Regional Credit Services or RCS 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.
Regional Credit Services, Inc. (RCS) is a third-party collection agency based in Missouri. RCS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including failure to verify debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If RCS has contacted you about past due financial obligations, make sure you understand your rights before you take action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Regional Credit Services, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded in April 2002. The BBB’s profile page for RCS was established at the same time. The BBB lists RCS as a credit reporting agency. Buzzfile’s listing for RCS can be found under Rockport Financial, Inc. (RFI); RCS is listed as the alternate business name for RFI. Buzzfile estimates Regional Credit Services’ annual revenue at just under $1 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 7 employees.
According to its website, RCS “provides… a stress-free way of collecting…outstanding accounts receivable” that allows creditors “to focus on their business.” RCS’s “philosophy is to treat client businesses as if they were their own.” RCS states that its ”staff of seasoned professionals are ethical and…committed to recovering…outstanding debts quickly, efficiently, and amicably.”
RCS’s “approach to collections is to provide the debtor with every opportunity to resolve the accounts in a timely manner, whether by payment in full or by payment arrangements…Immediately upon assignment of an account for collection, the account is entered into RCS’s automated collection system.” Next, RCS mails a “notification of account placement…to the debtor, …advising them of their rights and responsibilities.” Finally, the account “is…placed with a professional telephone collector for contact to resolve the account.”
Regional Credit Services full range of services includes skip-tracing and refusal-to-pay responses, such as locating employers, filing lawsuits, and credit reporting. RCS can also “retain the services of several attorneys to represent creditors in collection matters.” RCS utilizes Columbia Ultimate Business System software and offers additional client services, including monthly statements and competitive collection fees. The RCS website does not specify the types of businesses or industries for which it collects debts.
RCS states that it is “a proud member of the American Collectors Association and the Missouri Collectors Association,” and that its staff “follow all state and federal laws.” However, their website does not provide 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 January 2019, the BBB has closed 6 complaints against Regional Credit Services in the preceding three years, with 1 complaint closed in the previous 12 months. Almost all of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has not posted any complaint data about either RCS or RFI. Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving either RCS or RFI.
Regional Credit Services, Inc.
1201 Jefferson St., Suite 150
Washington, MO 63090
Telephone:(636) 390-0020
Website: https://www.regionalcredit.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely RCS 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 are some Sample Cases filed in Federal Court
In August 2015, in United States District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division, a judge issued a memorandum and order in a case alleging a collection letter sent by Regional Credit Services violated the FDCPA. In this case, the plaintiff received a letter from RCS in an effort to collect a debt for medical services provided to the plaintiff. According to the plaintiff, “the letter included the following phrase: ‘A $3.00 convenience fee will be added to credit/debit card payments.’” The plaintiff filed a class action lawsuit against RCS, alleging that the letters that RCS was sending out, with “notification and collection of the $3.00 convenience fee, were unlawful.” The complainant alleged that RCS “is not authorized either by law or by the agreement creating the debt to impose a convenience fee.” She alleged that RCS’s convenience fee demand is in violation of FDCPA Sections 1692e(2) and 1692f(1), which prohibit engaging in deceptive practices,using false impressions to characterize the amount of any debt, “making false representation…to receive compensation for payment by credit or debit card, and… collecting an amount…not authorized by contract or permitted by law.”Attorneys for RCS filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, claiming that the plaintiff had failed to “state a claim.”
In its decision, the court indicated that to dismiss a complaint for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted,” RCS must show that the plaintiff failed to give “a short and plain statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Such a statement is legally defined as “containing sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is
plausible on its face.” In addition, “a well-pleaded complaint may not be dismissed even if it appears proving the claim is unlikely and if the chance of recovery is remote.” Because the plaintiff had clearly met this requirement, attorneys for RCS cited previous cases in which the inclusion of language in collection letters about fees and surcharges for credit and debit card payments had been decided in favor of the collection agency. In one such case, a court decided that a collection agency that charged a 5% fee for payments made by credit card had not violated the FDCPA because the debtor was not required to pay by credit card; in another case, similar fees were determined not to have violated the FDCPA because they resulted from charges imposed by and paid to the credit card company rather than the collection agency. In the Missouri August 2015 case, the court determined that the logic used to decide these two cases was not applicable for two reasons. First, there was no clear indication either that the fee was being imposed by the credit card company, or that the fee was not being paid directly to RCS. Second, the decisions in the cases cited by RCS’s attorneys came at a later stage of litigation and were therefore not applicable in determining whether the plaintiff had stated a claim “showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” As a result, RCS’s objections were dismissed, and the plaintiff was allowed to proceed with her 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…
“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.
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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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I have the same problem as Sarah. They are saying they are from offices of regional will not give any other information when I requested an address or a website that I could verify them with. They would give me neither. The amount they say I owe is not matching up with the company they say it is from. Today they left a voicemail saying this was the last attempt before they push the case forward. They are saying they will take me to court for 3 times what I owe
Hello. I am not sure I am being contacted by a debt collector or Attorney. They said they are a mediator. “Offices of Regional”. They say they are going to charge me with defrauding a financial institution and a series of returned checks. They said they are not a debt collector. They said the case is now passed “collections” and have all accurate information about me, my job, my county, and a real debt of $500 for a payday loan from 2015. They have called family members and said they intend to sue and press charges if it isnt paid, also offering to settle. They said they do not validate debt because they are not a debt collector. They told me if I record them I have to make them aware I am recording.