Creditors Collection Service or CCS is a debt collection agency, which receives a lot of consumer complaints to our law firm for debt harassment. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
Creditors Collection Service, Inc. (CCS) is a third-party collection agency based in Virginia. CCS 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 failing to verify debts. If CCS has contacted you about past due financial obligations, make sure you know your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Creditors Collection Service, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded and incorporated in 1974. The BBB established a profile page for CCS in 1980, and CCS has been a BBB-accredited business since 1985. The BBB lists CCS as a collection agency with an estimated 40 employees. Buzzfile estimates CCS’s annual revenue at $640,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 12 employees.
According to its website, CCS “is an independent professional collection agency… providing results — not promises — and dedicated to serving…clients with integrity.” CCS states that its “certified professional collection specialists are committed to ACA’s Code of Conduct… to collect monies due its clients by using reasonable and respectful collection efforts.”
The CCS website does not provide a lot of detailed information about the industries it serves. However, its services page states that CCS provides an “array of services including early-out with soft calls on non-defaulted debt, primary collections with credit bureau reporting on defaulted debt, and legal collections with credit scoring.” In addition, CCS offers primary collection, secondary collection, legal collection, and skip tracing. CCS also offers specialized client services, including an “online client portal, where accounts may be uploaded for collection; payments reported; encrypted email options; client reports; … and consumer account balances that may be viewed in real time,” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In addition, CCS’s affiliate, Cash Flow Management (CFM) offers early out collections with soft calls; pre-collect letter series; budget payment monitoring; insurance follow-up; consulting; and education.
CCS has posted a Code of Conduct that states that “CCS voluntarily commits and aligns its practices with ACA International Values,” including “leadership, integrity, respect, responsibility, service, and education.” They have also posted ACA International’s Collector’s Pledge. They state that they comply“with the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as well as state and local laws.” However, their website is client-facing and does not provide any 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.
As of January 2019, the BBB has closed 17 complaints against Creditors Collection Service, Inc in the preceding three years, with 6 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections. Since June 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 20 complaints against CCS. Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving CCS.
Creditors Collection Service, Inc.
4530 Old Cave Spring Road, SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Telephone:(540) 772-6600
Website: http://www.ccsroanoke.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely CCS 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!
Get Free BBB A+ Attorney. Call 475-277-1600 NOW
Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
Complaints against Creditors Collection Service frequently cite problems resulting from allegations of rude and aggressive collection representatives and disputes about the validity of debts or the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In November 2018, a complainant stated that he had been receiving more than 2 calls per day from CCS, but the calls were “only a recording and every time he called the number, there was no answer.” He stated that CCS had “placed negative information on his credit report without basis.” The complainant also stated that he believed the delinquency was the result of “a radiology claim based on what is filed on his credit report; …that he had never received a billing notice; had …never been contacted about the claim other than a recording without information or call back;…and that the report says it is for $34 which means it is probably a remnant from his insurance company.” The complainant described CCS’s actions as “bizarre harassment and defamation without cause.” He also stated that it is “against the law to harass individuals for collections without sending written notice of a claim or a bill.” He alleged that CCS “does not respect collection agency rules and regulations and is highly predatory.”
In August 2018, a complainant stated that he had been “contacted multiple times by” CCS, but they had never left “a name or business name, just a robotic call stating to call the number they left, never asking for a specific person.” The complainant “returned the call…and informed them that the bill had been paid with the original creditor directly, which is what they were calling about.” However, the representative allegedly “wanted to argue with the complainant that it was not paid.” The complainant stated that he had “confirmed with the original creditor two weeks prior that he had a zero balance,” but the representative was allegedly “extremely rude, ….talking over him and demanding that he was a liar.” The complainant asked the representative to contact the original creditor and verify for herself that there was no balance, but she stated that “she does not do that, and that if he did not pay her that day she would put a mark on his credit.” Subsequently, the complainant contacted the original creditor to ensure there was no outstanding balance, then contacted CCS and provided them with a confirmation number. Unfortunately, the CCS representative allegedly retaliated by sending the complainant an email stating that the item had been reported to the credit reporting agencies anyway.
In both cases, Creditors Collection Service responded by stating they had “received the complaint and had conducted a reasonable investigation of the information provided per the FDCPA and FCRA requirements for all data furnishers.” CCS confirmed the allegations in both complaints, marked the accounts as disputed, and updated their records with both the original creditors and the credit reporting agencies.
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.
You may have a case, if…
“With your help the nagging collection calls have finally ceased! I was thrilled I was also able to get damages from the collection agency. I am unable to adequately express my joy. I am so thankful I made the call.”
“When I first emailed the office, I was not exactly sure what they could do for me. I had an idea, but they responded back with everything I could expect to take place. I never believed I would be receiving a check, it was definitely a silver lining. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking customer legal services.”
“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.”
We can absolutely help. Call us today.
Share your story
Have you had a bad experience with this agency’s debt collectors? Sound off and share your experience with other visitors in the comment box below.
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."
See more posts from Sergei Lemberg
Dishonest medicare advantage billing. I have extra help, and prescription drug coverage. Bill is $470.55 from Pratt Medical Center. The problem is that the insurance Humana and extra help already paid the entire vaccine for Gardasil 9 in which was paid $8.40 per injection. Overcharged me for my vaccine is fraud and dishonest billing amounts in which I don’t have anything to pay. Sounds like a good case to charge at Creditors Collection Service, INC which is probably the harrrassing and prank calls list of mine to now take seriously for fraduently billing me something that I don’t owe. Pratt Medical Center said I was in the negative numbers at the time of asking for I owe.