Pathfinder Credit Services, Inc. (PCS) is a third-party collection agency based in Florida that specializes in collecting delinquent education loans. PCS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as attempting to collect debts not owed and failing to verify debts. If PCS has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Pathfinder Credit Services, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 2002. The BBB established a profile page for PCS in 2003. The BBB lists PCS as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates PCS’s annual revenue at $600,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 14 employees.
PCS does not maintain an independent, publicly accessible website. Instead, visitors to the PCS website will see a statement of consumer terms and conditions for Roadmaster Drivers’ School (RDS). This statement discusses eligibility; payment authorization; types of payment and payees; timing; permitted use; payments for others; amendments; intellectual property; disclaimers; limitation of liability; indemnification; and miscellaneous concerns. To access the site, site visitors must click the box indicating they agree to the terms.
Site visitors who accept the terms of the website are directed to a payment portal for RDS. This payment portal provides windows to input data, including account number; payment date; payment amount; payment description; phone number; and credit card information. There is no additional information about the business practices or regulatory compliance policies of either PCS or RDS.
According to its website, RDS is “an industry-leading CDL training school that provides experienced truck driving school instructors and offers students comprehensive CDL classes and behind-the-wheel truck driving education, so they are fully prepared to start their new job in the trucking industry. By focusing on giving students the best education and maintaining high job placement standards, RDS has gained a national reputation in the trucking industry for quality training of entry-level commercial truck drivers.”
RDS offers financing in the form of “tuition reimbursement,” in which the “amount of the reimbursement is distributed over time to make sure drivers are serious about working for their new company. In most cases, the carrier will deduct the tuition reimbursement directly from their check, so they don’t have to worry about it.” RDS states that “the cost of tuition varies per student and by location attended. Factors such as military benefits, workforce scholarships, criminal and driving history may influence the cost.”
The headquarters of both PCS and RDS share the same physical address.
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 May 2019, the BBB has closed a total of 13 complaints against both Pathfinder Credit Services and Roadmaster Drivers’ School in the previous 3 years, with 4 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since May 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 14 complaints involving PCS. Justia does not list any cases of civil litigation involving PCS.
Pathfinder Credit Services, Inc.
11300 4th Street North, Suite 200
Saint Petersburg, FL 33716
Telephone:(727) 342-6429
Website: http://pathfindercredit.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely PCS 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 Pathfinder Credit Services cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts; the accuracy of accounting, billing, and credit reporting procedures; and allegations of fraud. In March 2019, a complainant stated that he had “been making payments on his…account since 2017;…however, PCS reports that he is behind on every payment.” According to the complainant, he had been trying “to pursue more things… in life,…furthered his career, and went to RDS driving school. Upon completion of this program, he started his career and was sent a letter from PCS saying his account was in collections.” The complainant “arranged payments to be withdrawn from his bank account weekly and had been successfully making these payments non-stop every week for the past two years. However, PCS was… reporting that he is 143 payments behind on his account and that his balance is over $9,000 when… in fact it is way lower than this.” He stated that he has “current receipts and bank statements to support all of his payments,” and that he has “paid at least $3,000 off on this account.” He alleged that “the incorrect information that PCS was… disclosing to the credit bureaus is affecting his scores drastically and he would like them to correct their information…or settle his account.” The complainant stated that PCS keeps “saying that they don’t report to credit bureaus,” but he attached “proof that they do.” He accused PCS of ruining his “life with their inaccurate/false information and reporting, and they won’t own up to it.”
In response, Pathfinder Credit Services stated that the “complainant attended the commercial truck driver training program at RDS… The account was placed with PCS, an affiliate under common ownership with Roadmaster Drivers’ School, for service and collections.” PCS stated that due “to non-payment initially, the account was placed into collections and subsequently reported as a charged-off tradeline.” However, they also stated that the “complainant has been making regular…monthly payments, and the balance is currently $7,466.06.” According to PCS, the “complainant has paid a total of $1,750.00 from December 2017 through March 2019.” PCS stated that they were not obligated to provide updated information to the credit reporting agencies, but as a courtesy to the complainant, “updated the balance showing on the charged-off tradeline with the credit bureau to reflect $7,466.06 as the outstanding balance.” PCS also stated that “once the account is paid in full, the company will notify the credit bureau that the account has been paid in full.” PCS insisted that “the obligation is a valid and outstanding obligation owed for services rendered,” but “as a show of good faith,” they were “willing to settle the outstanding balance in full for a total lump sum payment of $2,000.00.”
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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