 500.00 dollars but they wont take it even thoe they hired these stupid people they said they could not take the money I had to pay the collection people. So I called back and told them what the hospital people said and they told me they can take the money because they don't own the debt right out and that the hospital does. So I said well looks like nobody gets any money. I got a letter in the mail today saying the would settle for 500.00 dollars so I called and same thing again so i told the lady nobody's getting no money today. as for as your credit report goes it can only be on there 7 years and then you ask them to take it off they can not legally change the date and keep it on there and it should have a date on there beside the statement saying when it will come off your credit report. Anyways sounds like there past the SOL for anything legal so tell them to kiss you a*s. And by the way this medical bill didn't even effect my interest rate our me getting a new built from the ground up home of my own. I even told the lady that this was on my credit and she said they don't look at medicals bills as a bad debt only personal statements thats coming from Wells Fargo. They said they only look at charge offs are repos stuff like that as bad debt. Good luck tell them to you know what to say, these people are just dumb a*s retards that cant even collect a debt.

I am a current employ with west asset I will tell u this! We are a legit, legal, by the book company i have seen more people walked out the door for not obeying by hippa than anything else! Futher more my company helps the debtor we offer more settlements and payment options a day than 90% of the companies out there. even if a bill was (i.e.) 122311$ if you pay 25$ a month we will accept that and report it so u saying your wife is crying over this or you cant see how this is or u have insurence that pays we hear it ALL DAY EVERY DAY from people who are just like you and the fact is you owe the bill you need to pay and if you want someone nice and professional you will come to us! and the whole part about state laws and HIPPA rights well i'm afraid we go through a vigerus testing and training on both and if we break these we will be terminated and proscuted so don't come on here rambleing bout how they did u wrong if its true send it in writting cause thats the only way it will matter!

Dear Employee of WAM: You are incorrect about your ability to reset the 7 year reporting cycle on a medical bill. A medical bill is treated as a contract just as any other consumer debt. If the debt is re-aged then the collection agency is in violation not only of Federal law, but also of state law. You may want to check the law before making such misleading statements. Such statements could easily be forwarded to the Texas AG. In regards to HIPAA... the employee is correct that the printout is supposed to come from the original creditor (in this case, the hospital). WAM is one of the few companies that actually obeys the law on that particular matter.

Sorry i didn't read the other comments on this report before my other posting. How WAM conforms to HIPPA: WAM does not see the itemized bill showing everything thats done, its fwd. from the hosp, to us, to you. The collection agency doses not have info that violates HIPPA. The law about debt staying on your credit report for 7 years, thats 7 years from last activity, activity is WAM looking on your credit report, another agency reporting instead of WAM. If you ask for "validation of debt" you need to do that in writing per HIPPA. If you only had your social# on your validation of debt and your brother used your social# when he went to the Dr. or hospital it will show on your credit report, no fault of the hospitals or WAM's if your brother used fraudulent info. or it could be that you took him to the hospital, if you sign the papers when you take ANYONE to the hospital even a 80 year old bum you seen dieing on the sidewalk, that paper is saying "I'm responsible". A good idea or suggestion, they easiest way to make this "go away" don't have to write a letter, or hire an attorney, pay-your-bill. i see $8,000 is alot of money, but thats it, that simple, don't try to get out of it, you've been to the hospital, pay them back. good day.

It is the CONSUMERS responsibility to follow up, talk to your insurance co. about any pending claims you have with a Dr. or hospital. Just like when you get into a car accident you have to stay on top of the insurance people to get them to take action. Also because it seems like your blaming your insurance co for not paying, they have to follow "timely filing" if they don't get the claim with in 6 months or a year, your stuck with it. As far as the credit reporting that West asset mngt. said will be on your credit report for 7 more years, medical bills are VERY different then regular, credit (car, credit card, loans) thats on your credit report. *the account is not owned by west asset mngt.(WAM) It can stay on your credit report for well over 7 years, legally. To address the next issue you seem to have, you have to try to look at this from my p.o.v, you were sent a bill, AT LEAST 1 by Redmond, they will try calling you them selves before they pay an outside agency like WAM to get your money, there was another collection agency before WAM that had it, at least one other maybe more. Out of all attempts to contact you about the bill you only want to pay it, or you only see it when your trying to get a home? Come on. Since 2001 you and your wife haven't looked at your credit reports? All things that make it hard to believe you haven't known about the bill until you want a home. Stuff happens, your insurance co didn't pay, thats what you should read into more, not the collection agency being aggressive in there field of work. This comment maybe harsh but it's all facts.

It is the CONSUMERS responsibility to follow up, talk to your insurance co. about any pending claims you have with a Dr. or hospital. Just like when you get into a car accident you have to stay on top of the insurance people to get them to take action. Also because it seems like your blaming your insurance co for not paying, they have to follow "timely filing" if they don't get the claim with in 6 months or a year, your stuck with it. As far as the credit reporting that West asset mngt. said will be on your credit report for 7 more years, medical bills are VERY different then regular, credit (car, credit card, loans) thats on your credit report. *the account is not owned by west asset mngt.(WAM) It can stay on your credit report for well over 7 years, legally. To address the next issue you seem to have, you have to try to look at this from my p.o.v, you were sent a bill, AT LEAST 1 by Redmond, they will try calling you them selves before they pay an outside agency like WAM to get your money, there was another collection agency before WAM that had it, at least one other maybe more. Out of all attempts to contact you about the bill you only want to pay it, or you only see it when your trying to get a home? Come on. Since 2001 you and your wife haven't looked at your credit reports? All things that make it hard to believe you haven't known about the bill until you want a home. Stuff happens, your insurance co didn't pay, thats what you should read into more, not the collection agency being aggressive in there field of work. This comment maybe harsh but it's all facts.

It is the CONSUMERS responsibility to follow up, talk to your insurance co. about any pending claims you have with a Dr. or hospital. Just like when you get into a car accident you have to stay on top of the insurance people to get them to take action. Also because it seems like your blaming your insurance co for not paying, they have to follow "timely filing" if they don't get the claim with in 6 months or a year, your stuck with it. As far as the credit reporting that West asset mngt. said will be on your credit report for 7 more years, medical bills are VERY different then regular, credit (car, credit card, loans) thats on your credit report. *the account is not owned by west asset mngt.(WAM) It can stay on your credit report for well over 7 years, legally. To address the next issue you seem to have, you have to try to look at this from my p.o.v, you were sent a bill, AT LEAST 1 by Redmond, they will try calling you them selves before they pay an outside agency like WAM to get your money, there was another collection agency before WAM that had it, at least one other maybe more. Out of all attempts to contact you about the bill you only want to pay it, or you only see it when your trying to get a home? Come on. Since 2001 you and your wife haven't looked at your credit reports? All things that make it hard to believe you haven't known about the bill until you want a home. Stuff happens, your insurance co didn't pay, thats what you should read into more, not the collection agency being aggressive in there field of work. This comment maybe harsh but it's all facts.

It is the CONSUMERS responsibility to follow up, talk to your insurance co. about any pending claims you have with a Dr. or hospital. Just like when you get into a car accident you have to stay on top of the insurance people to get them to take action. Also because it seems like your blaming your insurance co for not paying, they have to follow "timely filing" if they don't get the claim with in 6 months or a year, your stuck with it. As far as the credit reporting that West asset mngt. said will be on your credit report for 7 more years, medical bills are VERY different then regular, credit (car, credit card, loans) thats on your credit report. *the account is not owned by west asset mngt.(WAM) It can stay on your credit report for well over 7 years, legally. To address the next issue you seem to have, you have to try to look at this from my p.o.v, you were sent a bill, AT LEAST 1 by Redmond, they will try calling you them selves before they pay an outside agency like WAM to get your money, there was another collection agency before WAM that had it, at least one other maybe more. Out of all attempts to contact you about the bill you only want to pay it, or you only see it when your trying to get a home? Come on. Since 2001 you and your wife haven't looked at your credit reports? All things that make it hard to believe you haven't known about the bill until you want a home. Stuff happens, your insurance co didn't pay, thats what you should read into more, not the collection agency being aggressive in there field of work. This comment maybe harsh but it's all facts.

Dear Brent, Don't worry about these bad debt re-agers. Just use my form letter and change the pertinent information in the letter to specify yourself, their company, and the purported debt (fill in where the ????'s are). Make sure you sign it and send it registered/ return receipt requested to an address where someone will sign for it. Many times PO box managers will not. Make sure you keep a copy for your records of the letter and the receipt and send copies to the agencies at the bottom of the letter. You will be surprised how powerful exercising your full rights feels. God Bless! David G ________ June ??, 2007 Brent ???? Street address, City, state, Zip code West Asset Management, Inc. 220 A North Sunset Sherman, TX 75091-2547 Re: ???????? Acct. # ??????? Dear Sir(s) and or Mme(s), This letter is being sent to you in response to a notice received by me on February, ??, 2007. Be advised that this is not a refusal to pay, but a notice sent pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b) that your claim is disputed and validation is required. This is NOT a request for verification or proof of my mailing address, but a demand for VALIDATION made pursuant to the above named Title and Section. I respectfully request that your offices provide me with legally binding evidence proving that I have incurred liability and that the purported debt is legally collectible under statute by your company. To this end I require proof that your company is licensed to collect in the state of Arizona and that the statute of limitations has not expired on this purported debt. Furthermore, I will require records pertaining to the debt's origin and date of inception. Upon receipt of the requested documentation I will require at least 30 days to investigate this information and during such time all collection activity must cease and desist. During this validation period any detrimental action taken against my person, including but not limited to harassment or the listing of inaccurate information to a credit reporting repository without legally binding evidence, will be in direct violation of 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b). If your offices fail to respond to this validation request within 30 days from the date of your receipt, all references to this account must be deleted and completely removed from my credit file and a copy of such deletion request shall be sent to me immediately. This letter is to serve notice that no telephone contact shall be made by your offices to my home or to my place of employment. Any attempt at telephone communication with me, including but not limited to computer generated calls and calls or correspondence sent to or with any third parties, shall be considered harassment. All future communications with me must be done in writing and sent to the address noted in this letter by United States Postal Service. It would be advisable that you make sure your records are in order before pursuing any further action in regards to ????????????? Acct. # ???????? Be advised that a communication of this sort may be construed as using the U.S. mail to extort monies and or property from this private citizen. Also note that any person or persons directly related to any further communications that are unauthorized or unsigned, as was the aforementioned attempt at collections, may incur liability of up to the amount of $250,000.00 in Federal court pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 872. This is an attempt to correct your records; any information obtained shall be used for that purpose. Thank you in advance for your time and for an expedited response in this matter. Best Regards, ________ Brent ?????????? cc. Alabama Attorney General's Office, Texas Attorney General's Office, U.S.P.S. Post Master General's Fraud Division, Federal Trade Commission, American Collectors Association.

Dear Brent, I now how you feel and my blessings are with you but i can offer you relief that should be very benificial to you.lets just say i have made a living on sueing collection agencies and credit bureaus,85% of the time they do not follow the fcra or ftc rules and west management is pron to making there own rules. 1. never talk to a collection agency 2. they have violated your rights as much as the doctor has and the only reason they are giving you all these choices is the sol is running out and they have made verbal threats to you another violation. 3. if you want to end this forever and you dont know enough about the law to handle it your self hire a atty. the atty. will take his 331/3 off the top of any settlement you receive explain to the atty, just what you have said here. 3. you want to start with sueing the dr. he broke a cardinal rule giving out patient information without your written consent you will also want to file a complaint with the american medical association due to the dr,s actions then schedule a appointment with a atty. one prefferably is a MD,JD thats a Dr. who is a atty. who strictly practices law from what I get from reading your story you have a large case against both agencies but to be honestthings wont change overnight but in the end you will prevail with several scenarios the hospital and dr. dropping everything to get you to not pursue charges and your answer will be no of course,but your atty. will be doing the talking for you,you will no longer talk write or communicate with all parties envolved and your atty. will explain this to you because you will sign power of atty. over to him. trust me they will be dropping all actions against you and will be dueing everything possible to settelment with you, just sit back relax and let the system work for you. my best reguards

Hey, still no solid evidence that I do actually "OWE" the debt. I have managed to reach the hospital who has agreed to send me the bills they show. I will compare them to what West Asset Management has sent. I forwarded a complaint through the website of what I believe to be the parent company in Marietta, GA. Does anyone know if that's the case? I will indeed write a letter to all parties interested on how I think my privacy (and my brothers privacy) has been blatently violated. In dealing with West Asset Management, it is apparent that professionalism and integrity are not priorities for employment there. You could get better language from a whino in the street, honestly. That worries me the most, that THAT calibur of people have access to so much information, my ssn, etc. Who all would you notify of these events, if you were me? I've filed a complaint with the FTC, I'm in touch with the Georgia Insurance Commission since it wasn't handled properly from that end either apparently, and have drafted letters to the three major reporting bureaus, I am working on drafting one to the hospital, and also an official letter of dispute to West Asset Management. Do you really think I should get an attorney? I don't want to be forced to pay hefty legal fees. I guess sometimes they will review a case first, right? I really just want the crap removed from my credit report...but I don't see them budging on that yet, so I may have to persue this legally. When you file a complaint on ripoffreport, does it send a copy to who you're complaining about? I'd love to see a response from West Asset Mnagement. Should I also file one against the hospital as well on here? Maybe the insurance company too? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

I agree that the hospital/doctor violated your privacy by handing ANYTHING over to a collection agency that has your medical information clearly written on it. Several years ago I found two collections on my credit report for very small amounts. I then got a call from a collection agency telling me I had to pay. I told the person I did not owe anything and she told me "I must have been careless and LOST my bill". She said she would send me another bill. I got a bill from the collection agency telling me to pay xx amount and where to send the check. I dug back through my records five years earlier and discovered that the amounts the hospital had turnred over to collections was actually the amount the insurance company had written off. I wrote violation letters to both hospitals and they not only took back the information from the collection agency, they were removed from my credit reports immediately. Please understand this was prior to Rip-off Report and if it ever happens again, I will do things differently. Good luck.

Is that they still haven't shown you any proof that THEY own the debt that they are trying to collect. My second thought was to CALL AN ATTORNEY and shown them what you've got. This is such a blatant violation of your privacy, I don't even know what to say. Go after the scumbags, and take EVERYTHING that you can get!!! Good Luck! PS Let your brother in on this as well, since his privacy was violated by giving you the information. Who knows, that debt may have just paid for itself many times over!

Courts are of mixed opinions on hippa and collection agency. If you got your brothers medical information, yes this in a major violations. against both the hospital and collection agency. google around, for hippa and collection, or anything like that, it should be helpful

OK, So I requested evidence of the debt from West Asset Management. There were three seperate collection accounts on my credit report. One of the reports they sent was actually for my brother, not me. However, their "proof" detailed every medicine they gave him during a hospital stay several years ago. This account doesn't belong to me. It clearly has his name on it, so I'm not sure why they mailed it to me. ???? The second "proof" they sent me was from the hospital visit I had some seven years ago and it also had a detailed list of every medicine and treatment administered to me during that stay at the hospital. Is that legal? Is this a violation of HIPPA? How can a collection company have so much knowledge of my medical treatment? It's scary and offensive! I was shocked that there was a line by line detail sold from the hospital to the collection company and that any moron that they employ there would have access to that information. Do you have any advice for me in this regard? I'm following the advice given to my original post in asking them to provide particular details such as their legal right to collect in my state, etc. This is such a nasty mess. In the meantime, it's costing us stress and thousands of dollars in interest rate. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this? Do I have any recourse?

A debt can only stay on your credit report for 7 years, from the charge off or date of last activity. collection agency are required by law ( section 623(a)(5)to report to the credit bureau's within 90 days of reporting a debt, the month and year of the commencement of the delinquency, so as not to leave a debt on you credit report longer then allowed by law. That's called re-ageing and this is illegal. if a collection agency is telling you to pay then sue, if bull. even if you pay this, it will still show on your credit report as a paid collections, they will not remove it. them telling you this will stay on another 7 years is a lie. if they attempt this you can sue them for damage to your credit report and score and actual damnages they casued. You have a right to dispute this debt, I'm not up on the HIPPA laws, when it involves a collection agency, but that's something to look into also. If this debt has been going on for 7 years, they CAN NOT, place this on your credit report.

A debt can only stay on your credit report for 7 years, from the charge off or date of last activity. collection agency are required by law ( section 623(a)(5)to report to the credit bureau's within 90 days of reporting a debt, the month and year of the commencement of the delinquency, so as not to leave a debt on you credit report longer then allowed by law. That's called re-ageing and this is illegal. if a collection agency is telling you to pay then sue, if bull. even if you pay this, it will still show on your credit report as a paid collections, they will not remove it. them telling you this will stay on another 7 years is a lie. if they attempt this you can sue them for damage to your credit report and score and actual damnages they casued. You have a right to dispute this debt, I'm not up on the HIPPA laws, when it involves a collection agency, but that's something to look into also. If this debt has been going on for 7 years, they CAN NOT, place this on your credit report.

A debt can only stay on your credit report for 7 years, from the charge off or date of last activity. collection agency are required by law ( section 623(a)(5)to report to the credit bureau's within 90 days of reporting a debt, the month and year of the commencement of the delinquency, so as not to leave a debt on you credit report longer then allowed by law. That's called re-ageing and this is illegal. if a collection agency is telling you to pay then sue, if bull. even if you pay this, it will still show on your credit report as a paid collections, they will not remove it. them telling you this will stay on another 7 years is a lie. if they attempt this you can sue them for damage to your credit report and score and actual damnages they casued. You have a right to dispute this debt, I'm not up on the HIPPA laws, when it involves a collection agency, but that's something to look into also. If this debt has been going on for 7 years, they CAN NOT, place this on your credit report.

Can you contact your doctor to perhaps get the insurance information from back then or perhaps they have the provider ID info. Are you on social security? Disability? you have specific rights.... If you feel you don't owe it dispute the claim ... GENERAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SITES ON DEALING WITH COLLECTION AGENCY'S Tell them to validate by . What the money you say I owe is for; Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; Identify the original creditor; Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent 1. NEVER talk to a collection agency on the phone. Period. 2. Keep good records. This can be the difference between a good and bad settlement. Don't expect them to remember you or what you agreed upon. 3. Send all correspondence via registered mail, receipt requested and put the registered mail number ON THE LETTER. DO NOT SIGN THE LETTER TYPE YOUR NAME 4. Keep a copy of every letter you send. 5. Penalties and extra interest are typically fictious amounts of money added on by the collection agency to pad their profits. Sometimes as much as to 50% of the debt or more claimed to be owed by a collection agency consisting of interest and fees. This is illegal, every state has usery laws (which dictate the maximum interests allowed to be charged. That is except North Dakota. There are no such laws which is why most credit card companies incorporate there.) Junk debt buyer pay anywhere from 1 cent to 7 cents on the dollar, there is no way there is this much interest. 6. Time is on your side. As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention or until the SOL runs out .. from privacyrights regarding medical collections 10. Debt Collectors and Medical Bills Collection of medical debt is a major consumer issue. A recent study by the Federal Reserve Board found that nearly half of all collection actions appearing on consumer credit reports are for collection of unpaid medical bills. www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/2003/0203lead.pdf May a doctor or hospital refer an overdue medical bill to a collection agency? Yes. HIPAA, the medical privacy rule that became effective in April 2003, allows a health care provider to disclose information to a collection agency. HIPAA also says an overdue bill can be reported to a credit reporting agency. Collection of an unpaid bill is considered a payment activity under HIPAA. Thus, it is not necessary that you give your consent before a medical bill is referred to a collection agency or before a negative entry is placed on your credit report. However, you may dispute a medical bill with the health care provider or a collection agency. If you do, the fact that you have lodged a dispute should also be revealed if a negative report is made to your credit report. Can my medical information be disclosed to a collector or a credit reporting agency? HIPAA says the healthcare provider or health plan may disclose only the following information about you to a collection agency or credit bureau. Name and address. Date of birth. Social Security number. Payment history. Account number. Name and address of the one claiming the debt. Of course, the name of the healthcare provider may contain clues to the medical condition of you or members of your family. Recent amendments to the federal FCRA enacted by Congress in 2003, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, change the way medical collections appear in credit reports. The names of healthcare providers must be masked if they would disclose the type of medical condition for which you sought care. For more about medical information and new FACTA rules, see PRC Fact Sheet 6(a), privacyrights.org/fs/fs6a-facta.htm#7 Do I have a right to dispute a medical collection? You can always dispute a medical bill with your healthcare provider or health plan. You can also dispute inaccurate information included in your credit report. For more on disputing inaccurate information in your credit report, see the FTC publication, How to Dispute Credit Report Errors, ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.htm However, we know of no national law that provides standards in disputing medical bills. The federal Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) only applies to open-ended credit accounts such as credit card accounts and revolving charge accounts like department store charge accounts. (15 USC 1601) For more on when the FCBA applies, see the FTC's publication Fair Credit Billing, ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcb.htm, as well as the text of the law, ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcb/fcb.pdf. There is a dispute procedure you can use if the debt is referred to an outside collection agency. When this happens, a medical bill, like any other debt, is subject to the FDCPA dispute procedures. For more on filing a dispute under the FDCPA, see Part 7. To learn more on disclosures to collection agencies and credit bureaus by HIPAA covered entities, see PRC Fact Sheet 8a, HIPAA Basics: Medical Privacy in the Electronic Age , www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8a-hipaa.htm#7. A debt collector called me after an identity thief got medical treatment under my name. What should I do? Medical identity theft is a largely unreported type of identity theft. This type of identity theft occurs when an imposter uses your identifying information to obtain medical treatment or medical supplies. If you become a victim of this crime, you may find yourself dealing with a medical debt collector as well as erroneous negative data included on your credit report. Medical identity theft may also involve false claims made to a victim's health insurance plan. A recent report published by the World Privacy Forum examines the unique character of medical identity theft as well as potential harms to victims. See the World Privacy Forum's report, FAQ for victims, and tips for consumers.