Consumer Collection Management or CCM is a third-party collection agency based in Missouri. CCM has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken and attempting to collect debts not owed. If you have been contacted by CCM, be sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Consumer Collection Management, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1979, and the BBB established its profile page in 1983. The BBB has posted an Alert on their profile page warning consumers about their business practices. Buzzfile estimates Consumer Collection Management’s annual revenue at $4.7 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 35 people.
According to its website, CCM is a “full service collection management service…that strives to… assure the best service and complete resolution of your accounts.” CCM does not specify which industries it collects delinquent accounts for. However, they have posted a list of their “advantages,” including experienced collectors; specialized medical services; utility and multi-housing services; pre-legal department; skip tracing; predictive dialer; on-line memberships with TransUnion, Equifax and Experian for reporting delinquencies; and professional development workshops.
As a full-service collection agency, Consumer Collection Management’s collection division offers first-party collections and extended business office; third party collections and contingency-based collections; skip tracing specialists; an insurance department; work comp specialists; lien/liability specialists; payment monitoring; on-site staffing; special projects; and billing services.
CCM cites its affiliation with several professional organizations, including the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International); the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM); the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI); the Healthcare Compliance Association (HCA); the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA); the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA); and the National Apartment Association (NAA). However, CCM does not provide links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
As of November 2017, the BBB has given Consumer Collection Management a rating of D+. The BBB has closed 50 complaints against CCM in the past three years, with 21 closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections; however, a large number of complaints also allege problems with advertising and sales, and several additional complaints allege problems with customer service. Since September 2015, the CFPB has received 18 complaints about CCM. Justia lists at least 11 cases of civil litigation involving Consumer Collection Management.
Consumer Collection Management, Inc.
P.O. Box 1839
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
Telephone: (800) 325-6611
Website: http://www.consumercollection.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely CCM would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here are some Sample Complaints
The BBB has posted the following Alert on Consumer Collection Management’s profile page:
“PATTERN OF COMPLAINT
The BBB has received numerous complaints on this collection agency. Complainants primarily allege that company representatives made harassing phone calls using rude and vulgar language, provided poor customer service, attempted to collect debts that weren’t owed and improperly billed consumers.”
Consumer complaints posted to their profile page frequently cite problems with information reported to the credit reporting agencies. For example, in April 2017, a complainant indicated that he had discussed repayment of an $81.00 medical bill, promised to send in the payment, and “post-dated a check for the payment.” The complainant asked if CCM would report the item to the credit reporting agencies and was told the item would not be reported. The complainant was “happy that he could pay them… to save the horror of the item being reported to his credit.” However, a subsequent review of his credit report revealed that the item had been reported anyway. His call to CCM to inquire about the miscommunication “was met with a rude and hostile worker” who told him he could speak with a manager who “never came to the phone.” He was informed that he would receive a call back, but he said he had never received any follow-up communication.
In response, Consumer Collection Management indicated that their notes confirmed the complainant had “setup up payment for the balance in full to be processed… and that at that time, the account had not been sent to the… credit” reporting agencies. However, CCM also indicated that “a promise to pay will not keep an account from being reported to the credit” reporting agencies. CCM acknowledged the complainant’s call inquiring about the miscommunication, but insisted that his credit was never discussed. Furthermore, they indicated their policy is to “send an update file to the credit bureaus at the beginning of each month,” and that “once the account has been paid in full for more than 30 days…an update advising the account should be removed from the credit” will result in deletion the following month. Consumer Collection Management also indicated that a manager had placed a call to the complainant, although they did not indicate whether any kind of contact had been established.
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“The group at Lemberg Law was professional, courteous, and effective. Their grasp of consumer protection laws and guidelines are second to none, and they work extremely difficult to ensure this procedure is client-friendly.”
“After a few months of frustration with a debt collector, I eventually called Lemberg Law. It was among the best financial decisions I have ever made. Jody and her staff were comprehensive, useful, and above all else powerful. I highly recommend their services and thank them for their continual efforts.”
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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