The Collection Connection (TCC) is a third-party collection agency based in California. TCC has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such a using false or misleading information in an effort to collect a debt and failing to provide written verification of debts. IfTCC has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations, make sure you understand your rights before you respond.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), The Collection Connection was founded in 2009. The BBB established a profile page forTCC in 2004. The BBB indicates that TCC has not yet claimed or authorized BBB’s profile page for TCC. The BBB lists TCC as a collection agency. Buzzfile hosts 2 profile pages for TCC, both displaying the same web address, but each displaying a different street address. Altogether, Buzzfile estimates TCC’s annual revenue at just under $1 million and the size of its headquarters staff at17 employees.
According to its website, TCC “specializes in debt enforcement …and has been in business for 25 years.” TCC’s staff of “debt collectors are equipped with and trained on a sophisticated ‘paperless’ collection tracking system, which guarantees telephone attempts for contact on each and every account.”
The Collection Connection collects delinquent debts for a wide variety of businesses and industries, including medical and healthcare service providers; consumer retail lenders; property management companies; unlawful detainers and judgment collections; and any other consumer collection need. TCC also accepts commercial accounts for business-to-business collection.
Delinquent accounts at TCC are assigned “on a by-client basis, resulting in a developed account expertise, higher client production return, and the ability for management to clearly identify client servicing needs.” TCC reports all collection accounts to Experian and TransUnion credit reporting agencies, unless clients request non-reporting status. Credit reporting is submitted “in batch via the internet, …but actual reporting is withheld for thirty days from the date of assignment to allow for voluntary payment, debtor disputes, or account errors.” Consumers are notified of assignment to TCC within 24 hours, and “ten days after the first debtor notification is made, a second notice is mailed requesting the debtor make clear his or her intentions. Legal action is determined on a case-by case basis.” TCC offers voluntary payment plans that are “usually no longer than 120 days from the first payment received, without stipulation of judgment.” TCC also provides skip tracing.
The Collection Connection states that it complies with “all guidelines of the Fair Debt Collections Practice Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act.” Their staff have the legal “knowledge and professionalism to take all necessary steps to protect client interests and avoid being a party to any violation of law or improper conduct.” However, the TCC websites does not provide any 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 October 2019, the BBB has closed 3 complaints against The Collection Connection in the preceding three years, all of them closed in the previous 12 months. Two of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections; the other complaint alleged problems with customer service. As of January 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)has closed 18 complaints involving TCC. Justia does not list any cases of civil litigation involving TCC.
The Collection Connection
9800-D Topanga Canyon Blvd., Ste. 311
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Telephone:(818) 678-4300
Website: http://www.thecollectconnect.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely TCC 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 The Collection Connection cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts, the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies, and allegations of harassment. In May 2019, a complainant stated that TCC had been continuing efforts to collect a bill that had already been paid. According to the complainant, the delinquent debt that TCC was trying to collect had resulted from medical treatment. Although a dispute about the bill “had been resolved, TCC still wanted to report it” as delinquent to the credit reporting agencies. The complainant stated that TCC representatives “wouldn’t listen to him or call the client to verify” that the bill had been paid. Originally, a“bill from a doctor’s visit in 2017 was billed to the wrong insurance company after the complainant had updated the doctor’s office with the current health provider he had at the time.” However, the bill “was never paid, and the complainant never received any notices regarding the outstanding payment. Instead,” TCC called him almost 2 years after he had visited his doctor and told him he was responsible for non-payment. The complainant discussed the bill with a TCC representative and was able to determine that the actual bill TCC had sent included incorrect address and insurance company information, which was the reason he had never received any notices. He said that the address “was so old that it should have gone back to TCC, at which point they should have called him, but they never did.” The complainant “called the billing office and found out that they had failed to update his records” and wanted to “rectify the situation by submitting the bill to the correct insurance company,” since the treatment was fully covered by his insurance. The billing office also told him that they would contact The Collection Connection and have them put collection efforts “on hold until they heard back from the insurance company.” The complainant agreed, but “after a couple of follow-up calls to both TCC and the billing office, and without any further notice, TCC reported the debt to the complainant’s credit” report,“even after the billing office told them not to do anything.” The complainant “filed a dispute and it was taken off.” He also “followed up by calling the billing office twice…during the following weeks. Allegedly, the billing company told him that the insurance company paid the bill and that the matter was resolved. Regardless, on the day he filed the complaint, he “received a phone call from TCC…saying that the bill had… never been paid and that they were going to report it to the credit bureaus.” The complainant explained again “that the medical billing office had been paid,” but the TCC representative “refused to call and verify.” When the complainant became angry, the TCC representative told him he was “going to report him immediately and then hung up on him.”The complainant stated that “not only did TCC not communicate with the billing office before harassing him, but even after he explained the situation, instead of calling the creditor,” The Collection Connection also seemed determined to “ruin his credit over nothing.” The complainant stated that TCC “shouldn’t have this kind of power, … should not be in business,” and that these actions represented “poor business practices from both parties.”
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…
“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!”
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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