Century Financial Services or CFS is a third-party collection agency based in Connecticut that specializes in healthcare collections. CFS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including the use of illegal communication tactics and failing to verify debts.If you have been contacted by CFS, understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Century Financial Services, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1984. The BBB established its profile page in 1990. CFS is listed as a collection agency that uses the alternate business names, Century Collection Agency and Century Collection, Inc. Buzzfile estimates CFS’ annual revenue at $5.3 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 40 employees.
According to its website, CFS“ provides comprehensive accounts receivable management services for healthcare providers… based on core values of innovation, integrity, and performance.”CFS specializes in dental care collections. Century Financial Services strives “to improve revenue cycle management in your practice or organization” and prides itself on “keeping patient complaints to a minimum—a practice they believe is directly linked to achieving success for… clients.”
The Century Financial Services website uses language that equates success in the medical profession with profit. For example, the website states that because“billing and collection practices have been under increasing scrutiny at both the state and federal levels, providers are pressured to allocate their resources on payers and balances which generate the most cash in the quickest amount of time.” As a result, CFS has staked its success on their belief that “the volume of revenue bound up in smaller accounts, slow payers, and non-payers represents significant, untapped potential, and…turning this potential into real revenue” defines who CFS is, “what they do and why they want to be a business partner” with healthcare providers.
As a full-service collection agency, Century Financial Services offers internal legal follow-up; no cost asset searches; multi skip-tracing software and resources; no cost pre-bankruptcy scrubber verification; Medicaid eligibility pre-collection insurance scrubber; on-line payment credit card and check options; over-the-phone interpreters; services for the hearing impaired; regular and special inventory reporting; backup and disaster recovery solutions; and dialer technology.
Century Financial Services claims to be “deeply familiar with unique collection laws and receivables practices that are required for compliance” at the local and state level and cites affiliation with several professional organizations. However, their website is entirely client-facing and does not provide links or references to consumer protection laws, resources, 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 December 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has given Century Financial Services a rating of D-. The BBB closed 7 complaints against CFS in the preceding 3 years, with 4 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of the complaints allege problems with billing and collections. As of April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received 2 complaints about Century Financial Services. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving CFS.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Cases against Century Financial Services Inc
Complaints against Century Financial Services cite problems resulting from disagreements about billing documentation and rude and unprofessional collection efforts. In March 2016, a complainant indicated she had received a collection letter from CFS for a medical bill she had been paying to the original creditor. She contacted CFS to find out why the bill had been placed in collections, since it was not past due. Century Financial Services notified her that they conduct billing services for medical providers, and that the complainant should continue paying $25 per month to clear a balance of $161.96. The complainant complied with CFS’ request and contacted them several months later to make a final payment of $36.96, but she was told then that the balance had already been paid and that nothing further was due. The complainant was not convinced that the account had been paid, and when she followed up several days later, she was informed her remaining balance was $61.96, with an original balance of $191.96, which differed from the amount stated in the letter she had received. The complainant disputed the discrepancy with the representative, but the representative only “laughed and told her she was wrong, and that she could take it up with a lawyer.”
Also in March 2016, a complainant indicated she had received a call from Century Financial Services regarding an outstanding medical bill. She contacted CFS to make payment arrangements. The representative took her information and documented her file with the payment arrangement agreement. Subsequently, a CFS representative contacted the complainant’s husband “at work to discuss the complainant’s outstanding bill.” The complainant insisted that “her husband is not responsible for this bill because the services were provided to her, not him.” Regardless, the CFS “representative proceeded to inform her husband that… by law, he can be held responsible for the bill.” The complainant indicated she had “made arrangements to begin paying this debt and did not want her husband to be contacted for this bill because it is her responsibility not his.” In addition, she “did not provide Century Financial Services with his personal information and do not know how Century Financial Services got his phone number.” The complainant believed the “phone call was a form of harassment and wanted to make this complaint as a matter of record.”
Century Financial Services did not offer a response to either complaint.
Century Financial Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 98
North Haven, CT 06473
Telephone:(800) 221-0612
Website: https://www.century-rcs.com/
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).
But here’s the rub: If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. These 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.
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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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Century Financial has a game. And it was my short experience. That CFS says they “often settle debts for 60% of the amount owed” However, right off the bat they tell you to stop paying your bills and let them fall into collections. Now that being said, a credit card with a 10K balance, starts adding fees and unpaid months minimums. (300+ a month?). Easily at 11K by the time Century contacts them stating they’ve been enrolled in debt consolidation and would like to settle. Experience Century went after my biggest debt first. And Discover said they would settle for 75% of the 11K not 10K approx 8K? and guess what, I owe Century 3K. what savings. Century told me, Discover was a difficult creditor to settle…. So then they went for Kohls, much less debt, but the same math works on their end. Again, I was in the same spot or worse as far the amount its costing me. Also, now on my credit report, these accounts are being listed as ” Charged off/delinquent.” negative impacts. Realizing this, I happened to run into some money and started calling and attempting to settle the debts myself, get on payment plans, some cards offered me time with no interest. Some offered me the ability to get back on track.
However, shortly I am about to find out that I may be responsible for 25% of the credit cards I “enrolled” in their program but settled myself. which adds to to the tune of $4,500.
If they are truly humanitarian and helpful this wont be the case. What do I do if it is and the stupid 20 page contract I signed states this?