Credit Control LLC: How to deal with Collection Calls

Credit Control LLC is an established debt collection agency in the United States. They operate in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. They have been in business since 1987 and in 2006 expanded by purchasing an established debt collection agency. Credit Control LLC provides collection services across the United States. They act as agents for original creditors and debt buyers for more than 450 clients.

Just like dealing with any debt collector, be prepared. Verify that you owe the debt, that the company does not harass you, and that you have the right tools to settle your debt.

What is Credit Control LLC? Are they real or a scam?

Credit Control is not a scam. It is a real debt collection agency. They act as a full-service collection company for creditors and aggressively pursue collections for original lenders and debt buyers.  Credit Control collects various debts, including credit cards, auto deficiencies, student loans, and delinquent bills. They represent clients across various industries, including healthcare, financial services, healthcare, telecommunication, utilities, government, and higher education industries. They have over 2,200 employees and operate in all of the United States. 

In 2018 Credit Control or Credit Control LLC purchased a Regional Adjustment Bureau, Inc. (RAB), a major debt collection agency. They use other phone numbers to contact, including (314) 442-7400.

Do you owe Credit Control LLC money?

You may not be familiar with Credit Control until they contact you about a debt. They represent many original and third-party creditors.  Your credit may show the name of the original creditor or debt buyer. Because they do not own the debt, their name may not show up on the credit report except as an inquiry.

However, there are various reasons that you may not owe the original creditor or the current owner of the debt money. For example, the debt may not belong to you, the statute of limitations expired, or you already paid off the debt.

Step 1 - Validate your debt.

If Credit Contrl LLC contacts you to collect a debt - validate it. It is important to validate the debt immediately after the first contact. You have 30 days to validate the debt, so act quickly.  Although you can contact them through their website, the best method is to send a registered letter. Before you proceed with the collection agency, always validate the debt.

Credit Control LLC is required to validate the debt. If you don’t receive proper validation, then send a notice of insufficient validations. If the collection agency cannot validate the debt, it has no legal basis to collect it.

>>Learn more: Follow the steps described in the Bills.com debt validation article to preserve your rights under the FDCPA.

Step 2 - Check to see if the Statute of Limitations (SOL) is valid.

After a certain amount of time, state laws protect you against litigation. State laws set the time that a creditor can sue you and collect on the debt. The rules are complex, and special circumstances might lengthen the amount of time a collection agency can sue you. In the case that Credit Control is an agent for an original creditor, generally, once the SOL expires, it can still pursue a lawsuit. However, if the debt belongs to a third party, then once the SOL expires, it cannot pursue a lawsuit. 

Even if you think that the SOL expired, the creditor may have a different opinion on the expiration date and pursue a lawsuit against you. It is always wise to respond to a lawsuit. In the case of an expired SOL, you must answer any summons and claim an affirmative defense.

Even if they don't pursue a lawsuit, the debt collection agency has the right to contact and get you to pay or negotiate a settlement. 

>> Learn more: Learn more about states' laws regarding statute of limitations.

Stop Credit Control from debt collection harassment.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act strictly regulates debt collection agencies like Credit Control LLC. Even so, many consumers complain about overly aggressive and illegal collection tactics.

Here are some of the actions that they are forbidden to do:

• Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass
• Use Abusive or Threatening Language
• Contact a Consumer at Work
• Threaten Arrest
• Seek Unjustifiable Amounts
• Contact a relative, friend, or colleague who doesn’t own the debt
• Call at an unreasonable time such as before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM

If you believe Credit Control LLC violated your rights under the FDCPA, consult with a consumer rights attorney in your area. Discuss possibly filing a lawsuit against the collection agency; not only could a lawsuit result in the cancellation of your debt, but you could be awarded damages.

Learn how to negotiate your debt with Credit Control LLC

Credit Control is interested in closing accounts as soon as possible. Their website offers you two possibilities: call them or make a payment. If they represent the original creditor, they will look for a payment plan and hope to get you back on track. However, suppose you are suffering financial hardship. In that case, it might be possible to negotiate a large settlement, especially if done with a third-party debt buyer who purchases debts for pennies on the dollars. Credit control has a wide variety of services, including customer contact, pre-charge off loss prevention, third party recoveries, debt settlement, and a pre-legal program. While it is possible that they will sue, Credit Control LLC is interested in closing accounts as quickly as possible.

It is possible to do negotiations on your own. However, dealing with an aggressive debt collector, especially with aggressive lawyers, is stressful. It takes a significant amount of time and effort. It is helpful if you convince them that you are in a hardship. Here are three tips:

• Be calm, clear, and convincing.
• Be persistent.
• Send a debt negotiation letter.

A professional can reach a negotiated settlement with your debt collection agency quickly. If you are in financial hardship and have a large debt, consider using a professional debt negotiation company. Reputable debt settlement companies have large teams of negotiators, vast databases, and sophisticated tools. They know what range original creditors and collection agencies have accepted for payments in the past. 

Complaints and lawsuits about Credit Control LLC

Credit Control has complaints registered in the BBB and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) like most collection agencies.

While Credit Control LLC is not a scam, the BBB does have this warning on their website:

"BBB has received consumer complaints about Credit Control which allege contact from the company about debts not owed, difficulty obtaining validation of debt owed, and difficulty making contact with the company. The company has addressed concerns brought to its attention."

The CFPB has complaints about collecting a debt that the consumer didn’t owe, harassment and impersonating an attorney, law enforcement, or government official. The complaints themselves are not proof of illegal or improper activities, although an excellent source to learn about how consumers perceive the interactions and problems they have with the debt collection agencies.

Here is a couple of example of complaints from the CFPB website:

False statements or representation - Attempted to collect wrong amount "i have called credit control for 4 months to no satisfaction. they keep offering a settlement and demand a one time payment for this settlement which they understand is not possible. they then offer terms on the full amount which is not fair and discriminatory. they are in fact not wanting to settle and then start repeating, offensively there demands. they are not open to any discussion but their stipulated terms."

Took or threatened to take negative or legal action - Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged "On XX/XX/2021 I received a letter from Credit Control, LLC demanding the payment of {$1300.00} for a XXXX 's account that they have not shown legal proof that this account belongs me, legal proof of contract to collect on this account, or any computation records including, but not limited to the original contract. I called their office and sent a letter requesting these documents on the same date. This company has failed to respond with any information. I want their demands and communications to cease for illegitimately trying to collect on this account which is harassment."

Deal with a Credit Control LLC lawsuit

Although Credit Control has the right to pursue a lawsuit in some circumstances, they cannot make empty threats to sue you when making a collection call. Depending on the events, they, or the debt owner, might start a lawsuit which can possibly lead to a public judgment and liens on personal property, wage garnishments, or bank levies. 

If a lawsuit is filed against you, consult with a lawyer in your state with consumer law experience. You must file an answer to their summons and complaint or risk losing the lawsuit by default. Ignoring a summons will not make it go away, so take action to respond to the lawsuit.

Can you remove Credit Control from your credit report?

Credit Control may appear as an inquiry on your credit report.  Because they do not purchase debt, their name should not appear as the owner of any account identified on your credit report.

Most accurate negative tradelines remain on your credit report for seven years from the delinquency date. Bankruptcies stay for ten years, and judgments can stay for even longer if the creditor renews them.

You can remove inaccurate data from your credit report. It is possible to file a dispute with the Credit Reporting Agencies and remove the negative items from your credit report.

>> Learn more: Learn how to dispute a credit report.