Southwest Credit Systems , LP (SWC Group) is a third-party debt collection agency based in Texas. Southwest Credit has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as using false or misleading information in an effort to collect a debt and sharing information about delinquent debts with unauthorized third parties. If SWC 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), Southwest Credit Systems, LP was founded in 1974. The BBB established a profile page for SWC in July 1976, and SWC has been a BBB-accredited business since August 1976. The BBB lists Southwest Credit Systems as a collection agency that uses the alternate business names, Southwest Credit, SWC Group, LP, and SWC Solutions, LP. Buzzfile estimates Southwest Credit Systems’ annual revenue at $27 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 200 employees.
According to its website, SWC “delivers leading accounts receivable management and consumer service solutions…that result in dramatic increases in revenue, greater efficiencies, reduced operating costs, and increased customer satisfaction for …clients.”
Southwest Credit Systems collects delinquent debts for unpaid traffic tolls; government agencies; utility service providers; telecommunications and cable companies; property management companies; and education lenders. SWC “annually manages billions of dollars in receivables accounts, serving organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500 private firms to small public agencies.”
SWC Groups’s collections services are comprised of first-party solutions; pre-collect solutions, third-party solutions, and “guaranteed revenue solutions.” SWC’s first-party division “supplements or replaces clients’ internal accounts receivable function by implementing…strategies to …help… maintain positive relationships with …customers, by…acting as an extension of the client business.” Their pre-collection division “encourages payment on delinquent accounts while retaining …customers and reducing charge-offs.” SWC’s third-party collections division provides“successful and comprehensive services encompassing primary, secondary, tertiary, and warehoused accounts.” SWC’s guaranteed revenue division forces on unpaid traffic tolls by “taking images from… toll lanes and paying the authority transponder toll rate for each pursuable image within 30 to 45 days,” thereby “allowing toll agencies to reduce collection costs.”
Southwest Credit states that they “abide by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) “Red Flag” Rules.” Their Resources page provides links to ACA International, insideARM, Credit and Collection News, Resource Management Services, Telecommunications Risk Management Association, and the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association.
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 November 2019, the BBB has closed 398 complaints against Southwest Credit Systems in the preceding 3 years, with 93 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections, although several complaints also cited problems with customer service and sales.The BBB has posted complaint information on SWC’s profile page stating that most “complaints are regarding billing and collection issues. Specifically, consumers state that the company makes numerous calls to their places of residences at unsightly hours and do not have the correct person or debt information.” As of July 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 1,937 complaints involving SWC. Justia lists at least 20 cases of civil litigation involving SWC.
Southwest Credit Systems
4120 International Parkway, Suite 1100
Carrollton, TX 75007
Phone Number: 800-637-7439
Website: http://www.swcgroup.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely SWC 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:
In May 2019, in United States District Court for the District of Columbia, a judge issued an opinion in a case alleging Southwest Credit Systems had violated certain provisions of the FDCPA. In this case, the plaintiff had acquired a debt with a cable television service provider. Allegedly, SWC had obtained information form the cable company about the plaintiff’s address and social security number. Beginning in November 2015, SWC “began reporting the plaintiff’s alleged …debt to credit bureaus… Sometime later, the plaintiff discovered these communications, and, in October 2016, she faxed SWC a one-page letter” stating that she “disputed the…collection account on her credit report… and refuses to pay this account.” SWC received the letter but failed to locate an account associated with the plaintiff. As a result, SWC “re-reported the alleged …debt to credit bureaus without designating the debt as disputed” in October, November, and December 2016. The plaintiff hired an attorney, andher attorney sent SWC a letter “alleging that the defendant violated the FDCPA by reporting a disputed debt to credit bureaus without marking the debt as disputed.” After receiving this letter, Southwest Credit Systems finally found the plaintiff’s delinquent account and in January 2017 marked it as disputed. Subsequently, in December 2017, the plaintiff sued SWC, “alleging that they had… violated the FDCPA by reporting to credit bureaus her disputed… debt without also communicating the dispute.”
The court noted that the plaintiff’s complaint cited two provisions of the FDCPA—the “first of those sections states that ‘a debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt,’ with several examples of qualifying misconduct provided… Under the second, which also supplies several examples, the law states that ‘a debt collector may not use unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any debt.’” Attorneys for SWC argued that SWC “had no reason to know that the… debt it reported to credit bureaus in October, November, and December 2016 was disputed” because they “learned which debt was disputed only after receiving the…letter from the plaintiff’s attorney, which provided a city, state, and zip code that matched the defendant’s account information.” Because SWC was unable to explain “why that information was more useful than the last four digits of the plaintiff’s social security number, the creditor, or the exact date that the defendant opened the account,” the court rejected SWC’s motion for summary judgment and allowed the plaintiff to continue with her complaint.
Here are some past Press Releases of Lawsuits Brought On By Lemberg Law in Federal Court
March 3, 2017. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. The case, against Southwest Credit Systems, charges the company with violating federal law and state law. It asks for $500 to $1,500 per call in Telephone Consumer Protection Act statutory damages, $1,000 in Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) statutory damages, plus other relief.
Our client says that SCS begin calling his cell phone about a debt owed by his father-in-law. When he answered the phone, he heard a period of silence followed by an automated click, at which point the call was transferred to a SCS operator. The silence and the click we’re both clues that he was receiving a robocall. Our client says that he never gave his consent for SCS to call his cell phone. Moreover, our client told SCS that they were calling him in error, and to please stop. Nevertheless, SCS continue to call him.
The lawsuit charges that SCS violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by robocalling our client’s cell phone without his consent. The lawsuit also charges that SCS violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by contacting third parties without being asked to do so; by engaging in harassing behavior; and by using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt. It also charges SCS with invading our client’s privacy.
November 11, 2015. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in Massachusetts District Court. The case, against SCS, charges the debt collection agency with violating state law and asks for statutory and punitive damages, plus other relief.
Relentless phone calls can get on your nerves and can be quite upsetting. Our client tells us that SCS called her home phone up to five times per week. Our client talked to the debt collection agency’s representatives several times, telling them that she couldn’t pay the debt and to stop calling. Nevertheless, SCS kept calling.
This lawsuit charges that SCS violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act by employing unfair or deceptive acts to collect a debt, and by calling more than twice in a seven-day period.
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…
The brief answer is yes. And won’t charge you a cent for a consultation or our aid.
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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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It took me a year to build my credit and now I have a negative impact because of SWC. They call me all day long and then it’s like an automatic dialer and so I finally blocked them. But then they called me from a number which caller id shows Global Radius. The account they are referring to has been paid.
He’s using misleading information and false allegations! My account been closed since forever, all of a sudden I do a credit check and I see two similar companies asking for a payment! He’s a fraud, when I asked him to provide more information about the debt he said it’s non of my business! He’s a scam !
SWC debited my checking account, but upon my call to them where I was directed to different departments, even to the toll road authority, to determine whether I owe them. I didn’t owe them and SEC after about an hour on the phone, couldn’t tell me who I supposedly owed. They also told me, my claim had been closed, but obviously not before they debited my account. They brought up comcast, a company I’d paid off in 2018 and admitted I didn’t owe them. What’s suspicious., When they looked up my name, they gave me names of people the same as mine, but they lived in towns I’d never lived or visited.
Two days ago I got a huge ding on my Experian credit report by SWG for a T-Mobile account debt I paid off two months ago through another collection agency, Diversifed Consultants of Dallas, TX. Right now I’m disputing the error, but the damage has already been done. I’m interested in suing this company if they do not remove their collections account off my credit report.
Southwest credit has called my wife multiple times and then started calling me, looking for her. All for “toll Violations” That should have been paid for by my toll tag company. My toll tag company now says our debt has been settled on their end, but the collection calls continue. How do we proceed?
This company put a derogatory mark on my credit report claiming an account in collections, I have no knowledge of this account and have never been notified personally of any company trying to collect payment from me.
A week ago I checked my score on Credit Karma to see why I was declined for a card for a medical procedure. Credit Karma showed I had a derogatory mark out of no where for Delmarva (Delaware) power company. I haven’t lived in Delaware for over 6 years and I haven’t had any letters, voice mails or anything else saying that I owed any payments. The mark was for 53$ that an ex boyfriend was supposed to pay and didn’t. Instead the mark went to me and did not make any sense. I was trying to figure out why the bill was not for him since it was obvious he was the one paying it the entire time, plus it was to an address associated to his name. I now have a bad credit score that is unchanging and i am being hung up on every time I try to dispute this mark. I don’t know if I did the right thing and went ahead and paid the 53$ because my credit score is not changing. I need someone to completely expunge this collection or I will get lawyers and investigators involved.
Around October/November 2018 l worked with southwest credit to pay off a debit they were collecting from Verizon. I worked with Southwest and paid them in 3 installments and debit was paid off in full. Now I have another credit collection agency, (EOS CCA) attempting to collect again the same exact amount, (415.00). I need to get documentation with details from southwest credit collections regarding my payments and that I paid them off to EOS CCA and Verizon.
Constant robotic calls ,all hours of the day and night. Block one number and another number is used. Absolutely ridiculous!!!
For the past weel I have been receiving calls from South West Credit System, what it cut my attention, they used 501-722-4372, this number appear on my caller ID I have not answer any of this callas. I used a different phone to call back and I select spanish and in fact is SWCS but they are base on Texas and I lice in Arkansas, do they have any other locations in Arkansas, Is there a way to take tjis people tp court, they have been calling day and robot I believe a robot calls, please advice
I have been getting solicitations from this collection agency called Southwest Credit Services. I noticed during my research and inquiries that some of the situations I’ve read about is similar to what happening to me,i. e., I’ve paid the people that hired this service (Comcast) and requested that they contact them to let them know that I’ve cleared my debit with them and to also contact the several leading collection agencies to confirm this,because it is urgent that they remove the misleading allegation that I am a credit risk and I need them to do it ASAP,because it will cause conflict with pending business transactions in progress! Please contact me in regards to this inquiry? Thank You!
I have an issue with this creditor. They reported an account I have no knowledge of to the credit bureaus and my credit is going down because of this. At a time where I’m trying (successfully) to build it especially makes this more strenuous.
I, Kathleen Sims, rec’d a bill for 330$ for Windstream. There is no copy of a bill or address of the service. I spoke with someone quite a long time ago about this and it was a K. Sims in Tennessee the bill was traced to. So, how do I get his bill removed from collections? I live in Florida.
Also, I called Windstream and they have no proof of any bill I owe?
And, if it is my bill please send a copy of the bill and the address.
Thank you,
Kathleen
Only an idiot would pay $300 without a copy of the bill??????? Which a did request over a week ago…….
On a check of my Credit Karma score I found a derogatory remark on my credit which reduced my score on Equifax. It is listed as a non-payment to Comcast from SOUTHWEST CREDIT SYSTEMS, L.P. in the amount of $147. Last year, this same thing, same amount to Comcast, happened but it was under TransUnion. I had it investigated and the investigation came out in my favor and was removed. I tried to report this to Equifax through the link on the Credit Karma page but it does not work. I am not a customer of Comcast, I have not received any notification from them or anyone else that I owed money (which I don’t). I am not sure if I’m reporting this to the right place. It says you don’t charge for this. If there is a charge please disregard as I am on disability and cannot pay it. I really need this illegitimate mark off my credit because I need a medical procedure and will need good credit so I can get it financed. Thanks if you can be any help.
Southwest Credit sent me an ‘account summary’ stating that I owed AT&T Mobility more than $300. About a year ago, I purchased a cell phone from the local AT&T store – but a woman who worked for them broke into the phone several times- and that kept up for 2 days until I returned it and decided to purchase elsewhere. As for the AT&T mobility creditor fraud – Southwest Credit is sending out threatening notices that don’t even have the person’s correct name or spelling. As all of this looks phony, I have sent the papers and other information to the California State Auditor’s office in Sacramento, and to the highest AT&T executive.
Both my wife and I received calls from Southwest Credit Systems after asking them to stop for months. Both us received 3 calls a day 5 days a week and I received a call or 2 on Saturdays. My wife received over 100 calls and I am close to 100. Have an attorney looking into the case will see what happens.
They called me 4-6 times a week. said they needed to talk to someone and when I told them that person is not associated with the number they refuse to stop.
They wont stop violating the laws when the fines are so small.