Stop calls from 800-278-2420

April 23, 2024

Stop calls from 800-278-2420

Do you keep getting calls from 800-278-2420? ZumaZip.com can help you get them off your back.

Debt collectors are known to be highly aggressive. Enhanced Recovery Company, LLC (ERC) collection agency irritates consumers with their persistent and misplaced calls, unrecognized debts, unprofessional staff, and harassing tactics.

ERC has pretty bad reviews. As of February 2022, it had a 1.1 out of 5 stars review on its BBB profile. The profile is also filled with complaints such as refusal of ERC to return calls and threatening to take legal action without validating the debt. Calls from 800-278-2420 are irritating because they:

Ask for someone you do not know
Have your name right, but the debt is not yours
Ask about a debt that is already paid
Call at night or multiple times
Call your work or friends
Harass or threaten you

If you are receiving ERC’s calls, you may want them to stop, but debt collectors do not stop calling unless you take acceptable legal action. Below are the steps you can take to stop calls from 800-278-2420.

Know your rights

Your first line of defense is knowing your rights. For example, debt collectors cannot contact you whenever they want.

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a summary of your rights, and The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you from unlawful debt collectors. According to the FDCPA, an ERC debt collector:

Cannot call you before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm
Has to send you a debt validation notice within five days of contacting you
Must send a complete validation notice; if the validation notice is incomplete, the debt isn’t payable
Must correctly identify themself as a debt collector and give full names, address, phone number, and company license number

If you believe one or more of these rights has been overstepped, you can report the abuse of office to FTC, CFPB, or BBB or contact a consumer attorney. If you win in court, ERC may be ordered to pay both the attorney’s fee and your compensation. This action will stop their calls.

Dispute the debt

Regardless of whether you think the debt is yours, always dispute it. You should launch a dispute within 30 days of receiving the debt validation notice before the debt is considered valid.

How do you go about it? The debt validation notice comes with a returnable form which you can fill to launch a dispute. You can launch a dispute if the debt is not yours or the amount stated is incorrect.

Send a Debt Validation Letter to request an official debt validation notice and send via certified mail to prove that ERC has received it. Once they receive your letter, they must investigate and verify that the debt belongs to you. If they don’t have the proper documentation from the original creditor, they will drop the case. In fact, most collection agencies would rather give up at this point, because it might cost them more to prove the debt than to continue trying to collect it.

ZumaZip.com can help you draft a Debt Validation Letter in minutes.

Don’t be afraid to dispute a debt, even if you know it’s yours. ERC is required to prove the debt belongs to you. If ERC collectors fail to provide proof, you don’t have to pay. If they keep contacting you about the debt without validating it, they are violating the FDCPA.

Stop the calls

The easiest way to stop the calls should be speaking directly to the ERC’s representative. ERC’s website provides 1-800-383-5979 as the number to call to report any complaint. Once you get through to a representative, explain that you do not want them to contact you by phone again. You also have the right to request that all correspondence be in writing.

Secondly, you can send a “cease contact” letter. After ERC receives your letter, they should not contact you to collect the debt. They may contact you only to let you know of the action they plan to take (like suing). Let them know you prefer they speak with your attorney instead of you.

The third option is to “pay for deletion.” Talk to ERC to see if they offer pay-for-deletion services. If they do, you should be able to pay off the debt to have it deleted from your credit report.

Lastly, offer to settle the debt with ERC. You can bargain with the company to pay a percentage of the debt if you cannot afford to pay the whole amount. Remember, they may have bought your debt for 4 cents on the dollar. This means you could pay off 50% of the original amount, and ERC would still make a profit. You have room to bargain. Start payments once you settle on a percentage, and you will be free of ERC’s annoying calls.

Take the necessary action

ERC is a legitimate debt collection company that has been BBB accredited since 2007, but accreditation by the BBB does not assure ethical debt collection practices. Stop all calls from 800-278-2420 by exercising your rights and verifying the debt by sending a Debt Validation Letter. Fight the debt if it is not yours, and reach out to ERC for a payment plan if the debt belongs to you.

What is ZumaZip?

ZumaZip.com makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: ZumaZip is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay ZumaZip to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

Respond with ZumaZip

“First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across ZumaZip, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! ZumaZip sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!” – Juaquim

Why ZumaZip.com?

ZumaZip is a convenient solution designed to streamline your response to a debt collection lawsuit. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you use ZumaZip:

Firstly, you’ll access our user-friendly web application, which guides you through the process step by step. You’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions related to your specific situation. Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, you have the option to either print out the finalized forms and mail them to the appropriate courts yourself, or you can opt to utilize ZumaZip’s services to file them on your behalf. Additionally, if you choose this option, an attorney will review your document for added peace of mind.

If you’re seeking guidance on how to effectively respond to a debt collection lawsuit, ZumaZip can provide the assistance you need. Feel free to explore our FAQs for more information on what ZumaZip has to offer.

What if I haven’t been sued yet?

If you’ve only received a collections notice, but not a lawsuit, the best way to respond is with a Debt Validation Letter. When a debt collector contacts you in any way, whether it’s by phone or mail, you can respond by formally requesting a debt validation with a Debt Validation Letter . This letter notifies the collector that you dispute the debt and forces them to provide proof you owe the debt. They can’t call you or continue collecting until they provide validation of the debt. This flowchart shows how you can use a Debt Validation Letter to win.

Get started with a Debt Validation Letter here.

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