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A period of financial distress is inevitable in our lives. From outstanding student loan debt to massive amounts of credit card debt, no one goes unscathed. Even the most financially equipped individuals can have financial distress.
What happens when you cannot pay your debt amount to your original creditor? Well, the debt traditionally will transfer over to a recovery agency.
Once the debt passes down, you could receive a letter which can hinder your credit report.
The result? Credit bureau agencies, such as Equifax, will lower your credit score. The act of credit bureau agencies can substantially affect future lending as interest rates will skyrocket. You do not want to fall into this victimhood.
Below I will break down Credit Collection Services (CCS). I will also break down specific steps to remove Credit Collections Services (CCS) from your credit report.
Who is Credit Collection Services (CSS)?
Credit Collection Service is a large debt collection agency that buys consumer debt from large corporations. They are in Massachusetts and are one of the biggest debt collection agencies in the continental United States.
CSS collects debt in all areas such as banking, healthcare, retail, finance, and telecommunications. The scary part about Credit Collection Service is that they may contact you under an alias.
If you look at your phone and see Credit Control Services or some other name along the lines of credit or debt, chances are it is CSS.
Now when you receive your credit report, they can appear on your statement as:
- CCS USA
- CCS Notice
- Credit Control Services
- CCSpayment
- CCS Collections
- CCS Offices
- Credit Collection SVCS
- CCSpay
- CCS
When Credit Collection Services (CCS) contacts you, it means you owe some debt.
There are specific questions you must ask yourself when you receive this letter. Ask yourself, “What purchases have I made, or what money have I borrowed recently from Credit Collection Services.”
Well, the answer is no because CCS purchases debt from the original creditor at a fraction of the money.
Now, let us discuss the legitimacy of Credit Collection Services (CCS).
Is Credit Collection Services A Real Company? Are They Legit?
In a nutshell, yes, Credit Collection Services is a real company, and their business practices are legit, according to the Better Business Bureau.
However, there have been many complaints from the Better Business Bureau about CCS. Complaints range from false claims to inaccurate collections.
Furthermore, their website highlights their responsibility to fundamental causes and movements. CCS supports breast cancer awareness, the green initiative, and veteran and military families to further bolster their legitimacy.
CCS has a legitimate address as well. Their address is 725 Canton Street, Norwood, MA.
Alright, enough beating around the bush. You are here for one reason and one reason only: to remove a collection account from your credit report. Find out right now how to remove Credit Collection Services (CCS) from your credit report.
How to Remove Credit Collection Services from Credit Report
Finally, you made it. It is the most exciting part! Now you received this letter from Credit Collections. However, it would be best if you made sure this information is accurate.
A debt validation letter may not relate to you at all. Just because CCS sent you a message does not mean they have a valid claim against you.
So, the biggest mystery of all is the removal of credit collection services from your credit report.
Below are four proven and straightforward ways to scratch them from your report.
1. Get Help from a Professional
The heartache of interacting with credit bureaus and creditors can be overwhelming. What if there were a more straightforward way to handle this? Fortunately, there is. Hire a credit repair company.
Thebest credit repair companies can take the load off your back. Many credit repair companies use different pricing structures and use different credit repair strategies.
A reliable credit repair company, like Credit Saint, can help you achieve a positive outcome from collection agencies. They can also help clean up and improve your credit score.
The best part about credit repair agencies is that they will plan a strategy for you going forward to build better credit.
>> More: Credit Saint Review
2. Debt Validation
When a credit collections agency calls you or sends out a letter, how do you know for sure the debt is yours? Again, some debt collection agencies will send random messages.
First, the credit collections will send a debt validation that will include the following according to the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA):
- Total Amount owed.
- Name of a creditor
- Debt is valid by the collector after 30-days of no dispute.
- A debt collector must provide information if you request it within 30-days.
Your next step is to send a debt validation letter back to the credit collections services to inform them about the letter you received from them. Collection agencies sometimes do not have the authorization to collect on your debt.
If they cannot validate the debt, then debt repayment is no longer your responsibility.
3. Negotiate A Pay-for-Delete
When referring to a pay-for-delete, this involves removing a negative item from your credit report in exchange for paying off the debt.
Negotiating a pay-for-delete depends on your situation. Here is how the process goes: a call is made to the debt collector to strike up a deal. This deal is as follows: you pay off the debt account. Then, after you pay off the bill, the collector will wipe the account from your credit report.
Credit agencies are obligated by law to report detailed information if they say to credit bureaus.
While a pay-for-delete may not work with the original creditor, a debt collection agency, a third-party, might be more reasonable to negotiate.
Negotiating a pay-for-delete requires you to send a letter to the agency. The letter will state that you will agree to pay only a portion of the debt in exchange for the deletion of debt on your credit report.
Before you make the payment, ensure both parties sign the contract that you negotiated. This protects you in case you need to bring it up to court or the CFPB.
4. Submit a Goodwill Deletion Letter
In a goodwill letter, you are asking the credit agency for forgiveness. In short, you are asking them in a legit and understanding way to remove a particular debt from your report.
If, for example, you have had no delinquencies in the past and you, as the consumer, catch up on a missed payment, then the agency might oblige. But again, it is entirely up to them whether they honor a goodwill deletion or not.
The success of this strategy is rare, but it is still an option. Your best bet is to hire a credit repair company and call it a day. They will do all the work for you and will remove CCS from your credit report.
Credit Collection Services Consumer Complaints
Over the years, there have been several complaints about Credit Collection Services. To date, they have over 300+ complaints filed through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 500+ more with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
One recent complaint is as follows: “I received a letter from CCS indicating I owe $219.20 from an insurance company…which I never heard of. I do not have that insurance. This is most definitely a scam and will be reported.”
Most complaints are due to the inaccuracies of information or scam calls, which is why you need to work with a credit repair professional and make sure all correspondence is done through certified mail.
Credit Collection Services Contact Information
Below is the contact information for Credit Collection Services (CCS):
- Mailing Address: 725 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
- Credit collection Services: 617-965-2000 ext: 4491
- CCS Commercial: 617-965-2000 ext: 4492
- Customer Contact Solutions: 617-965-2000 ext: 4493
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Remove CCS Collection Amounts?
Yes! But you must dispute the debt on your report. Whether you request debt validation, hire a credit repair agency, negotiate a pay-for-delete, or ask for a goodwill deletion, it requires work on your end.
Pick a strategy with the highest chance of success and give it a try. From our experience, working with a credit repair company yields phenomenal results and is a sure shot way to remove Credit Collection Services from your credit report.
Who Does Credit Collection Services Collect Debt For?
Credit Collection Services (CCS) collects debt for a wide range of industries. CCS will purchase debt from the original creditor at a fraction of the dollars that are owed, or they will be hired by a client to collect debt on their behalf.
Credit Collection Services collects debt for these industries:
- Financial Services
- Insurance
- Healthcare
- Cable & Telecom
- Energy & Utilities
- Government Agencies
- Tollways
- Sports & Entertainment Companies
- Non-Profits
- Retail
Remember, once they purchase this debt from the original creditor, they will attempt to collect some or all that debt. This is how CCS makes money.
How Does Credit Collection Services Work?
Simple: Credit Collection Services will buy debt from a creditor and will aggressively try to collect the debt. Or another company will hire CCS to collect customer debt on their behalf.
Since the end goal is to get you – the consumer – to pay them money, CCS often resorts to aggressive means and intimidating tactics. They will spam your phone, send you letters, and in severe cases, even threaten you to pay them money.
Will Credit Collection Services File a Lawsuit or Sue Me?
By law, a debt collector can sue you for not paying them money that they owe. But do take note, that bringing any individual to court is an expensive undertaking.
CCS will only bring you to court if you owe a large amount of money and are not showing any positive signs that you will pay them soon. To be on the safe side, hire a credit repair company.
They will protect your rights, will ensure accurate reporting, and will validate all claims made by the debt collector – in this case, Credit Collection Services.
Bottom Line: How to Remove Credit Collection Services (CCS) from Your Credit Report
In all, seeing Credit Collection Services on your credit report can be scary. However, worrying will not solve any problems. First is taking the necessary steps to figure out how and why.
Ask yourself, “is this debt accurate?” Get in touch with CCS directly by sending a letter about the accuracy of the debt information.
Conduct your little investigation by hiring a credit repair company and requesting more information.
Taking the necessary precautionary steps will ensure lasting and healthy long-term credit success. Once CCS is removed from your credit report, you can begin to improve your credit score.
