I visited a doctor 1 time in 2006 (2 ½ years ago) I have had health problems for many years and have seen many doctors. This visit was just another stab at finding someone who could help me. It was a very forgettable visit and he was not able to help me. I was used to paying a copay at the time of visit and my insurance paying the rest. I moved shortly after the visit. Someone moved into the old address. I did have my mail forwarded with the Post Office, but they only forwarded for 1 year. Either the provider did not send a letter during that year, or the new resident did not notify me that I had received mail (bills).
Not long ago, I started getting phone calls with no one on the other end. Finally someone called from that number a couple of times saying they were with I C something. I could not understand them. They told me I owed $384. Being suspicious that this was a scam call (which I have gotten before), I asked whom I owed. They said “Carolina Rim”. That made no sense to me. I had never heard of it. So, I asked what kind of bill is it? They said all they could tel e was that is was medical.They were being very abusive wanting my bank account number. I was definitely thinking this was someone after my identity or just wanting access to my bank account. I said, “OK, who was the doctor”. They said they didn’t know. I asked what their telephone number was. They said they didn’t know. I asked how I could be expected to pay a bill to a company I didn’t recognize for a doctor whose name they did not know? They could not even give me a phone number to verify I owed the bill. They just kept insisting I pay the bill. Feeling sure, someone was trying to take advantage of my illness, and trying to scam me I finally hung up. Someone kept calling from that number 5-7 times per day. When I would answer there would be no person on the other end. I finally stopped answering the calls. I was scared someone was out to damage or harm me .
I have been in the process of refinancing my house. This past week I was talking to Countrywide, and was told my credit had dropped from 736 to 672, almost 64 points since I had checked in April when I first started checking into refinancing. I checked my credit report and saw it was Carolina Rheumatology whom I owed $384, the same amount the people use by the persons who had called saying I owed Carolina Rim. I called the doctor’s office and they said I needed to call I.C. Systems. Realizing that must have been the company who had called me a couple of months ago, I called them. They were rude, pushy, and told me to pay the bill, pay the bill, and that every Saturday that I let the debt remain on my credit it would multiply. They refused to remove it from my credit, even with full payment. I said why didn’t you send a notice in writing as The Fair Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires. They said they did in March, and they were sure it was not returned by the post office. The post office said it was either returned to I C systems or delivered to the old address. Well, I still own that house and the mailbox is has received no mail, the house has been sitting empty, "For Sale" since last August when my tenant moved out.
In summary, if I owe the debt I will pay. Why would I not pay this bill, when I pay all my others. I had excellent credit before this was reported. I have a good income, and a lot of debt. However, I have an excellent payment record and nothing else which reflects that I am a risk for a loan. Also, I have had many bils with doctors, radiologists and hospitals I have seen for the past 15 years when I had a horrible injury, not one of them has ever had to report me for non-payment before. I had no idea I owed these people. The company calling had an unfamiliar name, (IC something), the company they said I owed was not being identified properly (It was supposed to be Carolina Rheumatology, not Carolina Rim.) When they finally sent me a notice in writing after I told them it was my right per the FDCPA. I then saw "Carolina Rheum." listed on the letter as the creditor. The caller was apparently looking at an abbreviated name (“Carolina Rheum.” – and pronouncing it “Carolina Rim”). Please understand that I live in SC and in my town alone there are over 300 companies that start with the word “Carolina” and none that end with ”Rim” There are thousands of companies that start with “Carolina” across the states of N.C. and S.C. I tried to do research by looking in the phone book to try to find out if there was such a company called Carolina Rim, so that I could call them and find out who they were and If I did owe them. On top of the mis-identification of the company I was supposed to owe, they could not tell me the doctor I was supposed to have seen .nor a phone number of the creditor so that I could verify the debt. There was absolutely no way to verify whether this was a bill I owed or people involved in a scam trying to take advantage of other people’s naivety? In this day and time I would have been a fool to give them my bank account number under these circumstances. Wrong name of company, can’t tell me the doctor, can’t give me a phone number to verify, etc!
I am confident you understand the disadvantage I was under. Again, I have never had any inclination not to pay this bill or any bill I legitimately owe and could verify! This has stopped my efforts to re-finance, and this credit score will kill any personal or business endeavors in my future. I worked very hard on my credit since leaving my husband 5 years ago, and have near perfect credit. For this to happen is totally unfair.
2. Written by a person with few debts, on 12-08-2008 12:40
First of all, this lady does not sound like a dead beat. Comments on #2, #3 and #4 are written by someone who is being rude, uncaring and judgemental. Just because a debt collection agency calls someone does not mean that the debt is legitimate. I receive calls from IC Systems and it is always for someone I do not even know. If I was wealthy, I might try putting them out of business.
3. Written by non-pissed consumer, on 08-08-2008 18:09
there are HIPAA privacy laws that prohibit collectors from having too much information about anything medical, which would be why you couldn't get much information about the bill...
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