If you’ve received messages from Credit Control Corporation about a debt, it’s essential to take action immediately. There’s a small window of time in which you can request more information about the debt, forcing them to take their time to respond and provide you with it.
Here’s what you need to know about handling Credit Control Corporation’s debt payment demands.
Table of Contents
- What is Credit Control Corporation?
- Who does Credit Control Corporation collect for?
- Is Credit Control Corporation a scam?
- How to stop Credit Control Corporation from calling you
- How to remove Credit Control Corporation from your credit report
- How to deal with Credit Control Corporation harassment
- Should you pay Credit Control Corporation?
What is Credit Control Corporation?
Founded in 1983, Credit Control Corporation (CCC) is a debt collection agency based in Newport News, VA. 1 They collect debt on behalf of companies in a variety of industries.
Credit Control Corporation provides the following debt collection services: 2
- Cash acceleration solutions
- Budget planning
- Pre-collection services
- Third-party insurance billing, filing, and follow-up
- Credit reporting
You may also see CCC go by the name “R & B Corporation of Virginia” or “Credit Control Corp.” 1
Debt collection agencies with similar names
Be careful not to confuse Credit Control Corporation with the following unrelated debt collection agencies, which have similar names:
- Credit Control LLC
- Credit Control Company, Inc.
- Direct Credit Control
- The CCS Companies (aka Credit Control Services, Inc.)
- First Federal Credit Control, Inc.
Who does Credit Control Corporation collect for?
Credit Control Corporation collects consumer debts on behalf of healthcare providers, utility providers, and telecommunications companies, and they also collect commercial debts for other businesses. 2 3
In other words, Credit Control Corporation may contact you to collect the following types of debt:
- Medical bills
- Cable bills
- Utility bills
- Other miscellaneous commercial debt
Is Credit Control Corporation a scam?
No, Credit Control Corporation isn’t a scam. They’re a legitimate debt collection company that holds a membership with ACA International. 4
That being said, the company could still behave unethically. Credit Control Corporation has also faced its fair share of consumer complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. 1
Scammers may also impersonate Credit Control Corporation to trick you into paying them, which means it’s important to verify the validity of your debts before you make any payments. To do so, contact Credit Control Corporation directly using their online form or the contact information below.
VIDEO: Credit Control Corporation in 2 Minutes—Fix Your Credit Report & Know Your Rights
How to stop Credit Control Corporation from calling you
Credit Control Corporation will call, email, or mail you if they believe you have an unsettled debt. The reason debt collectors like these are calling you is simple—they want to pressure you into paying up.
Unfortunately, Credit Control Corporation representatives will keep trying to contact you unless you pay the debt, prove that it doesn’t belong to you, or reach an agreement with them (or with your original creditor).
Don’t ignore debt collectors like Credit Control Corporation—in the end, you may get sued, and you may even have your wages garnished. It’s smarter to engage with them tactically to ensure you don’t have to pay, or that you get the best deal you can.
To begin, you can get Credit Control Corporation to stop calling you—at least temporarily—by sending them something called a debt verification letter.
Send a debt verification letter
A debt verification letter is a formal request that obligates a debt collector to provide further evidence of a debt. You must send it within 30 days of them first contacting you. Note that Credit Control Corporation should have sent you a debt validation letter proving you owe the debt first, as it’s required by law.
Benefits of sending a debt verification letter
Sending a debt verification letter has three benefits:
- You’ll prevent Credit Control Corporation from calling you during this period: When you send a debt verification letter, third-party debt collection agencies like Credit Control Corporation are required by law to stop contacting you until they can provide evidence that you actually owe the debt they’re trying to collect. 5
- You’ll get more information about the debt: You should never pay a debt that you don’t recognize. Forcing Credit Control Corporation to provide documentation will help you determine whether this is a legitimate debt that you actually need to pay. It’s an easy way of figuring out if the debt collector is a scam agency.
- You may successfully disown the debt: If Credit Control Corporation can’t provide more information about the debt (which is frequently the case), then they have no choice but to delete it from your records.
Beware the statute of limitations
The verification materials that you receive may show that your debt has passed the statute of limitations. This is a legal limit that means the debt is too old for Credit Control Corporation to sue you over, at which point it’s known as time-barred debt.
If this is the case, you can send Credit Control Corporation a letter telling them to stop contacting you. Legally, they’ll have to abide by that.
The statute of limitations on most debts is between 3 and 6 years, but the exact amount of time depends on several factors, including the state you live in. The best approach is to check your state attorney general’s website and email their office if the information you’re looking for isn’t available online.
How to remove Credit Control Corporation from your credit report
If your credit score is suffering as a result of Credit Control Corporation debt, there are three ways to recover:
1. Dispute the debt with all three credit bureaus
If you think that the debt associated with Credit Control Corporation on your credit report is illegitimate (e.g., if you paid it on time or it belongs to somebody else), dispute the item on your credit report. You can also dispute debts that are older than 7 years (measured from the date of your first missed payment)—by law, they’re supposed to fall off your credit report by then.
To dispute a debt for free, send a credit dispute letter to the credit bureaus that are showing Credit Control Corporation on your credit report.
To find out which credit bureaus you need to send the letter to, request your free credit report from each of the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) at AnnualCreditReport.com. If they don’t respond to your dispute within 30–45 days, then they’re legally obligated to remove the item in question.
2. Negotiate with Credit Control Corporation
Unfortunately, if the debt is legitimate and it’s less than 7 years old, removing Credit Control Corporation from your credit report will be very difficult (although not impossible).
Your best move at this point is to simply pay the debt. Newer credit scoring models ignore paid-off collection accounts, which means paying off your collection will boost your credit score even if you can’t remove the item.
However, when you pay, there are two negotiation strategies you can try as a last-ditch attempt to remove Credit Control Corporation from your credit report:
- Pay for delete: You might be able to convince Credit Control Corporation to remove the negative mark in exchange for paying off the debt. You can open these negotiations by sending them a pay-for-delete letter.
- Goodwill deletion: This is an alternate strategy you can try after paying your debt. Once the account is paid off, you can send Credit Control Corporation a goodwill letter asking them to empathize with your situation and remove the mark from your credit report as an act of kindness. Create your letter using our free goodwill letter template.
3. Wait 7 years for Credit Control Corporation to fall off of your credit report
Unfortunately, most collection accounts will stay on your credit report for 7 years after your first missed payment. Even if you pay off your debt to Credit Control Corporation, it will remain on your credit report.
Learn more about Credit Control Corporation’s impact on your credit score:
- How many points will my credit score increase after I pay off collections?
- How to rebuild your credit after having a debt sent to collections
How to deal with Credit Control Corporation harassment
Unless you tell them not to, Credit Control Corporation will keep contacting you until you pay off or settle your debt. However, there are restrictions on how they can go about doing this.
Restrictions on Credit Control Corporation
When attempting to collect payments from you, Credit Control Corporation must adhere to the regulations specified in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This is a federal law that prevents debt collectors from engaging in harassment or predatory behavior, such as lying to you or calling you incessantly or at unreasonable hours.
Credit Control Corporation representatives also need to follow the rules set out in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these laws so that you can take action against Credit Control Corporation if they do something illegal.
Can I sue Credit Control Corporation for harassment?
Yes, you can sue Credit Control Corporation for harassment. If you can show that they’ve violated your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, then you can collect $1,000 in statutory damages for each violation as well as payment for any damages that you’ve sustained as a result of their violation. Credit Control Corporation will also have to pay your attorney fees and court costs.
How to file a complaint against Credit Control Corporation
If a debt collector violates your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or does something illegal, then you can report them to the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or your state attorney general. From there, you’ll be able to find out whether you can also sue Credit Control Corporation.
Another option is filing a complaint on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, but this might not have the outcome you’re hoping for. Bear in mind that the BBB is actually a private organization that has no affiliation with the US government. They’ll forward your complaint to Credit Control Corporation, but there’s no guarantee that the agency will address it in a satisfactory manner. What’s more, if your dispute is sent to an arbitrator, then you may give up your right to take Credit Control Corporation to court.
Should you pay Credit Control Corporation?
You should only pay a collection agency like Credit Control Corporation if you’re certain the debt is yours and you owe it. If you’re struggling financially and can’t afford to pay this debt collector, you can get help from a non-profit credit counselor.
