United Consumers or UCI is a third-party collection agency based in Virginia. UCI has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including illegal communication tactics. If you have been contacted by UCI regarding past due financial obligations, understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), United Consumers, Inc. (UCI) is a legitimate collection agency, initially founded in 1953 and incorporated in 1982. The BBB opened its file in 2001 and lists United Consumers Inc as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates their annual revenue at $3 million and the size of its staff at 37 people.
According to its website, UCI’s mission is to “constantly strive to be an ethical, trustworthy and innovative organization dedicated to the fulfillment of our clients’ needs by providing dependable, and professional, solution orientated recovery services at affordable prices.”
United Consumers Inc provides collection services for tax bureaus; hospitals; physicians’ offices; banks, utility companies; retailers; commercial lenders; and bad checks. As a full-service third-party collection agency, United Consumers Inc offers bad debt collection; skip tracing; insurance follow-up; client support; compliance training; and the latest technology, including predictive and power dialing capabilities and integrated intelligent collection software.
United Consumers Inc cites membership in the following professional organizations: American Collectors Association (ACA); Virginia Collectors Association (VCA); Healthcare Services Program; American Association of Healthcare Administration Management; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; and the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. Their compliance policy includes staff training to ensure a “thorough understanding of the federal and state collection privacy laws.” However, their site is entirely client-facing and does not include any references or links to external consumer resources or consumer protection laws.
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.
The BBB has closed 29 consumer complaints against United Consumers Inc in the past three years, with 12 closed in the past 12 months. Almost all of these complaints allege problems with billing and collections, with 5 complaints alleging problems with customer service. Since March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 37 complaints against UCI. Justia lists at least 2 cases of civil litigation identifying UCI as a defendant.
United Consumers, Inc.
P.O. Box 4466
Woodbridge, VA. 22194
Telephone:(800) 736-6615
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely UCI 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 Complaint:
Many of the complaints against United Consumers Inc allege problems resulting from their use of automated dialing systems. In February 2017, a complainant reported that UCI representatives had called her six times looking for someone unknown to her and who did not live at her residence. The complainant indicated that messages left on her machine stated that by listening she had acknowledged that she was the person UCI was attempting to contact, but that since it was on her answering machine she was unable to have responded. She alleged further that United Consumers Inc was simply calling people with the same last name and no further evidence that such people had any connection to the person they were trying to locate. She claimed she should not be held responsible for correcting the company’s mistakes, and that in fact, the call had not been“a valid attempt to collect a debt…[but] just a broadcast robo call without any regard for the law or…privacy.” UCI responded that they had the wrong phone number, which was then removed from their database with a promise that no additional calls would follow.
In December 2016, a complainant indicated that United Consumers Inc representatives had been calling trying to reach the complainant’s teenage daughter. The calls were made using an automated system that requires the recipient to press a number confirming that they were the person UCI was trying to reach before the recipient could be connected to a live representative. Each time the complainant attempted to reach a live representative, he was forwarded to voicemail. He got the same result by trying to call them directly. Furthermore, the complainant insisted that there were no outstanding bills under his daughter’s name. UCI responded by apologizing for the lack of availability of live representatives and advised the complainant to contact the Vice President directly.
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…
“I was so excited when you told me about the positive outcome of the lawsuit. If the need ever arises again, I will not hesitate to call your office or recommend your law services to a friend in need.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I couldn’t be happier with all the hard work your office has done for me. I feel throughout the whole process I was kept informed, and my questions were always answered completely. The calls have stopped, I no longer have a mountain of junk bills piling up, and I owe it all to Lemberg Law.”
“I found your website. I filled out the information and much to my surprise received a call back within the hour. She listened intently and addressed each one of my concerns. She immediately forwarded me an email and advised I would not be charged for services rendered. She made me feel confident and assured, and that someone was in my corner.”
Chances are good that we can help. Call us today and we’ll explain.
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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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