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.
How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states
Here’s a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont; Vermont (Small Claims court)
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Guides on how to beat every debt collector
Hey there! Facing off against a debt collector can feel like a daunting challenge, but fear not! We’re here to help you navigate through it all with our handy guides designed to assist you in beating every debt collector you encounter. Whether you’re facing a new lawsuit or dealing with a persistent collector, we’ve got your back. Stay positive, stay informed, and let’s tackle this together!
- Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC
- Accredited Collection Services
- Alliance One
- Amcol Clmbia
- American Recovery Service
- Asset Acceptance LLC
- Asset Recovery Solutions
- Associated Credit Services
- Autovest LLC
- Cach LLC
- Cavalry SPV I LLC
- Cerastes LLC
- Colinfobur
- Covington Credit
- Crown Asset Management
- CTC Debt Collector
- Cypress Financial Recoveries
- Delanor Kemper & Associates
- Eagle Loan of Ohio
- Educap
- Estate Information Services
- FIA Card Services
- Forster & Garbus
- Freshview Solutions
- Fulton Friedman & Gullace LLP
- Harvest Credit Management
- Howard Lee Schiff
- Hudson & Keyse LLC
- Integras Capital Recovery LLC
- Javitch Block
- Jefferson Capital Systems LLC
- LVNV Funding
- Mannbracken
- Mariner Finance
- Medicredit
- Michael J Adams PC
- Michael J Scott
- Midland Funding LLC
- Mullooly, Jeffrey, Rooney & Flynn
- Mountain Land Collections
- MRS Associates
- National Collegiate Trust
- Nationstar Foreclosure
- Northstar Capital Acquisition
- NCEP LLC
- NRC Collection Agency
- OneMain Financial
- Palisades Collection LLC
- Pallida LLC
- Paragon Revenue Group
- Pinnacle Collections Agency
- PMAB LLC
- Portfolio Recovery Associates
- Provest Law
- PYOD LLC
- Reunion Student Loan Finance Corporation
- Revenue Group
- Regents and Associates
- RSIEH
- Salander Enterprises LLC
- Second Round Sub LLC
- Security Credit Services
- Sherman Financial Group
- Suttell and Hammer
- T-Mobile
- Transworld Systems
- Tulsa Teachers Credit Union
- UCB Collection
- Velo Law Office
- Velocity Investments
- Waypoint Resource Group
- Weinberg and Associates
- Wolpoff & Abramson
Settle your medical debt
Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.
- Am I Responsible for My Spouse’s Medical Debt?
- Do I Need a Lawyer for Medical Bills?
- Do I Need a Lawyer to Fight Medical Bill Debt?
- Does Bankruptcy Clear Medical Debt?
- How Much Do Collection Agencies Pay for Medical Debt?
- How to Find Medical Debt Forgiveness Programs
- Is There a Statute of Limitations on Medical Bills?
- Medical Debt Statute of Limitations by State
- Summoned to Court for Medical Bills — What Do I Do?
- Summoned to Court for Medical Bills? What to Do Next
Stop calls from Debt Collectors
Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.