Collection Notices May Have Texans Sending $ They Don't Owe
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NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - You may receive a very legitimate looking notice in the mail that could have you forking over money you may not owe. It's from Collect Pros.
Collect Pros tells us it's a third party collection agency.
The notice looks like your typical collection notice. But a manager from Collect Pros tells us he is "trying to put out a major fire" from people who say they do not owe money.
The company is receiving hundreds of complaints from all over the country from customers like Val Bonney. "It is irritating!" Bonney is a sales manager here at CBS 11. "I said, Gosh! Did I forget to pay something?"
The collection notice said she owed $34.94 to a coupon company called Elite Coupon Deals. Bonney said she'd never even heard of the company.
For two weeks, the I-Team tried to call the number on the collection notice to contact someone at Collect Pros. We repeatedly got a voice message asking us to fill out the complaint on the company's website.
The state financial institution in Nevada tells us the Carson City address for Collect Pros is likely a virtual office. The website has ties to the Republic of Cyprus. And the Better Business Bureau says some complaining customers are now being sent to a call center in the Philippines.
Jeannette Kopko at the Better Business Bureau in Dallas questions the confusion. "It does make you wonder where is this company and if you have a problem, how are you going to get in touch with them?"
A lawyer for Collect Pros tells us the Carson City office is managed by the company's manager remotely. He says there is a physical location there.
The I-Team has learned nearly 200 people have filed complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General's offices throughout the country.
A manager for Collect Pros tells the I-Team if you have questions regarding your notice, you should call 818-237-1468. He says you need to file a dispute in writing with the company or online.
See the full letter Collect Pros sent to the I-Team below:
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