Western Control Services or WCS 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.
Western Control Services, Inc. (WCS) is a third-party collection agency based in Colorado. WCS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken and using false or misleading information in an effort to collect a debt. If WCS has contacted you about past due financial obligations, make sure you know your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Western Control Services, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded and incorporated in 1988. The BBB established a profile page for WCS in 1991. Buzzfile estimates WCS’s annual revenue at $672,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 7 employees.
According to its website, WCS “provides receivables management and collection services.” WCS states that it is “a results-driven company that puts the needs of…customers first.” WCS also states that “communication is the key resource they use to facilitate relationships with…customers.” WCS is “committed to…customer…satisfaction” and to “keeping customers updated throughout the business relationship.”
WCS collects delinquent accounts for law firms, medical practices, and education lenders. WCS’s legal collections division specializes in contacting “abrasive clients” and “handling them in a non-abrasive way,” by explaining to them “that the charge for services, for which they contracted, is legally due, and WCS has the responsibility to collect the debt.”
The collection staff of WCS’s medical division specialize in “collecting…deductibles and co-pays” for medical practices. They “carefully examine…billing processes; …identify if…the billing process is being completed in a timely fashion;…and identify exactly who is not paying… monies due.” WCS’s student loan division staff “assist…in collecting… past due student accounts by… locating… missing students…then engaging them in a conversation to explain why they need to pay for the education they’ve received.”
WCS’s collection tools include letter series “designed for clients with a large volume of accounts”; skip tracing with “a flat rate amount per account with a minimum of 100 accounts per order”; and a combination of letter series and skip tracing for customers who want the “most effective approach to leveraging their in-house receivables.”
The WCS website contains many errors, inconsistent formatting, broken links, and duplicate pages. WCS provides online access and account placement for clients, as well as a link to an online payment portal for consumers. The payment portal page includes a link to Colorado’s state Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and a statement identifying them as a bill collector. However, their website does not provide any information about their regulatory compliance policies or 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 February 2019, the BBB has closed 7 complaints against Western Control Services in the preceding three years, with 1 complaint closed in the past 12 months. Almost all of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections. Since July 2015,the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)has closed 11 complaints involving WCS. Justia does not lists any cases of civil litigation involving WCS.
Western Control Services, Inc.
7333 W Jefferson Ave., Ste. 270
Lakewood, CO 80235-2025
Telephone:(303) 761-6102
Website: http://western-control.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely WCS 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. Here are some Sample Complaints
Complaints against Western Control Services commonly cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts, the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies, and rude and aggressive communication tactics. In May 2017, a complainant stated the he and his wife had been “dealing with a long, difficult dispute,” and that the representatives “that they had spoken to with WCS had been particularly awful, resorting to insults and degrading comments.” The complainant had been “unable to get anywhere with them,” so his wife became the primary contact. The complainant’s wife“is primarily dealing with…finances at this point and has been working very hard to try to untangle this mess, which is very much affecting the complainant’s family, as they have relocated and need to find a new home, which has been impossible with this collection on his credit report.” Allegedly, when the complaint’s wife “spoke to them, she began to try to explain the situation… which included the complainant’s father’s death, to which the representative commented ‘So you think that you are not responsible because someone died?’ in a very condescending tone.” The complainant stated that “at that point his wife became unhinged… and even more unhinged as the representative continued with insults and degrading comments regarding the complainant and his family.” The complainant stated that he was “finally able to get the attention of the original creditor, who has… been working on helping him over the last several weeks.” He also stated that “the original creditor no longer works with this company…and it seems WCS has been difficult for them to work with, as well.” The complainant stated that the “original creditor had informed him that they were finally able to make an adjustment… through WCS…after determining that he had a valid dispute.”The complainant stated that he had been “willing to pay the adjusted amount due with an agreement that the collection will be removed from his credit report, but…WCS continues to refuse to remove the collection.”
In response, WCS stated that they “dispute… several of the points mentioned in the consumer’s complaint.” They also stated that they were“not able to provide a complete response using the BBB forum due to privacy restrictions,” and expressed their“wish…to stay in compliance with all privacy laws.” They also advised the complainant that if he “will contact WCS, they are confident their explanation will satisfy his desired resolution to the 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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