Specialized Collection Systems, Inc. (SCS) is a third-party collection agency based in Texas that specializes in collecting delinquent healthcare bills. SCS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If SCS has contacted you about past due collection items, make sure you know your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Specialized Collection Systems, Inc. is a collection agency. The BBB established a profile page for SCS in 1990 but does not indicate when SCS was founded. Buzzfile does not maintain a profile page for SCS.
According to its website, SCS was founded in 1976. Their home page indicates that their website is designed to provide a method of “confidential, discreet, and hassle-free resolution and payment of …past due account(s).” The home page also contains a “mini-Miranda” identifying SCS as a debt collection company. However, the rest of the site provides very little detailed information about their business practices or regulatory compliance policies.
By clicking the login button in the middle of the home page, site visitors are taken to the main login page, which provides data entry windows where they can enter their account number and zip code. There are five tabs across the top of the page—Welcome; Account; Plans; Payment; and Receipt. However, each of these tabs redirects right back to the same main login page.
There are several additional links, including a link to the Terms and Conditions page. This page includes legally required language regarding information privacy. It also states that Specialized Collection Systems, Inc “is a debt collection company which provides collection services exclusively for providers of medical service,” and that anyone using information available through the site agrees that they are either “the Patient or Guarantor listed on the collection letter,” or has received permission from such individuals to view the information.
The Contact Us page states that since its founding, SCS “has had the policy of not initiating outgoing collection telephone calls and…does not make outgoing collection telephone calls to any consumer.” Instead, all contact is “made by mail and no one … will …receive a telephone call from SCS regarding delinquent accounts.”
The Consumer Information tab includes information “required…under state law for the states indicated,” but the statements are “not a complete list of consumer rights by state.” SCS states that they “believe in maintaining high ethical standards throughout the collection process”; however, they do not provide any links or references to consumer protection resources 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 June 2019, the BBB has given Specialized Collection Systems a rating of F, citing the number of complaints and SCS’s failure to respond to some complaints. The BBB has closed 16 complaints against SCS in the past 3 years, with 6 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Almost all of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Neither the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) nor Justia has listed any complaint data regarding SCS.
Specialized Collection Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 441508
Houston, TX 77244
Telephone: (281) 933-1355
Website: https://payyourbillscs.virtualcollector.net/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely SCS 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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Can you help me file a No Fee Lawsuit against Specialized Collection Systems?
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
Complaints against Specialized Collection Systems cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In June 2016, a complainant stated that SCS “has had 3 accounts posted to her credit for over 3 years now,” and that none of the accounts belong to her. According to the complainant, she sent SCS “a letter via certified mail…with proof of insurance,” for which she received a signed return receipt. Allegedly, “the documents in the letter prove that the complainant had insurance… at the time of the medical visit.” The complainant stated that the medical visits occurred “during her pregnancy, and she was covered.” She also stated that she had “contacted SCS to inform them of this,” and that SCS representatives had told her that they had “recorded that it was already paid for and the account was closed out. However,” SCS had “neglected to convey this information to the credit bureaus,” even after she had specifically asked them to address her concern over 30 days previous to the complaint. She said she had “disputed this issue with” the credit reporting agencies, “and apparently when SCS was contacted by the credit bureau, they still failed to have the delinquent account deleted.” The complainant concluded by stating that the erroneous information “hindered her from receiving credit,” and that SCS is in “direct violation of federal law.” She also said that if SCS does “not have the information removed from her credit file immediately, she will have no other choice but to pursue further legal action.”
In May 2017, a complainant stated that “Specialized Collection Systems had reported a negative account on her credit report with Equifax.” She said she had “written SCS twice requesting …the documents/contract with her original … signature on them verifying that the debt did indeed belong to her.” She said that she “got a letter back from SCS along with a copy of a bill that was supposedly sent to her in January 2015.” The letter indicated that the amount owed was $175.00, and SCS considered this letter “to constitute proof of the validity of this account.” However, the complainant insisted that according to the FCRA and the FDCPA, SCS is required to provide far more specific and detailed information than a copy of a bill. She said that they had “failed to meet the required legal standard for debt verification if they are going to report the debt on her credit report, and that if they cannot provide her with those documents and/or contracts, they… should delete this account from her credit report within 30 days.” She also said that SCS had failed to respond to her requests.
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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