DataMax Corporation (DMC) is a third-party collection agency based in North Carolina. DMC has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as attempting to collect debts not owed and using false or misleading language in an effort to collect a debt. If DMC has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations,make sure you understand your rights before you respond.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), DataMax Corporation is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1889 and incorporated in 1909. The BBB established a profile page for DMC in 1960.The BBB lists DMC as a collection agency and charity foundation that uses the alternate business names, DataMax Foundation (DMF) and Interstate Credit Collections (ICC). Buzzfile states that DMC has only been in business for 9 years and estimates DMC’s annual revenue at $235,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 3 employees.
According to its website, DMC and DMF are comprised of two major divisions—debt collection and “revenue enhancement.” DMF focuses on revenue enhancement. DMF’s mission is “to support Forsyth County, NC, through supporting economic development, improving public education, and nurturing entrepreneurs.” DMF “was formed in 2007 to fund projects with a direct impact on education and/or economic development.” DMF “specializes in helping municipalities capture lost revenues and enroll payors so they continue paying their fees moving forward.”
DMC has “been providing highly effective debt collection services to the business community since 1906.” DMC “began as the collection division of the Retail Merchants Association.” Today, DMC collects delinquent bills from a variety of businesses and industries, including hospitals and clinics; physicians’ practices; utility service providers; city and county government agencies; banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions; emergency medical service providers; consumer retail lenders; property management companies; fitness and health clubs; and veterinary medicine providers. DMC also accepts commercial business-to-business accounts.
DMC states that it “operate[s] at the highest professional standards, utilizing best practices and in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as numerous state and federal laws.” DMC is an active member of ACA International and is fully licensed and bonded. DMC’s online payment portal provides some basic information about liability, but 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 April 2019, the BBB has closed 15 complaints against DataMax Corporation in the past 3 years, with no complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections.Since July 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 38 complaints involving DMC. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving DMC.
DataMax Corporation
711 Coliseum Plaza Court, Suite A
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Phone Number: 800-722-2141
Website: http://www.datamax.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely DataMax 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. Here are some Sample Complaints
Complaints against DataMax Corporation cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In July 2017, a complainant stated that DMC had reported a fraudulent account to the credit reporting agencies. According to the complainant she “was alerted that DMC (through their subsidiary ICC) had notified credit bureaus about an account in her name that was in collection.” The complainant contacted DMC and was told “that this account… was opened fraudulently at an address that was associated with several other fraudulent credit accounts opened in her name during 2016.” DMC advised the complainant that “for the time being, collection activities had been halted on this account.” The complainant “proceeded to send in documents requested by DMC to prove her identity. One document that was requested was an Identity Theft Affidavit form… available on” the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website. The complainant was unable to find the form on the FTC website, “and everything concerning identity theft was only available on the Identitytheft.gov website, which also didn’t have any affidavit form.” The complainant “printed out the Identity Theft Report that was available, had the last page notarized, and sent it in with her other documents. A few weeks later,” she received a letter from DMC again requesting an Identity Theft Affidavit. The complainant “called the FTC, and a representative…said that the Identity Theft Report she had already sent in serves the same purpose as the affidavit form,” so she had the letter and documents she had assembled notarized and sent them to DMC. She “also informed a DMC representative that the” FTC had informed her that the Identity Theft Report she had already sent should be sufficient.Subsequently, she called DMC to follow up, but the representative “stated that DMC would not proceed until they” received an Identity Theft Affidavit, and “falsely stated that the complainant hadn’t sent in any notarized documents.” Allegedly, the representative also refused to connect her to a supervisor and told her she “must wait 24 to 48 hours to be contacted.”
DataMax Corporation did not provide a response to this complaint.
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…
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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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