Additional Complaint Information
Need to file a complaint?
BBB is here to help. We'll guide you through the process.
Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
09/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I went to the hospital in Oklahoma and they was supposed to bill my insurance now it's on my credit report and they told my insurance last week they are refusing to send them the bill so they can take care of it etna better health of Kansas has reached out to the hospital several times and they refuse to give them the bill so it can be paid I've had insurance since 2016 and have never been billed and my insurance tried to correct this but they are refusing
Business response
09/03/2024
Dear *** ********
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statement indicates that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) is refusing to submit your bill as a claim to your carrier. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
This matter was previously responded to in detail with Complaint ******** on July 15, 2024.
As stated before, although you’ve indicated having health insurance coverage which was effective at the time of your visit, you have never provided a copy of the card or any pertinent subscriber information for claim submission.
More importantly, KCI is not a medical biller and does not have the authority nor the responsibility to submit claims to an insurance carrier on your behalf.
Our office has received communication from your carrier (Aetna Better Health) and has provided them with the limited information we can at their request.
At this late date, (four years after your date of service) your efforts to resolve this matter must be resolved directly with your medical provider/creditor.
KCI has acted in accordance with the law.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.Business response
09/04/2024
*** ********
Although it is true that we have received communication from your carrier, their request was for information related solely to: original balance, account number and date of service for the charges in question. All of this information was provided during the 08/15/24 call.
Once more, KCI is a third-party debt collection agency and is not a medical biller. Nor would we have access to uniformed bills such as a UB-02 or HCFA-1500, which would be necessary to properly submit a claim for processing and payment. This can only be achieved by the original medical provider, hospital or physician. KCI is a "business associate" and not a Covered Entity as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and does not request nor obtain this type of information due to privacy concerns.
You have been instructed on numerous occasions to provide copies of any carrier cards with an applicable effective date for coverage listing you as the subscriber (Please see the previous response to your complaint, dated 07/15/24). Unfortunately, you have failed to do so.
As we informed you then, upon receipt of this documentation, we would be happy to forward the coverage information to Muscogee Creek Nation Medical Center with a courtesy request that they submit a claim on your behalf but cannot guarantee your carrier will successfully process nor pay any claims so late after the charges were incurred.
Customer response
09/09/2024
I can't provide copies of a card from a provider I'm no longer worth I changed insurance companies with the state of Kansas I had to call ******* to find out who I had coverage with in order to get this issue resolved as I stated the original biller will not let Etna better health of Kansas pay the bill more will this biller let them pay it this I don't owe them I simply want it taken off my credit report since they refuse to work with my insurance I encourage you all to contact **** ****** ****** of Kansas at +* ************ to comform what I'm saying is true and correctInitial Complaint
08/26/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
This is not me. I’ve spoken with the Kansas City revenue division and explained that I’ve been living in crestwood Kentucky for the last 23 years and this has nothing to do with me and they acknowledged that they have made a mistake. Now I received a collection letter from KCI. I need this to stop as this is harassment.Customer response
08/26/2024
Did you receive my attached PDF file?Business response
08/26/2024
Dear *** ******
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) is attempting to collect a debt that you don’t owe and is the result of a mistake by the original creditor (City of Kansas City, Missouri). I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
Although the original creditor was able to provide validation materials listing you as the responsible party when they referred the account for collection, our internal investigation initiated after receiving your dispute indicates that you have not lived in Missouri since the early 1990s.
Moreover, we discovered the social security number listed with the account does not, in fact, belong to you.
Based on this information, KCI was planning to voluntarily close and return the account in question to the original creditor, when we received an e-mail from the City advising that the account placement in collections was in error and requesting us to close the account on their behalf.
Additionally, the account in question is not considered “consumer debt” and as such, was not reported to the three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs).
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector.Initial Complaint
07/12/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am not liable for this debt with ******. I "Do Not" have a contract with "Kansas Counselors Inc.", they "Did Not" provide me with the original contract as requested.Customer response
07/19/2024
Please review attached item in reference to verification.Business response
07/25/2024
Dear Mr* **********:
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that you are not liable for the debt in question and that you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI). Additionally, you allege KCI did not provide you with the original contract you requested. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
First, you are correct in your statement that you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. KCI is a third-party debt collection agency that was contracted by your original creditor (******) to recover charges due to them for utility services rendered to you at the property located at **** ** ******* Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64128.
Next, as is required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and is strictly followed by KCI, an initial notice is sent to all legal guarantors on delinquent accounts placed with our agency. This notice contains our agency name, the name of the original creditor, your account number, the date of service, the exact amount owed, the full mini-Miranda, and the full statement of your rights to dispute and to request validation of the debt(s) in writing within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice.
KCI mailed you a dunning notice for the above-referenced account on 03/08/24. The letter sent to your address was not returned via the US Postal Service. You did not exercise your rights within the time frame prescribed by law.
Until receiving your complaint via the Better Business Bureau Complaint Portal, KCI has never received any written correspondence from you claiming to dispute the debt listed above, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.
In fact, despite numerous efforts to reach you by telephone, you have never contacted our office nor returned our messages.
My records do, however, indicate that we’ve received a single (1) dispute from you regarding the listed account above, submitted directly through the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). These Automated Consumer Dispute Verifications (ACDVs) are forwarded to our agency through the Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting (e-OSCAR) system. With each dispute, our agency performs a “reasonable investigation”, as is required by law.
After coordinating with our client, we found that all of your demographic information matched and the debt to be accurate, valid and still unpaid. These actions were completed, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most recently on 07/13/23. At that time, we marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.
Please understand, after completing our “reasonable investigation” in compliance with the FCRA and responding back to the CRAs via e-OSCAR, KCI is not under any obligation to send any additional materials to you. Also, please understand that in accordance with the FDCPA, KCI is not under any obligation to send validation materials to you at this late date.
Nonetheless, as a courtesy to you, I am attaching a copy of the bill for your debt. This document is directly from the original creditor and serves as validation of your utility charges. You may keep this for your records.
Unfortunately, we cannot, at this time, agree to your desired resolution on your account based on the fact that KCI has complied with federal law regarding notice requirements and our verification efforts indicate you are the responsible party in this case, and that you have failed to pay the delinquent balance.
In the event you should change your mind and decide to resolve this debt, please feel free to contact my office to speak with a helpful representative who will gladly assist you. As a policy KCI requests full deletions of paid collection items with the credit reporting agencies.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.Initial Complaint
06/05/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I received a letter in the mail from KCI in Lenexa, KS some time after September 5, 2023 requesting me to pay $513.77 to a client of theirs called ******. I have never even been a customer or had an account with either company and am not sure what to do or who to contact without them trying to get money from me that I simply do not owe.Business response
06/05/2024
Dear *** *********:
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”).
Your statement indicates that you allege the debt in question is not yours and that you have never had utility services at the address involved. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
Although the original creditor was able to provide validation materials listing you as the responsible party and was able to confirm the amount owed is accurate, KCI’s further investigations could not confirm your residence at the address involved. As such, it is our finding that the account was likely the result of identity theft.
The account in question was coded for deletion from the three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs) on 06/05/24. Please allow up to forty-five (45) days for the CRAs to update their records.
The accounts were also voluntarily closed and returned to the original creditor. Please note that the original creditor has been notified of our decision and the results of our inquiry.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector.Customer response
06/05/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
****** *********Initial Complaint
04/07/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I’m not liable for this debt with **** ******** *** ***. I do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors Inc. They did not provide me with the original contract as requested.Customer response
04/08/2024
The burden of proof falls in the collection agency, not the consumer, me. I find it concerning that Kansas Counselor Inc. is not complying with legal requests. I request Kansas counselor Inc. to provide proof that they sent debt validation as is my legal right. If Kansas Counselor Inc. cannot provide proof, I demand this account be removed from my credit report, as is my right per FCRA section 623. This is my last request before I file a formal complaint with the CFPB and the FTC.
Business response
04/08/2024
Dear *** ********
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) is attempting to collect debts that you are not liable for. You also allege you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
First, you are correct in your statement that you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. KCI is a third-party debt collection agency that was contracted by your original creditor ***** ******** ******* ******* to recover charges due to them for Intensive Care Unit and physician services rendered to you on 03/20/23.
In addition, KCI is a Data Furnisher as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Next, as is required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and is strictly followed by KCI, an initial notice is sent to all legal guarantors on delinquent accounts placed with our agency. This notice contains our agency name, the name of the original creditor, your account number, the date of service, the exact amount owed, the full mini-Miranda, and the full statement of your rights to dispute and to request validation of the debt(s) in writing within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice.
KCI mailed you dunning notices for each of the above-referenced accounts on 10/06/23. The letters sent to your address were not returned via the US Postal Service. You did not exercise your rights within the time frame prescribed by law.
Until receiving your complaint via the Better Business Bureau Complaint Portal, KCI has never received any written correspondence from you claiming to dispute the debts listed above, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.
In fact, despite numerous efforts to reach you by telephone, you have never contacted our office nor returned our messages.
My records also indicate that we’ve received one (1) dispute from you regarding one of these accounts submitted directly through the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). The single dispute was for Account# ******* These Automated Consumer Dispute Verifications (ACDVs) are forwarded to our agency through the Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting (e-OSCAR) system. With each dispute, our agency performs a “reasonable investigation”, as is required by law, and after coordinating with our client, found that the disputed information was accurate and the debt to be valid and still unpaid. These actions were completed, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most recently on 04/08/24. At that time, we marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.
Please understand, after completing our “reasonable investigation” in compliance with the FCRA and responding back to the CRAs via e-OSCAR, KCI is not under any obligation to send any additional materials to you. Also, please understand that in accordance with the FDCPA, KCI is not under any obligation to send validation materials to you at this late date.
Nonetheless, as a courtesy to you, I am mailing you a copy of the itemized bill(s) for your debt(s). This document is directly from the original creditor and serves as validation of the facility charges and services rendered to you by physician ********* ******* **** during your visit to **** ******** ******* ****** on 03/20/23. I do not wish to attach it here so as to safeguard your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA). You may keep these for your records.
You may also notice that your original balance has been discounted, due to your Self-Pay status, by $9,456.79.
Moreover, you also owe an additional $1,168.00 to ****** **** ********** ** ********** for emergency physician services rendered to you on 03/20/23 for critical care in the first 30-74 minutes of your emergency room visit. This particular provider, however, does not report to the national credit reporting agencies.
Unfortunately, we cannot, at this time, agree to your desired resolution on your account based on the fact that KCI has complied with federal law regarding notice requirements and our verification efforts indicate you are the responsible party in this case, and that you have failed to pay the delinquent balance.
In the event you should change your mind and decide to resolve this debt, please feel free to contact my office to speak with a helpful representative who will gladly assist you.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.Initial Complaint
01/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am Native American. I received services from a health care provider under a ******** ****** ******** for a non *** provider. ******* ****** ****** paid the *** amount to the provider. Under section 222 of the *****, there is no patient liability. Which means, the patient (me) is not liable for any charges above the *** paid amount. I have sent this information to both the health care provider and KCI. I sent this information certified May 2022. I have not heard from KCI since. I went to purchase a truck and did not qualify for the top rate due to KCI still listing me on the collections. I'm asking for $2,500 in lost interest and to be removed from the collections list immediately with an apology.Business response
01/03/2024
Dear *** *****
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
The account in question was previously requested for deletion from the three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs). Please allow up to forty-five (45) days for the CRAs to update their records.
These actions were undertaken as the result of an internal investigation by our agency and in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The accounts were voluntarily closed and returned to the original creditor.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector.Customer response
01/03/2024
********
I am rejecting this response because:
It should have been closed may 22 or before. I am asking for $2,500 in lost interest and a hand written apology with the deletion from the credit agencies.
Sincerely,
***** ****Initial Complaint
12/28/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am not liable with this debt with **** I do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors. They did not provide me with the original contract as requested.Business response
12/29/2023
Dear *** ******
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) is attempting to collect debts that you are not liable for. You also allege you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
First, you are correct in your statement that you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. KCI is a third-party debt collection agency that was contracted by your original creditor (MEP, LLC.) to recover charges due to them for emergency room physician services rendered to you by *** ***** ** ****** *n 10/25/22 at *** ****** ******** ** ****** *****
In addition, KCI is a Data Furnisher as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Next, as is required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and is strictly followed by KCI, an initial notice is sent to all legal guarantors on delinquent accounts placed with our agency. This notice contains our agency name, the name of the original creditor, your account number, the date of service, the exact amount owed, the full mini-Miranda, and the full statement of your rights to dispute and to request validation of the debt(s) in writing within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice.
KCI mailed you a dunning notice for the above-referenced account on 03/10/23. The letter sent to your address was not returned via the US Postal Service. You did not exercise your rights within the time frame prescribed by law.
Until receiving your complaint via the Better Business Bureau Complaint Portal, KCI has never received any written correspondence from you claiming to dispute the debt listed above, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.
In fact, despite numerous efforts to reach you by telephone, you have never contacted our office nor returned our messages.
My records also indicate that we’ve received three (3) disputes from you regarding this account submitted directly through the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). These Automated Consumer Dispute Verifications (ACDVs) are forwarded to our agency through the Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting (e-OSCAR) system. With each dispute, our agency performs a “reasonable investigation”, as is required by law, and after coordinating with our client, found that the disputed information was accurate and the debt to be valid and still unpaid. These actions were completed, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most recently on 12/29/23. At that time, we again marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.
Please understand, after completing our “reasonable investigation” in compliance with the FCRA and responding back to the CRAs via e-OSCAR, KCI is not under any obligation to send any additional materials to you.
Unfortunately, we cannot, at this time, agree to your desired resolution on your account based on the fact that KCI has complied with federal law regarding notice requirements and our verification efforts indicate you are the responsible party in this case, and that you have failed to pay the delinquent balance.
As for your request for no further communication from our office, KCI will comply with this request in accordance with the FDCPA.
In the event you should change your mind and decide to resolve this debt, please feel free to contact my office to speak with a helpful representative who will gladly assist you.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.Customer response
12/29/2023
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because: until this showed up on my credit report, I had no knowledge of this. You say you mailed a notice in March. I moved in March, so I was not even aware there was anything to dispute. I have not conducted business with you. Please provide the original application with my signature on it, showing this is my debt. This is concerning to me, as I have been a part of data breaches, including one with ********
Sincerely,
******* *****Business response
01/02/2024
Dear *** ******
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
As stated previously, KCI mailed you a dunning notice for the above-referenced account on 03/10/23. The letter sent to your address was not returned via the US Postal Service. You did not exercise your rights within the time frame prescribed by law. This satisfies the requirements for notification under Regulation F.
Additionally, after completing our “reasonable investigation” in compliance with the FCRA and responding back to the CRAs via e-OSCAR, KCI is not under any obligation to send any additional materials to you. Also, please understand that in accordance with the FDCPA, KCI is not under any obligation to send validation materials to you at this late date.
Nonetheless, as a courtesy to you, at your request, I am mailing you a copy of the itemized bill for your debt listed here. This document is directly from the original creditor and serves as validation of the services rendered to you by MEP, LLC., from your emergency room visit to *** ****** ******** ** ****** **** on 10/25/22. I do not wish to attach it here so as to safeguard your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA). You may keep this for your records.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.Initial Complaint
12/06/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I was notified that this company add a collection to my credit report. After speaking with the original creditor it; the account was updated to reflect that I owe nothing. After submitting a dispute, this company decided to keep it on my profile. I OWE NOTHING and I’m requesting that the collection be removed. My next course of action is contacting the FBI about fraudulent activity. EquifaxBusiness response
12/06/2023
Dear *** *****
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) responded to your dispute to the credit reporting agency (Equifax) via e-OSCAR that our account information was accurate when this was not the case. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
First, your dispute was submitted to Equifax on 11/30/23 and forwarded to KCI via e-OSCAR on that day.
These Automated Consumer Dispute Verifications (ACDVs) are forwarded to our agency through the Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting (e-OSCAR) system. With each dispute, our agency performs a “reasonable investigation”, as is required by law, and after coordinating with our client, found that the disputed information was accurate and the debt to be valid and still unpaid. These actions were completed, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most recently on 12/01/23. At that time, we again marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.
Just yesterday, on December 5, 2023, an Evergy representative contacted our office to advise that they wished the account in question to be canceled and returned to them. As such, the account has been closed in our database and a request has been sent to the credit reporting agencies to delete the negative item from your trade line.
Contrary to your allegation, our initial dispute response via e-OSCAR and the information we utilized for the original provider to do so were accurate and correct on the date and time they were presented.
As such, KCI can agree to your desired resolution on your account based on the fact that KCI has closed the account in accordance with the original creditor’s wishes and requested deletion of the trade line item with the credit reporting agencies (CRAs).
Please allow up to forty-five (45) days for the CRAs to update their records.I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector.Customer response
12/06/2023
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:The statement provided is a falsehood. KCI removed the account from Experian, but decided to keep it on Equifax. Per Evergy you were originally notified 12/1.
I’m requesting a document stating that Evergy notified you 12/5
Sincerely,
***** ****Business response
12/06/2023
The information I have provided is true and accurate and I am not required by law or statute to provide you copies of internal correspondence with clients.
KCI has acted appropriately and in compliance with the federal law and your desired outcome was in effect prior to your complaint.
Initial Complaint
11/10/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Kansas counselor have reported 205 collection on my credit report since 2019, not once have they contacted me regarding these issues nor have shown any proof of collection but every year numbers get bigger just in 2023 72 collection added I would like to no how they have came to these conclusion and keep adding derogatory comment but not once contacted meBusiness response
11/13/2023
*** ********
The content of your complaint is not entirely clear to me, and I would like to request some additional information to assist me in investigating your issue.
Are you alleging that KCI has reported 205 accounts to the credit reporting agencies (CRAs) and an additional 72 accounts in 2023? Or are you alleging that the amounts were $205 and $72, respectively?
My concern is that KCI has not reported any figure close to the volume of 277 accounts under your name, and I am likewise unable to locate any reported accounts with these balances.
Any additional information you can provide to assist me would be greatly appreciated.
Business response
01/24/2024
*** ********
My requests for clarification remain the same as they did when I responded in an effort to assist you more than two months ago.
Although your debts, in all cases, are years past the federal validation period allotted by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) I would be willing to request and obtain current verification documents form the original creditors if you would kindly and specifically address which account(s) you are referring to.
I would even be willing to treat your complaint as a written Fair Credit Reporting Act dispute and investigate it further, but you have not provided the required elements to assist me to do so.
Pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the following dispute requirements are lacking in your letter. The following is a verbatim excerpt of the pertinent section of the FCRA.
(D) Submitting a notice of dispute.
A consumer who seeks to dispute the accuracy of information shall provide a dispute notice directly to such person at the address specified by the person for such notices that –
identifies the specific information that is being disputed;
explains the basis for the dispute; and
includes all supporting documentation required by the furnisher to substantiate the basis of the dispute.
Should you decide to send us all of the information listed above, KCI will be happy to review the materials for you and perform a reasonable investigation.Customer response
01/24/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
********* *******Initial Complaint
09/07/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
IM NOT LIABLE FOR THIS DEBT WITH ST ****** ******* ******. i DO NOT HAVE A CONTRACT WITH KANSAS COUNSELORS INC. THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT AS REQUESTED. I DEMAND THIS BE REMOVED FROM MY CREDIT REPORT.Business response
09/08/2023
Dear *** ********
This letter is in response to your correspondence submitted to the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”).
Your statements indicate you allege that Kansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI) is attempting to collect debts that you are not liable for. You also allege you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. I want to take a moment to address your concerns.
First, you are correct in your statement that you do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors, Inc. KCI is a third-party debt collection agency that was contracted by your original creditor (St. Joseph Medical Center) to recover charges due to them for medical services rendered to you on 03/03/17.
In addition, KCI is a Data Furnisher as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Next, as is required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and is strictly followed by KCI, an initial notice is sent to all legal guarantors on delinquent accounts placed with our agency. This notice contains our agency name, the name of the original creditor, your account number, the date of service, the exact amount owed, the full mini-Miranda, and the full statement of your rights to dispute and to request validation of the debt(s) in writing within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice.
KCI mailed you a dunning notice for the above-referenced account on 12/31/18. The letter sent to your address was not returned via the US Postal Service. You did not exercise your rights within the time frame prescribed by law.
Until receiving your complaint via the Better Business Bureau Complaint Portal, KCI has never received any written correspondence from you claiming to dispute this debt, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.
In fact, despite numerous efforts to reach you by telephone, you have never contacted our office nor returned our messages.
My records also indicate that we’ve received eight (8) disputes from you regarding this account submitted directly through the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). These Automated Consumer Dispute Verifications (ACDVs) are forwarded to our agency through the Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting (e-OSCAR) system. With each dispute, our agency performs a “reasonable investigation”, as is required by law, and after coordinating with our client, found that the disputed information was accurate and the debt to be valid and still unpaid. These actions were completed, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most recently on 07/16/23. At that time, we again marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.
Please understand, after completing our “reasonable investigation” in compliance with the FCRA and responding back to the CRAs via e-OSCAR, KCI is not under any obligation to send any additional materials to you.
Unfortunately, we cannot, at this time, agree to the first part of your desired resolution on your account based on the fact that KCI has complied with federal law regarding notice requirements and our verification efforts indicate you are the responsible party in this case, and that you have failed to pay the delinquent balance. In the event you should decide to resolve this debt, please feel free to contact my office to speak with a helpful representative who will gladly assist you.
I wish to personally thank you for your correspondence and appreciate the opportunity to alleviate your concerns. KCI has now responded and considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
***** ***** *****
Director of Compliance
This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩
BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation.
Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating
Contact Information
Want a quote from this business?
Get a QuoteCustomer Complaints Summary
52 total complaints in the last 3 years.
16 complaints closed in the last 12 months.