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How to Resolve a Debt With Consumer Collection Management
Summary: Consumer Collection Management is a debt collection agency that may use questionable tactics to get you to pay up. Luckily, there are ways to resolve your debt with Consumer Collection Management, like responding to a debt lawsuit against them and then negotiating a debt settlement plan. SoloSettle makes the debt settlement process easier.
Dealing with a debt collection agency like Consumer Collection Management (CCM) can be an intimidating and stressful experience if you have fallen behind on your debts. To impress their clients, CCM sometimes resorts to aggressive and even unlawful tactics to ensure you pay the debt.
It is essential as a consumer to know your rights and understand how to protect yourself from illegal debt collection practices. This article will help you deal with CCM at any stage of the collection process.
As a start, stop CCM calls by sending SoloSuit’s Debt Validation Letter. The law requires them to stop all communications until they verify the debt. Next, let’s give you more information on Consumer Collection Management and various ways to beat them.
Sued by Consumer Collection Management? Settle your debt for good with SoloSettle.
What is Consumer Collection Management, and how does it work?
Consumer Collection Management, Inc is a legitimate Missouri debt collection agency founded in 1979. CCM specializes in collecting unpaid debts on behalf of creditors such as credit card companies, banks, and other financial institutions.
The agency works in two ways; they offer to collect the debt for the creditor then they are given a percentage of what was recovered. Or, they purchase delinquent accounts from creditors at a discounted rate and then attempt to recover as much of the debt as possible. You can reach CCM using the contact information below:
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1839, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
Physical address: 2333 Grissom Dr Ste 100, Saint Louis, MO 63146-3322
Telephone: (800) 325-6611
Website: www.consumercollection.com
Complaints against Consumer Collection Management
CCM is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and its BBB profile page has gathered many complaints from consumers who had a bad experience with the personnel or the services offered. The CFPB complaint database also contains hundreds of complaints against CCM. These complaints range from:
- Talking to rude and uncooperative agents
- Failure to respond to a Debt Validation Letter
- Being asked to pay for a debt they do not owe
- Reporting inaccurate debt figures to the credit bureaus
The following is an example of a real complaint from Consumer Collection Management’s BBB profile:
“Consumer Collection Management has bought a fraudulent debt from Timberline Apartments. They are a leasing agency to whom we have never been tenants and owe no money. CCM put a strike on our credit reports for money that is not owed. We applied for a viewing on the Timberlines website and have yet to receive a reply. Around two months later, we see this collection strike saying we owe them $150. We have already won a dispute with one of the credit bureaus. Legal action will be sought if CCM does not close this fraudulent account.”
As shown in the complaint above, Consumer Collection Management doesn’t always comply with the rights granted by federal and state laws that protect consumers. Knowing your rights can help you defend yourself and know how to properly respond when CCM contacts you about a debt.
Exercise your rights when Consumer Collection Management contacts you
Sometimes, consumers feel helpless when dealing with big companies like debt collection agencies. To avoid consumers being taken advantage of, the Fair Debt Collection Practises Act was enacted to protect the debtor’s rights. The guidelines state that CCM should not:
- Make repeated phone calls for the same debt
- Make false threats
- Report the wrong debt to credit reporting agencies
- Contact your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues about your debt
- Misrepresent the legal repercussions
If CCM violates these laws, submit a complaint to BBB, CFPB, Fair Trade Commission, and your attorney general's office.
Follow these steps to respond to Consumer Collection Management lawsuit
Consumers sometimes feel like it is the end of their financial world when they receive a lawsuit letter. But you can still resolve a debt with Consumer Collection Management even at this stage. Use the following three steps to respond to the lawsuit.
1. Answer each claim listed in the Complaint
Each lawsuit has a Complaint document outlining the plaintiff's allegations against the defendants. In your case, CCM will have listed several allegations against you. The law allows you to respond in three ways:
- Admit: This position means you agree with the claims CCM has made about the debt.
- Deny: With this response, you want CCM to prove that the allegations made are true.
- Deny for lack of knowledge: You are saying you cannot respond well for having insufficient information about the matter.
A debt counselor will advise you to deny most of the allegations and let CCM prove their case. They may dismiss the case or approach you for a settlement deal if they don't have enough evidence.
2. Assert your affirmative defenses
This section allows you to explain why you are not responsible for the debt or how CCM conducted itself during the debt collection process. It is your chance to show CCM that you understand your consumer rights. Some allegations you can use include:
- CCM hasn't verified the debt on request.
- CCM entered inaccurate figures on your credit report and lawsuit.
- You paid the debt in full, or it was canceled.
- You are a victim of identity theft.
- CCM haven't proved that your creditor passed the debt to them.
SoloSuit can help you draft your affirmative defenses using our Answer Document.
3. File the Answer in court, and send a copy to Consumer Collection Management
Filing your answer in time will ensure CCM does not receive a default judgment. Hence, confirm your state's deadline for filing. After you’ve completed the form, make three copies. Send one to the court where CCM filed the case, send the second copy to CCM’s lawyer, and keep the last one in your records.
To learn more about these three steps, watch the following video:
Settle your debt with Consumer Collection Management
After you’ve responded to your debt lawsuit against Consumer Collection Management, you’ve given yourself time to discuss debt settlement options with the agency.
Entering a settlement deal with CCM can help you avoid bank and wage garnishment if they win the debt collection case. If you have money saved or expect some cash soon, you can approach CCM for a settlement deal. Once they accept an offer, you must pay the debt more quickly than the earlier repayment plan.
In a debt settlement, you offer a portion of the total amount due, usually at least 60% of the debt’s value. In exchange for a lump-sum payment, CCM agrees to drop its legal claims against you and release you from the remaining balance.
If you decide to settle your obligation, you’ll want to ensure you get the terms of your agreement in writing and pay the creditor before your court date. If you’ve never tried debt settlement before, consider working with a professional organization that will guide you through the process.
To learn more about how to settle a debt with Consumer Collection Management, check out this video:
SoloSettle, powered by SoloSuit, is a tech-based approach to debt settlement. Our software helps you send and receive settlement offers until you reach an agreement with the collector. Once an agreement is reached, we’ll help you manage the settlement documentation and transfer your payment to the creditor or debt collector, helping you keep your financial information private and secure.
What is Solo?
Solo makes it easy to resolve debt with debt collectors.
You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt. SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.
SoloSettle can help you contact your debt collector or creditor and negotiate the debt to settle for less, all online. It simplifies and streamlines the process to settling your debt.
No matter where you find yourself in the debt collection process, Solo is here to help you resolve your debt.
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