ComplaintsforKansas Counselors, Inc. (KCI)

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Initial Complaint
04/07/2024
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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. Equifax
Business 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
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
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 me
Business 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
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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.
Initial Complaint
08/30/2023
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Please look into this Kansas Counselors and I do not have a contract, I am not Liable for this debt, I do not have an agreement with this creditor, I do not have a contract with the collection agency. They did not provide me with the contract as requested for a date I have not knowledge of 10-04-2021 the amount they have listed is 7891. . Desired resolution I demand this be removed and they stop trying to contact me.
Business response
08/30/2023
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 concern.

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 medical services rendered on your behalf to ****** ******* on 11/07/20.

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 10/04/21. 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 four (4) 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 11/08/22. 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.

However, your request for no further contact has been duly noted and KCI will comply with your request in compliance with the FDCPA.

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
08/29/2023
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I am not reliable for this debt with ******, I do not have a contract with Kansas Counselors Inc. they did not provide me with the original contract as I requested.
Business response
08/30/2023
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 concern.

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 **** ********* *****, Lenexa, KS 66227.

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 12/27/23. 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 this debt, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.

In fact, despite numerous attempts, KCI has been unable to communicate with you by telephone and you have not returned any of our messages.
My records also indicate that we’ve never received any dispute from you regarding this account submitted directly through the credit reporting agencies (CRAs).

Nonetheless, as a courtesy to you, KCI requested and has attached a copy of the final bill for your debt. This document is directly from the original creditor and serves as validation of the utility services provided to you by Evergy for the address stated previously. 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 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
08/03/2023
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
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 I requested
Business response
08/04/2023
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 concern.

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 ***** ***** ****** ****** **** **** Grandview, MO ******

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 02/07/23. 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 this debt, nor requesting validation. Nor have we ever directly received any written FCRA dispute.

In fact, despite numerous attempts, KCI has been unable to communicate with you by telephone and you have not returned any of our messages.
My records do, however, indicate that we’ve received one (1) dispute 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 08/04/23. 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.

Nonetheless, as a courtesy to you, KCI requested and has attached a copy of the final bill for your debt. This document is directly from the original creditor and serves as validation of the utility services provided to you by ****** for the address stated previously. You may keep this for your records. The validation materials attached are deemed sufficient under the law.

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 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
07/17/2023
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I am not liable for this debt with EVERGY. I do not have a contract with KANSAS COUNSELORS INC., they did not provide me with the original contract as I requested.
Business response
07/20/2023
Dear Mr* **********

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 concern.

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 (Evergy) to recover charges due to them for utility services rendered to you at the property located 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 07/06/21. 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.

During our only conversation with you on 08/19/22 regarding this debt, you told the representative that you did not recall this account but asked for no further documentation. KCI marked the account as ‘disputed’ at that time, in compliance with federal law.
My records do, however, indicate that we’ve received two (2) disputes from you regarding multiple accounts 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 07/20/23. At that time, we again marked the account as disputed, and provided the results of our query to the CRAs via e-OSCAR.

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