Convergent Outsourcing is a third-party debt collection agency based in Atlanta, Georgia. This collection agency has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including improper contact or sharing of information and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If you have been contacted by this debt collector, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Convergent Outsourcing, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1950. The BBB established a profile page for COI in 1981. The BBB lists Convergent Outsourcing Inc as a collection agency. Buzzfile hosts 2 profile pages for COI, one under Convergent Outsourcing, Inc., the other under Convergent Resources, Inc. Altogether, Buzzfile estimates Convergent Outsourcing’s annual revenue at $79.3 million and size of its headquarters staff at 600 to 1,300 employees.
According to its website, COI provides “engagement programs… customized to align with client objectives and desired outcomes,” from “attracting new customers, to retaining existing customers, to managing challenging customer situations.” COI’s “contact centers… achieve these objectives …by marrying a culture of employee engagement and satisfaction with leading call center technologies…to deploy a dynamic and flexible business model designed to foster a partnership of collaboration… across the entire life-cycle of the customer journey.”
Convergent Outsourcing provides collection services for a wide variety of businesses and industries, including medical and healthcare service providers; utility service providers; telecommunication and mobile phone companies; e-commerce companies; consumer retail lenders; pharmaceutical companies; travel agents; financial services companies; automotive lenders; government agencies; technology service companies; and transportation companies.
Convergent Outsourcing’s first-party collection services offer “early intervention on delinquent accounts…to create an opportunity to uncover and resolve issues, cure a financial situation, and create a satisfied customer.” COI’s “global, networked, virtual contact center environment” allows clients to increase hours of availability, “or reach out when …analytics indicate it’s the best time to call, email, or text.” Third-party collection services at COI utilize “one of the largest databases of unique accounts in the US…to help… companies across many industries reduce their bad debt.”
COI also offers business process outsourcing and call center solutions that include customer acquisition and retention; customer service and technical support; account management; and high-traffic call center overflow crisis response. In addition to locations throughout the U.S., COI also has offices in Guatemala and the Philippines. They cite membership in the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP); the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA); the Call Center Network Group (CCNG); and the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI). However, their website does not provide any clear statements about their regulatory compliance policies, and there are no 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 September 2019, the BBB has closed 726 complaints against Convergent Outsourcing Inc in the preceding 3 years, with 183 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections, although 60 complaints cited problems with customer service; advertising and sales; and delivery or warranty issues. As of March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 463 complaints involving COI. Justia lists at least 20 cases of civil litigation involving COI.
Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
219 Perimeter Center Parkway NE, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30346
Phone Number: 800-444-8485
Website: https://www.convergentusa.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Convergent 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’s an example of a case filed in federal court.
In September 2016, in United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a judge issued a ruling in a case alleging Convergent Outsourcing Inc had violated certain provisions of the FDCPA prohibiting the use of false or misleading statements or using unfair or unconscionable means to attempt to collect a debt. In the original case, the plaintiff had “accumulated $13,000.00 in credit card debt. After the plaintiff defaulted on the debt,” a debt purchaser bought the debt form the original creditor, “then hired COI to collect the debt on its behalf. With an interest rate of 8%, the debt had increased to over $32,000.00 over the course of many years.” Eventually, COI“sent the plaintiff a letter… proposing that she make a payment of $3,200.00 to ‘settle’ a ‘past due balance of $32,000.00.’” Both the plaintiff and COI agreed that the statute of limitations on collection of the debt had expired. The letter that COI sent to the plaintiff contained language indicating she should send in the full settlement amount within 60 days, or the offer would be rescinded. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against COI, stating that their letter violated Sections 1692a(6) and 1692e because it failed “to disclose that the debt was not judicially enforceable, that settling the debt through a 10% payment would trigger tax liability… and that a partial payment would revive the entire debt.” The trial court dismissed the complaint, stating that “the FDCPA permits a debt collector to seek voluntary repayment of a time-barred debt so long as the debt collector does not initiate or threaten legal action in connection with its debt collection efforts.”
At the appeals hearing in 2016, the court reviewed the previous decision. The court stated that in considering the facts of the case, it must “assume that the plaintiff… is neither shrewd nor experienced in dealing with creditors.” The court also stated that there is “an apparent conflict in the circuits as to whether a collection letter offering ‘settlement’ of a time-barred debt can violate the FDCPA if the debt collector does not disclose the debt’s unenforceability or expressly threaten litigation.” The appeals court agreed with findings that “a collection letter seeking payment on a time-barred debt (without disclosing its unenforceability) but offering a ‘settlement’ and inviting partial payment (without disclosing the possible pitfalls) could constitute a violation of the FDCPA.” Thus, “accepting as true the… facts alleged by the plaintiff and viewing these facts in the light most favorable to her,” the appeals court concluded that the plaintiff’s claim stated a valid cause of action and should have been allowed to continue at trial. As a result, the trial court’s decision in favor of Convergent Outsourcing was reversed, and the case was sent back to the trial court for further litigation.
Here are some past Press Releases of Lawsuits Brought On By Lemberg Law
March 31, 2017. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. The case, against Convergent Outsourcing, charges the company with violating federal law and state law. It asks for $500 to $1,500 per call in Telephone Consumer Protection Act statutory damages, $1,000 in Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) statutory damages, plus other relief.
Debt collection calls are anxiety provoking, even when they’re calls to the wrong number. Our client says that Convergent began calling him about a debt that he didn’t owe. In fact, he was getting calls to his cell phone for someone he’d never heard of. The calls coming in were robocalls. Our client knew they were robocalls because, when he answered the calls from Convergent , he heard silence followed by an automated click before the call would disconnect. This is one of the hallmarks of a predictive dialer, which is an automated telephone dialing system under the TCPA. On several occasions, our client called Convergent and told them that they were calling the wrong number. Nevertheless, the debt collection agency continued to repeatedly call our client cell number in an attempt to collect a debt that he didn’t owe.
The lawsuit charges that Convergent Outsourcing violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by using an ATDS and by using a prerecorded voice to call our client’s cell phone without his consent. The lawsuit also charges that Convergent Outsourcing violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by engaging in harassing behavior, and by using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt. It further charges that Convergent violated our client’s privacy.
September 21, 2015. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts against Convergent Outsourcing. Our client alleges that this debt collection agency called him up to four times a week in an attempt to collect a debt.
The lawsuit charges that Convergent violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and Massachusetts Debt Collection Regulations by employing unfair or deceptive acts to collect a debt; and by calling more than twice in each seven-day period. It also alleges invasion of privacy.
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.
Consumers have reported this agency harassing them from the following numbers:
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.”
“I can’t even start to tell you how frustrated I was! I had been getting call after call after call and the majority of these were robocallers!! I contacted your company and you made the calls stop. I have not received my check yet but the calls have stopped for good and that makes me happy enough. Anything extra is simply icing on the cake!”
“I’m forever thankful for the help I received, and urge Lemberg Law to anybody who has ever had a doubt about what’s right or wrong when dealing with debt collectors. Attorney Jody Burton is wonderful. I was never led astray and she’s the utmost professionalism. Lemberg and its team are truly the light at the end of the tube”
“Thank you so much for handling my situation. Previously, I did not trust attorneys. I had bad experiences and did not think lawyers fought for you anymore. You’ve restored my faith. You took in my case, never asked for a retainer, and you won without ever having met me. Thank you.”
The brief answer is yes. We can help. Call us today.
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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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I wanted to make you aware that convergent outsourcing is attempting to collect debts during quarantine after the govenor of New Jersey already stated that anyone attempting to collect for any reason whatsoever is to be reported immediately. I found your office during my Google search and thought i should alert you before contacting the appropriate division of the governors office.
I got a letter from them saying I owe $400. 00 to Fingerhut. I have an account with Fingerhut. My balance is $0.00 and I have a $600.00 credit limit. This Convergence letter is full of it!
About a month ago I got a letter from this company saying I owed a past student loan in collection. I agreed to pay the reduced settlement to get rid of the loan in which I did. For 1625. They said they would send me an account paid in full letter which I never recieved. I called them back today and now they’re trying to tell me I owe for another student loan, same creditor, for more money. I dont know where to start with this and if I need to call my bank for a fraud alert to get my money back.
I have been lots of calls from them constantly
Convergent Outsourcing-they are calling me on a phone that isn’t even in my name – that means they are using names of friends and family to try to contact me. They wont tell me why they’re calling so I won’t confirm anything with them.
I GOT A collection letter from Convergent outsourcing inc.. They say that I owe money to CentryLink in the amount of 494.72. I do not owe this. I get calls from a number in Atlanta,GA. I am on a disability and cannot make down to answer calls fast enough, but when I do answer it is quiet then I cannot hear nothing but it sounds like a click. I have sent them a validation letter and they sent me back a bill fro m 3/ 2019 to validate. I need your help ,I am going to ask that they cease all communication with me would that be ok?
They sent me a letter without advising me of my right to dispute! Only setting the debt. No 30 days to respond or dispute
MY LEGAL CONCERN IS IF PEOPLE OWE DEBT EVEN IF it’s NOT IN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, DOES THAT ME YOU DONT LIVE UP TO YOUR INTEGRITY AND NOT PAY YOUR BILL? OR DO YOU PAY WHAT YOU OWE. I USE TO BE A BILL COLLECTOR AND THAT IS THE MOST HARDEST JOB, HOWEVER, THEY HELP THE ECONOMY IN A TREMENDOUS WAY. I REALLY THINK ITS SAD THE WAY PEOPLE TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE. EVEN THOUGH I COULDN’T DO IT, I COMMEND THE PEOPLE THAT DOES IT. I MAY NOT KNOW THE ENTIRE STORY OF COLLECTIONS BECAUSE I HEARD ABOUT SOME STORIES WHEN THE LADY WAS TRAINING ME HOW COLLECTIONS HAVE CHANGED. THEY WERE VERY STRICT ABOUT THE FDCPA, WE STUDIED IT FOR OVER A WEEK AND WE WERE CONSTANYLY MONITORED SO MAYBE IN THE PAST BILL COLLECTORS WERE HARRASSING CONSUMERS HOWEVER, I DONT THINK THEY DO THAT NOW. I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE OWE SO MUCH MONEY, AND ARGUED ABOUT PAYING IT. I WENT TO LUNCH MY 4TH WEEK AND DIDNT GO BACK, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TALKED TO LIKE THAT IN MY LIFE FOR SOMETHING A PERSON OWES….
I started receiving calls from 801-656-1862. I didn’t recognize the number so I just blocked it. I do notice the number shows up on my phone log almost daily. They have never left a voice mail. I looked up the number online & it says the number is Registered to a James R Ellis Jr. in Morgan UT. One day I called the number from my work line. they asked who I was. I asked they who they were. They replied Convergent Outsourcing, they never mentioned they were a collection company nor did i know who they were at the time. I said, you keep calling 801-834-2753. I don’t know who you are & why you keep calling, but please take me off your list & never call me again. I then hung up the phone. I did look them, now that i had the name. The calls have not stopped. Again they have never left a message as to why they keep calling my number.
Convergent Outsourcing is calling me on my cellphone for a debt with Conns that is already paid. I had to work with the credit bureaus 2 years ago to have it remove because they were also still reporting it as well. It was removed. I asked Convergent several times to stop calling me, and I explained to them about this debt and to contact Conns and anything further to send through the mail. The 1st representative noted he will remove my number from the automated dialing system. It automatically calls me, then they get on the line. I recorded all of these phone calls as well. There were long pauses before anyone came to the line, everytime, they never removed me from the system and called me repeatedly afterwards. Every call I asked them to please stop calling, this is becoming harassment because I don’t owe them money.
I received a call from Convergent Outsourcing today at work. Last month I noticed them put a collection on my credit report. When they call me again should I ask them to validate the debt?
Convergent Outsourcing is claiming I have a bad debt on my Experian credit report. This is a paid debt of almost 15 years ago. I had to pay a bill I did not owe to get my phone number back from T-Mobile. Everything was fine for the next 10-15 years… now these scammers at CONVERGENT say pay up, even after I have submitted paperwork showing no debt. Convergent can not produce any paperwork from T-Mobile.
I am receiving several calls per day on my cell phone from Convergent outsources a debt collector. They call 4-5 times a day, never leave a message.
This number has rang every phone in my house including my mom’s phone as well as my cell. The number they are calling from is 3164163174. When I called the number back using *67 prior to dialing the number they answer Convergent Outsourcing. They call day and night.
I have received a letter from this collection agency and don’t recognize the charge.
I’m now Devorced from my wife she ran bills up in my name it’s been about eight months what can I do
I saw an account on my credit report (Experian) that I think was fraudulent, I called the number for Convergent Outsourcing to found out information about the so-called debt ($213.65). When I called the number, they rep asked what can she help me with, I said i think I have a fraudulent account my credit report and I wanted to found out info on it. She said she had to connect me to the right department after I gave her the partial account number. When she transferred me another woman asked for a partial account number (which I found odd it would be a partial account number). When I gave it to her she then transferred me to again. So for the third time after being transferred, she said she couldn’t help me I had to call another number. Anisha from the number C.O. gaveme, she asked for Partial account #, and I told her Im trying to found out info about an account that appeared on me credit report. She also asked for verification of SSN or address. Which of course I gave me address (Even though they had the info, I think they wanted to update their info on me.) She said it was from a time I did have AT&T DirectTV (2011-2014) at the address I did live at, at that time. but I told her that earlier this year I settled all accounts on my credit report. I asked her why would it show up in June 2017-present, if it was a collection from 2011-2014, why would it disappear then reappear on my credit report. She said I would have to get all the info I can that claims I paid off this collection and email it to #clerks@convergentusa.com (wierd email and wierd I would have to email it instead of mailing it) in order for them to remove it. But shouldn’t they have that info.
When I go to their website- convergentusa.com and enter the partial account number they provided it says {invalid account and/or password please try again}, it says the same thing when Itry to create an account or forgot password.
I am currently trying to find info on whether I paid this off through bank statements.
I really need to speak to someone about a problem with this company I think I need a lawyer