Olympic Collection Inc or OCI is a third-party collection agency based in Seattle, WA. OCI 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 the use of false or misleading language in an effort to collect a debt. If you have been contacted by Olympic Collection, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Olympic Collection, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1996 and incorporated in 2004. The BBB established OCI’s profile page in 1998. OCI is listed as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates OCI’s annual revenue at $350,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 5 employees.
According to its website, Olympic Collection “is a full service collection agency…that leads the industry in honesty, dependability, service, and collection recovery.” OCI’s mission is to “be the partner of choice for those seeking to work with a collection agency and call center that values relationships based on trust, integrity, and respect.”
Olympic Collection collects delinquent debts for medical and dental providers, rental agencies, retailers, and check recovery specialists. OCI also provides legal recovery services.
OCI provides its clients with “professionalism; …greater collection results and recovery than competitors; …efficient and dependable customer service; competitive… rates; …a solid reputation and superior performance record; … and a full service collection package.” Services include recovery of unpaid debts; customized client reports; skip tracing; payment arrangements; lawsuits and garnishments with client approval; and reporting to all three major credit reporting agencies.
Olympic Collection has posted a Code of Ethics, which states that OCI subscribes to “the American Collectors Association (ACA)… code of ethics as well as a rigorous training program for … employees.” The ACA’s “continuing education program…trains employees in areas such as Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Professional Telephone Collection Techniques, and Professional Liability.” OCI is also a member of several professional organizations. However, OCI’s website does not provide links 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.
The BBB has closed 6 complaints against Olympic Collection, Inc in the past three years, with 2 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. All of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections. As of August 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 7 complaints against OCI. Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving Olympic Collection.
Olympic Collection, Inc.
16040 Christensen Rd., Ste. 214
Seattle, WA 98188
Telephone: (800) 891-1054
Website: http://www.ocionline.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely OCI 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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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Complaint:
In December 2017, in United States District Court, Western District of Washington at Seattle, a judge issued an Order in a case alleging violations of the FDCPA, the Consumer Finance Protection Act (CFPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). In this case, the plaintiff, an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), received a wage garnishment notice from his employer in April 2016 regarding a debt allegedly owed to a dental service provider in Edmonds, WA. The debt was allegedly acquired in 2005 or 2006. Previously, in March 2006, the plaintiff was the subject of a lawsuit in which a default judgement was entered against him; however, the plaintiff indicated that had never been served a notice of the lawsuit and had had no knowledge of the judgement until ten years later, when he received the writ of garnishment. The writ of garnishment in the amount of $1,886.67 was entered on April 22, 2016, just before the default judgment was set to expire on May 1, 2016. As a result of the writ of garnishment, the plaintiff’s employer on May 9, 2016 sent $623.72 of the plaintiff’s income directly to the dental provider from 2006. Subsequently, the plaintiff was presented with the writ of garnishment and informed about some irregularities in the processing of the order. In addition, the plaintiff indicated that his employer had engaged in teleconferences about him with the dental provider, and that during these conferences, one of the defendants falsely represented herself as an attorney and falsely claimed that the plaintiff was negotiating a settlement with the dental service provider. The plaintiff’s paycheck was then garnished a second time in the amount of $673.72 on May 23, 2016. At that time, the plaintiff informed his employer of his intention to file a lawsuit, at which point the money was returned to him.
The plaintiff attempted to include a criminal charge alleging Olympic Collection, Inc had violated a prohibition against “knowingly and willfully requesting or obtaining any record concerning an individual from an agency under false pretenses,” but because the case was addressing civil violations, the charge was dismissed. The plaintiff’s charges that Olympic Collection, Inc had violated the FCRA and the GLBA were dismissed because these laws do not allow individuals to file charges in private civil matters. The plaintiff’s charge that OCI and his employer had violated the TCPA by sending a writ via fax was dismissed because the plaintiff’s employer is not a debtor. Although the plaintiff’s charges alleging that OCI’s conduct violated the FDCPA and Washington state’s CFPA “provision that states that a party cannot pretend to have an interest in a debt when that party does not in fact have any interest” were dismissed, the plaintiff was allowed to make changes and resubmit his CFPA claim. He was also given permission to resubmit his claim challenging a state law that allows an attorney to issue a writ. The plaintiff’s complaint alleging OCI’s conduct violated the FDCPA prohibition against using false and deceptive means to collect a debt, including the Olympic Collection, Inc employee who had falsely represented herself as an attorney; and the plaintiff’s complaint alleging that OCI’s conduct violated the FDCPA regulation restricting “communications between debt collectors and third parties” were allowed to continue. In addition, the plaintiff’s charges of fraud and defamation were allowed to continue.
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…
“As we discussed on the phone earlier today, this settlement is perfectly okay to me. I need to thank you and all of your cohorts at Lemberg Law to get a project handled so professionally. Please allow Amy, the first person who contacted me from Lemberg, know how much I appreciate her efforts, kindness, and professionalism.”
“My mom and I want to say thanks to the team of Lemberg Law for all the hard work and effort that was taken to take care of the debt collector and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Because of this, the phones do not ring off the hook .”
“We realize that ours is only one little case among many — and a lot more serious — but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it represented us with a professionalism that belied the dollar amount.”
“I just wanted to let you know we received the check from your office on now and I wanted to take some time to inform you that we really appreciate all of your efforts in this matter.”
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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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Being harassed by a company called Olympic Collections. I do not owe anything, but I have been receiving threatening calls and paperwork, stating that they have until Friday to pay otherwise it will turn into a judgement.