Pacific Collection Group or PCG is a third-party collection agency based in California. PCG has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to provide written verification of debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If PCG has contacted you about past due collection items,make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) established a profile page for Pacific Collection Group in 2018. The BBB lists PCG as a collection agency but does not provide any information about PCG’s founding date or other additional company information. Manta states only that PCG is a privately held company.
According to its website, PCG “is a… collection agency dedicated to smooth and stress-free financial resolution for both businesses and consumers.” In addition, PCG “believes that stress-free accounts management is a basic human right and…works to make sure both parties are taken care of.”
Pacific Collection Group is primarily a debt purchaser. PCG buys delinquent bills from “a variety of high-impact industries across the nation.” Pacific Collection “currently specializes in retail collections, debt purchasing, tenant and landlord collections, and a variety of solutions for financial institutions.”
Pacific Collection Group offers many “standard debt collection types and procedures, including first-party debt buyer collections, third-party contingent collections, and judgment collections.” Through their first-party collections, “also known as debt buyer collections,” PCG “purchases and assumes… unpaid debt at a percentage of the value and then handles the collection process internally without the need to involve the client… business.” PCG’s third-party debt collection “option includes a dedicated Account Agent, custom dunning letters, outbound follow-up calls, and an inbound support solution.” PCG’s judgment collections division “enforces judgment collection proceedings on all civil judicial judgments nationwide, including large, court-ordered restitution, at no upfront cost or risk.” PCG also offers skip tracing and credit bureau reporting.
PCG’s Consumer Resources page provides an overview of collection agency activity that is prohibited by the FDCPA. They also provide a link to the FDCPA on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website. Their Frequently Asked Questions page provides additional information about consumer rights.
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 given Pacific Collection Group a rating of F, citing the short length of time PCG has been in business, the number of complaints they have received during that time, and their failure to respond to most of those complaints. The BBB has closed 9 complaints against PCG in the preceding three years, all of them in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections, although a few complaints also cited problems with customer service.As of May 2019, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 1 complaint involving PCG. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving PCG.
Pacific Collection Group
473 E. Carnegie Dr., Ste. 200
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Telephone:(888) 874-6979
Website: https://www.pacificcollectiongroup.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely PCG 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 is a Sample Case Complaint:
Complaints against Pacific Collection Group cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and allegations of fraud.In July 2019, a complainant stated that she had “received a letter and also a phone call from PCG stating they were to collect” over $1,000.00 for a debt allegedly owed to a magazine subscription service. According to the complainant, the first date of notice was in May 2019, but the original debt was from 2016. PCG allegedly told the complainant that she had made 5 payments tothe original creditor directly from her checking account, but that she had never paid them again. The complainant said that the letter from PCG was the first she had heard about any delinquency. In addition, she contacted her bank and confirmed that although she had never made any payments to the original creditor named by PCG, she had paid magazine subscription services that were operating under three different names, including $175.00 in payments between February and May 2016; over $500.00 in payments between July and December 2016; and an additional $2,200.00 between May 2016 and October 2018. She said that the magazine company continually changed its name during the billing cycles, and that she had told them repeatedly that she “did not want any magazines.” She said that the magazine subscription service had told her that she “had already signed up for them and needed to pay.” As of the date of the complaint, she had paid more than $2,800.00 for magazines she didn’t want in the first place, and now PCG was telling her that she owes an additional $1,000.00. PCG advised her that if she refused to pay, they would report the delinquency to the credit reporting agencies. When the complainant spoke to a PCG representative, the representative allegedly refused to provide any contact information for the original creditor and refused to provide any means for her to dispute the debt.
In April 2019, a complainant stated that he had “received in the mail a communication from Pacific Collection Group…stating his account had been turned over to them by” a magazine subscription service, and that he owed about $1,000.00 for magazines. PCG told him that if he did not submit a written dispute, that they would report the debt to the credit reporting agencies and would file a judgment against him. PCG also allegedly “refused to give him the contact information for the original creditor.” He said that “the only contact he had had with a magazine company was to cancel a magazine service.” The service had “promised to send a letter confirming cancellation of the unauthorized subscription,” but he had never received the letter. PCG told him that if he had no proof, then they could assume he had not cancelled the subscription and therefore must pay the debt. The complainant stated that he was over 70 years old and that the“whole thing seems like an elaborate scam that he had fallen into, complete with threats of legal actions.”
Pacific Collection Group did not offer any responses to these complainants, stating that they “do not accept complaints or disputes from third-party internet complaint websites.”
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.
You may have a case, if…
“I used to get up to 15 calls a week from several collection agencies. It got so bad I felt like I should just get a new phone number to make it quit. Happily, I discovered Lemberg Law. They immediately put an end to the calls. Now, when my phone rings I do not dread it.”
“I would recommend your company to anyone. You have the debt collectors off my back, and I will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the entire procedure your employees were courteous and professional. I was blown away by their efficacy also.
“I would recommend your company to anyone. You have the debt collectors off my back, and I will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the entire procedure your employees were courteous and professional. I was blown away by their efficacy also.”
“Prior to contacting you, we had tried repeatedly to handle this matter without threatening litigation. In the end, not only were they unapologetic, but they were dismissive – even of an attorney friend who called on our behalf. Sincerest thanks for resolving this matter for us!”
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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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This group. Specifically a Mark Johnson who says he’s from this group. Are threatening to sue me over a debt they claim I owe of 1548 dollars. I have no idea what there talking about. I saved the email as it seems like a scam to me.. When I looked up the Name Mark Johnson. There were multiple scams associated with this name.
The email did not say who the money was owed to or why. I called the phone number and got no reply.
I’m not sure on all the dates but I took a -57 points on my credit score from a pcg collection group. I keep getting calls from them and also texts. this collection is from a magazine company that I canceled and paid hundreds of dollars to. they would not let me cancel at all and kept charging me and had to change my credit card and get a new one. they say I owe 970 dollars and it seems like a scam because like I said I canceled this subscription a long time ago. I keep sending their magazines back to sender but they sometimes send them to me from Forbes and what not. I am nervous that they will take me to court or make my credit score go down more, I really don’t know what to do about this because this definitely a scam.
I got a letter in mail just today from them. Apparently I owe $992.55 for a supposed magazine subscription that I don’t have. They said I paid first 4 payments in 2016 and none since. We just refinanced house through bank and finally got everything sorted out. Apart from that we have no debt. Ive handwritten a letter to send them to validate the debt but wondering if that’s the best move. Guy had said I only had 14 days to send a letter but letter I received and info I’ve found all say 30. I guess I just want all the stress gone and more keeps coming.
They have been calling me ever since I got this phone number. I have told them numerous times that the person they are looking for, Ursula L*****, is not at this number. They are rude, argumentative, and threatening. When I ask them to remove the number they say no, or that they cant. If they do say they will remove it, there is always a time frame that it may take them. They may stop for a little while, then the calls start again.