Red River Collections, Inc. (RRC) is a third-party collection agency based in North Dakota. RRC has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as using false or misleading language in an effort to collect a debt and failing to verify debts. If RRC has contacted you about past due collection items, make sure you understand rights before you respond.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Red River Collections, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1967. The BBB established a profile page for RRC in 1998. Buzzfile estimates RRC’s annual revenue at $970,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 13 employees.
According to its website, RRC’s “primary goal is to form a mutually rewarding, long-term business relationship with each of its clients.” RRC states that its “outstanding debt recovery and unique specialty services are the foundation on which they build their business relationships.”
The RRC website does not provide any detailed information about the specific businesses or industries for which they collect delinquent debts. RRC is a full-service collection agency that offers services in three areas: pre-collection, consulting, and online services. RRC “is currently licensed to… collect… in 38 states, and through their network of affiliated agencies, they are able to collect accounts in all 50 states.” RRC “utilizes modern methods and technology to provide industry leading recovery rates.”
Red River Collections’ pre-collection services include first-party “messaging…using…state-of-the-art dialer technology… as an extension of clients’ collection departments.” RRC’s consulting services include collection seminars; collector training; and collection process and procedures review. RRC’s online business services include social security number verification; credit and criminal background checks; data exchange to help “rental providers…track rental deadbeats who habitually cause damage,…default on rent, or …give false references”; skip tracing; and access to credit reports.
RRC utilizes the DAKCS Software System for collections and the VIC III auto-dialer. Their website does not include any information about its 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 March 2018, the BBB has closed 2 complaints against Red River Collections in the past 3 years, one of them in the previous 12 months. Both of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. As of January 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 3 complaints about RRC. Justia has not listed any cases of civil litigation involving RRC.
Red River Collections, Inc.
PO Box 7025
Fargo, ND 58106
Telephone: (701) 237-4488
Website: http://www.redrivercollections.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely RRC 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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Complaints against Red River Collections cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In August 2018, a complainant who had been contacted by RRC regarding a delinquent debt accused RRC of failing to verify the debt. According to the complainant, RRC “failed to comply with federal law on the validation of a debt,” and that “failure to respond to his letter violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act…and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.” The complainant also stated that RRC “failed to report to the credit agencies that the debt was being disputed.” He said that RRC representatives were “purposely harassing” him in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and North Dakota state laws regarding harassment. In response, RRC said that they had “filed…suit in district court to collect… funds on behalf of their client.” They also stated that the “account was placed with them in 2015 and was never disputed in the validation period…30 days from the date of the first notice or first communication with the debtor.” They said the complainant had sent a payment early in 2016 and attempted to settle the debt; however, RRC claimed they lacked the authority “to settle any account from this client and sent the check back to the” complainant. RRC claimed that only then did the complainant send “a letter asking for validation of the debt, which is well out of the validation period.” As a result, RRC made a determination that “previous attempts to avoid paying the bill meant that the bill should be turned over to their attorney for litigation.” The complainant rejected the response, citing RRC’s failure to report the debt as disputed to the credit reporting agencies. In addition, RRC deleted the item from his credit report after he filed a lawsuit, but failed to investigate his dispute or respond to his efforts to dispute the debt prior to any legal action on his part. He also questioned RRC’s statement that they do not have the authority to settle debts because as a collection agency that has the authority to collect debts, they had already filed a lawsuit, which requires even greater authority.
In February 2016, a complainant stated that Red River Collections had been sending him letters saying he owed a debt of $110.00 plus interest for a parking lot bill. The complainant wrote to RRC and stated that he did not owe the debt. However, RRC continued to send collection letters, called his mobile phone, and by the time he had filed the complaint, had begun calling his place of employment. RRC did not provide a public response but indicated that the complaint had been closed with an explanation.
In July 2017, a complainant stated that RRC had reported a delinquency on his credit report, but he had “no knowledge of this alleged debt and” claimed not to “owe them any money.” In response, RRC stated that they “will close the account back to the original creditor and remove the item from the credit bureau.”
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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