IC Systems – Are they Legit?

IC Systems is a debt collection agency that was founded in 1938. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and they usually collect debts on behalf of their clients in healthcare, education, dental, government, utilities, commercial industries, and financial services. In addition, they deal with many other small and medium-sized businesses.

Like other debt collection companies, IC Systems usually buys debts from their clients, and then contract consumers who are meant to pay them. These debts usually are purchased for pennies on the dollar, and then they turn around and collect the same from the consumers to make a profit.

Is it a scam?

No.

This is a legit company, and you may find them listed on your credit report from time to time if you haven’t paid your debts.

IC Systems is a legitimate debt collection company that utilizes various methods of debt collection in their bid to ensure that consumers pay up what they owe.

They have however been reported by their clients of harassment, and extreme use of debt collection methods such as; sending multiple letters, constant calling, litigation, skip tracing, and reporting clients to the credit bureaus.

After dealing with your account for 180 days, they usually send all accounts that are over $100 to outside lawyers for litigation.

If you have suffered harassment in their hands, you need to know that you do have options, which I shall explain to you later on.

How do they work?

IC Systems functions just like any other debt collection agency, and they will go through all sorts of tactics to collect what you owe.

After contacting you in vain, they will proceed to send your credit information to all the credit bureaus, and you shall find a negative tradeline on your credit report.

If you see the negative entry on your report, it means that you have a past-due bill that you need to pay.

What to do if you owe the debt

If you discover that the listing is valid, they usually advise you to contact them so they can help you through the process of payment. Their contact telephone number is; 800-279-7244.

What to do if it is an error

According to the company website, in case you discover that the listing was erroneously done, they advise you to contact their dispute page on their website and submit your personal information so that they can begin the process of investigation.

This information is as per the company procedures, but unfortunately, they have received numerous complaints in regards to their customer service and harassment of their customers.

Harassment claims

IC Systems have been known to call several times a day attempting to collect on a debt. Your caller ID will show no number at all or a phony telephone number that shall be generated by IC Systems.

If the call goes to voicemail, you shall receive several minutes of nothing but silence, and when you try to call back, the call shall go unanswered. These calls can go on for up to 2 years, and they may even try to call you at work.

Fortunately, according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), you are allowed to write a letter to IC Systems and ask them to stop calling you. For most people, this is usually their last resort as they do not know about this rule.

IC Systems, however, has onsite legal counsel that may choose to sue you for collection of a debt. If they no longer feel that you can negotiate with them, they will choose this route, although it is a more costly option to them.

If you end up losing the lawsuit, you shall receive a civil judgment against you, and if you do not pay the judgment, then you shall eventually have your wages garnished or assets seized. This is very serious business, plus, going to court will be costly for you.

So, before deciding to file a cease and desist order against the collection company, it is essential to consider getting professional help from a reputable credit repair company.

I have talked about this in the following blog posts.

These companies have experience on how to effectively deal with collection agencies and defend your rights as a consumer. In addition, they shall help you improve the status of your credit report and your credit score as well.

Now, for years, debt collectors have been getting away with harassment and abusive collection practices because consumers do not know their rights. As mentioned earlier, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) has put some guidelines in place to help protect you from unscrupulous debt collectors.

Here are some of your rights:

• They are prohibited from using harmful and unfair tactics when trying to collect a debt.
• They should not contact anybody who is not the main person that owes the debt.
• They shouldn’t threaten you with referral to an attorney, wage garnishment, or harm your credit without an actual intent or act on the threat.
• They should not call you at unreasonable times, such as before 8 am, or after 9 pm.
• They should not contact you at your place of work if you have specifically asked them not to do so.
• They should not place calls to inform on you to your employer or disclose any aspect of your debt to others.
• They should not use profane or obscene language during their calls.
• They should not send collection letters which appear to be from a government office or a court.
• They should not threaten to arrest you if the debt remains unpaid.

Please note that; If IC Systems have violated any of the Fair Debt Collection Rights, you have the right to sue them.

How to File an IC System Lawsuit

If IC System has used unfair and unethical collections tactics, you have the right to sue under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. You must file within one year from the date that your right was violated.

You must also ensure to keep records of all the contact you have had with IC System Inc.; this should include documents sent through the mail or online. Keep track of all calls, including dates and times of the calls and the names of the people you spoke with.

Contact Information for IC System Inc. – Phone Number, Mailing Address, Website

Address 444 Highway 96 East, P.O. Box 64378

City                        St. Paul

State                     Minnesota

Zip Code               55164-0378

Phone 1                866-628-7811

Phone 2                800-279-7244

Website                www.icsystem.com

When do you have a case against them?

You may have a case against IC Systems if:

• You have been receiving multiple calls per week from their offices.
• If you are receiving early morning or late night calls.
• If they are calling you at work.
• If they have been calling your friends, coworkers or neighbors in a bid to try and collect your debt.
• If they are threatening you with violence, arrest, or a lawsuit.
• If they have been threatening you with a negative credit report.
• If they have been trying to intimidate you.
• If criminal accusations are being made against you.
• If they are using obscene language while attempting to collect from you.
• If automated robocalls are being made on your phone?

Have IC systems contacted you?

The first contact they make with clients is through sending one or more threatening letters. As debt collectors, they use all sorts of sneaky and shady tactics to get in touch with people they believe owe them money.

Now, here’s the thing; when you receive a letter from IC systems, it may not belong to you at all. These debt collection agencies scour the internet, online databases, and phone books looking for addresses of everyone with the same name as you, and then they start sending them threatening letters. They send these to everyone!

So, just because you have received a letter from a collection agency, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a valid claim against you, and it may be completely erroneous.

Remember that they usually purchase debt from other companies, and they can easily get mixed up. They may not have proper documentation either, or they may be contacting the wrong person altogether.

How should you react?

The first thing you should do when you receive a letter from IC Systems is to send them a reply through a debt verification letter.

A debt verification letter is a letter that you should send after the collector has sent you a debt validation letter.

I will explain these two.

After you receive the initial call, or letter, demanding that you pay a debt, you should not pay a single dime of it before confirming that the debt belongs to you. The debt collector is required to send you a debt validation letter which outlines the debt in terms of how much you owe and any other information they may have about you.

If you are uncertain about the debt you are being asked to pay, you can send them a debt verification letter which should request them to provide you with more information. This option is best when you are planning to pay off the debt.

Once IC systems receive your verification request, they are required to provide you with the information you enquired about, plus any accompanying documentation within 30 days. This documentation should contain your signature, to verify that you indeed owe the money; otherwise, you shall not be liable to pay the debt.

How many complaints have been lodged against IC Systems?

As of April 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) had reportedly closed over 517 IC Systems complaints that had been reported over the last couple of years. The BBB gave them a B evaluation on customer satisfaction and debt collection.

In addition to this, Justia has reported over 30 IC Systems complaints that have been filed with the federal court over the last few years that allege violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Moreover, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has listed over 465 complaints against IC Systems.

Can they garnish your wages?

I have mentioned above that it is illegal for them to do this. However, they have been known to summon debtors to court and garnish their wages after a default judgment.

The smart move would be to contact an attorney before the legal process begins. This would help you a great deal.

Conclusion

As a consumer, you need to understand that you have rights. The federal government has made provisions to ensure that you are protected against debt collectors, and in addition, you can sue them if they violate your rights.

Debt collection is a dirty job, but it can be done while respecting the consumer, and this is why you need to understand what your rights are.

It is, however, advisable to pay your debts on time to avoid these terrible situations with such companies. Ensure to keep your payments up to date, and also try to live within your means to avoid too much debt.

As human beings, it is at times inevitable to get into a sticky situation, but if you find yourself in trouble over debts, try and resolve them as soon as possible.

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