Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc. (also known as FCO Collections) is a third-party debt collector located in Beltsville, Maryland. FCO Collections specializes in collecting debt owed to apartment owners and apartment complexes.
FCO Collections (Fair Collections and Outsourcing) is a real company that’s been in business since 1996.
In this Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Article, keep in mind, the rights of debtors and the obligations of debt collectors are spelled out in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Here are some key points.
For a full review of your rights under the FDCPA see this summary from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
If you believe that a debt collector is violating the rules, you can report them to the FTC, the CFPB, and your state’s attorney general.
It is highly recommend being extremely careful when implementing a Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Success Agreement with FCO Collections. They are known for deceptive practices.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Success is definitely not easy. Various debt collectors will deny any such thing exists. However, following the information throughout this article will give you a better chance at success.
There are complaints that have been filed by consumers trying to negotiate a pay for delete agreement with them. Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc. was even sued in 2019 for unfair debt collection practices!
As stated in a lawsuit filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
“The Bureau’s complaint alleges that FCO and Michael E. Sobota violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when FCO represented that consumers owed certain debts when, in fact, FCO did not have a reasonable basis to assert that the consumers owed those debts.”
Source: CFPB
Furthermore, the debt they attempted to collect was time-barred. This means the debt being collected was passed the statute of limitations, and said the borrower could no longer be sued.Fair Credit and Outsourcing Inc is more difficult to deal with than most other debt collectors.
On November 30, 2021 new Federal Debt Collection Regulations took effect. These new rules will have a big impact on the debt collection industry. Any consumer that has delinquent debts or accounts in collection these rules will affect them.
If you are receiving calls from Fair Credit and Outsourcing – or any other debt collection agency – there are steps that you can (and should) do. There are also two things that you should not do:
Even though your first thought is to PANIC, Don’t. It won’t help at all.
Never ignore any communication from a Debt Collector, it will definitely make things worse for you.
Now, let’s get on with it…
Our members that have dealt with Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc. or are currently dealing with them have offered their own reviews about FCO Collections. We highly recommend reading the reviews to give yourself a general idea of what to expect. Read the 2021 FCO Collector Reviews.
As mentioned above as of November 30, 2021, new regulations came into affect, and it states that debt collectors must send you a Notice of Debt within 5 days of their first contact with you. This Notice of Debt must contain a lot more information than the notices that debt collectors sent under prior rules.
If the notice is incomplete, it is considered invalid, and the debt isn’t collectible. This makes it extremely important to know what is now required.
A valid Notice of Debt must contain an itemization date. This can be 1 of 5 different dates.
This date will aid you in establishing whether the Statute of Limitations on the debt has expired and when it could drop off your credit report.
The Notice of Debt must also must contain all-inclusive information about the debt:
The Notice of Debt must contain a statement advising you of your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FCPA), including a statement that you have the right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receiving the letter from National Credit Systems, Inc.
The notice must also contain a returnable form allowing you to declare that you are disputing the debt and allowing you to select one of three reasons for a dispute:
Since Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc. is a third-party debt collector, who may have purchased debt before the new regulations came into effect, it will not have the required information. They may not be able to get it from the original creditor. Fair Collections and Outsourcing may still try to intimidate you into paying Fair Collections and Outsourcing or getting you to admit that the debt is yours.
If you receive a Notice of Debt, read it carefully word for word. Check the detail to make sure it complies with the law. If it does not have all the information in it as mentioned above, inform Fair Collections and Outsourcing Inc. that you will not discuss the debt until you receive a Notice of Debt that complies with Regulation F.
If you do not dispute the debt within 30 days, it is becomes valid automatically.
If you are using a dispute or debt validation letter template, make sure that the template is designed for notices received after the implementation of Regulation F.
Send the debt collector a certified letter addressing the following issues.
Ask for documentation that verifies that you owe the debt, such as a copy of the original contract.
Ask whether the statute of limitations on the debt has expired. The collector doesn’t have to tell you, but they can’t lie. If they won’t say, the statute of limitations may have expired.
Ask whether the agency is licensed to collect debt in your state. Again, the collector is not allowed to lie. You can ask for the date of the license, license number, and the state agency that issued the license as well.
A copy of the last billing statement sent by the original creditor.
Send the letter to Fair Collections and Outsourcing by certified mail.
Once you receive the debt validation letter you have 30 days to send a debt dispute letter if you plan on disputing the debt.
If Fair Collections and Outsourcing Inc. cannot prove the debt is yours, they cannot collect it or report it to the credit bureaus.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc. might not be able to furnish that proof. Remember, Fair Collections and Outsourcing purchased your debt, in bulk with a bunch of other debt, from the original creditor.
The burden is on them to provide proof. If they cannot, they are required by law to remove it from your credit report.
Always check the date of the debt against the statute of limitations in your state. Each state has a different statute of limitations. If the statute of limitations has expired, the debt collector cannot act on legal action against you.
The statute of limitations clock begins on the date when the debt was first reported as delinquent.
Remember that making a payment or acknowledging that the debt is yours can restart the statute of limitations.
In this Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete article, it is important to understand that before Nov. 20, 2021, you could get as many as 15 calls per day from a debt collector.
That could be extremely stressful. The good news, Regulation F places strict limits on debt collection calls.
A debt collector cannot call you more than seven times within seven consecutive days.
If a debt collector speaks to you on the phone they must wait seven days before calling again.
Debt collectors can now contact you by email and text message as well, but you can tell them how they are permitted to contact you and when.
The debt collector can only acknowledge the letter and notify you about legal steps the debt collector may take in the future.
When you stop the phone calls, you get some breathing room. However, the debt still exists, and the debt collector can take legal action.
If you think that you do not owe the debt or that the debt collection agency has failed to validate the debt, you can file a dispute with the credit bureaus.
The credit bureaus must investigate and verify your debt. If they cannot, they must remove it from your credit report.
There is an important step to a Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Success Agreement. Even though on some occasions the debt isn’t yours, the majority of the time, it is. If that’s the case, a settlement is one way to resolve this horrible situation.
Remember that debt collectors pay, on average, 4 cents for every dollar of debt that they buy. That gives you room to negotiate. A collector can accept less than you owe and still make a profit.
Debt collection agencies will settle for between 40-60% of the balance, based on reports from consumers on our site – which could mean thousands of dollars saved.
As part of the Fair Collections and Outsourcing for Delete Success, you might offer 15% of your balance to see what they come back with.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing is known to ask for more, but don’t let them push you around. With a little negotiation and back and forth, you can reach an agreement you’re comfortable with.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing may agree to remove your account from your credit report if you pay your debt. This is what is called a “pay for delete” agreement.
When you discuss a Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Agreement, ask the FCO Collections representative if they will delete your record if you pay. Send a formal “pay for delete letter” to confirm the arrangement and ask for a written approval.
Remember that you cannot get a credit bureau to remove a legitimate account from your credit file. It will be recorded as paid, but it may remain on your credit report for seven years from the date when the account first became delinquent.
A Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete arrangement is worth trying. If they accept the settlement you will no longer have to deal with the collection agency, and that’s a big plus.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing, Inc.
12304 Baltimore Ave. Suite E
Beltsville, MD 20705
877-324-7265
http://www.fco.com/
When starting the process for Fair Collections and Outsourcing Pay for Delete Success keep in mind not to give up. If in fact the debt is yours keep at it to negotiate a discounted amount of debt. Follow the instructions in this article and keep at it until you have an agreement in place. Good Luck!
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Tenant Watch Dog is a group of volunteers helping consumer deal with apartment debt collector through internal research that has been verified and fact-checked for accuracy.