Transworld Systems

I checked my TransUnion and Equifax reports via login to CreditKarma.com. An old debt to National Grid from 2018 was showing. It was $456.02. I had moved and didn't know I had been billed. The name, address and telephone number showing on Equifax for the debt collector is:

Transworld Systems I
2235 Mercury Way STE 275
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
[protected]

I called that number and I immediately got the message that the call was being recorded. I said I wanted to pay the National Grid overdue bill in full. They asked for all of my personal identifying information: name, address, telephone number, social security number, date of birth and debit card number. Each time I gave a piece of identifying information, they repeated it and asked me to say "OK". This OK was being recorded because at one point I thought the guy - who sounded foreign - said something incorrectly and he had me repeat the "OK". After getting my debit card number. he said the system was slow and he had to put me on hold. Each time I was put on hold, I heard a different recorded ad which said that I was now subscribed to a service I did not want.

The first subscription I did not want was for Privacy Lockdown for which my card was charged $1.95 for 14 days, and then a monthly subscription of $19.95.

After that first recorded ad, I was very annoyed and I told the man that I did NOT ask for that subscription. I only wanted to pay my old National Grid bill. He said "Everybody freaks out, but don't freak out. You are not subscribed!"

He put me on hold again, and I got another recorded ad that said I was now subscribed to 1 Per Place at $1.95 for 14 days and then $19.95 per month. He came back on the line and I said "I just want to pay my National Grid bill!" He told me to hold on that it was going to be paid.

Of course I was already suspicious, but the contact information was showing on my Equifax credit report on the CreditKarma.com website that I logged into. How could this be a scam? My gut said it was, but I hung in there. I wanted to pay off National Grid and I knew that I could have these subscription charges reversed.

I was placed on hold two more times. Body Shapers on Demand (who actually sent me a welcome email!) for $4.95 for 14 days, then $59.95 per month, and Savings Central for $1.95 for the 14 day trial, then $19.95 per month.

At the end he said it was all done, and I asked where is the confirmation that I paid the National Grid bill? He gave me the confirmation number [protected], and then said here's an ad-supported customer service number to call [protected].

I immediately searched for the TSI payment portal and from there found a direct number to them, [protected]. They had not received payment for my old National Grid bill! I paid the bill on July 13, 2021, and saw the charge on my card. The people at this TSI number told me that my National Grid bill was now paid and it would show as paid on my credit report.

At least I had proof that I paid. I thought this was enough and it would come off my report.

I cancelled all the subscriptions charged to my card, then the following day received a notification from Credit Karma that there had been an update to my credit report.

This TransWorld Systems I updated my credit report to show that the National Grid bill was a new debt in collections, opened as of July 14, 2021. This is patently false. National Grid shows this bill is paid and so does TSI, the official debt collector for National Grid.

This company has direct access to my credit report and is actively damaging my credit rating. I don't know if they are actually sales agents for TSI. What I know is that they are able to update my credit report at will and do damage to my rating.