I have a collection account opened in 12/2008 for over $200 dollars from BMG music. I disputed the item on my credit report and they did not remove it. I am willing to take legal action to have it removed.

Got this charge taken OFF my credit report, Sent cert. letter to National Credit Solutions, and filed a complaint online with the FTC, 12 days later I got a letter in the mail from NCS .. stating this charge will be taken off my credit report and they are closing the account, ( that I never had ) so there is hope.

NCS will be launching a new consumer friendly website in the near future. We are working on opening up the lines of communication to better inform consumers who are going through the collections process.

For anyone who has been reading any NCS bloggs and has questions I would love to help you and walk you through the process; however you need to contact the office so we can speak in person. To ensure compliance with federal laws pertaining to debt collection, we are unable to correspond electronically. The reason I can not give you any assistance via email is due to third-party disclosure (someone might read the email and NCS is held liable for the unauthorized disclosure of collections activities to an outside party) We want to help you, but we also want to do everything according to the law. Please feel free to call the office at 1-800- 384-0585 I have listed our hours below.

11am- 8pm Monday
11am- 6pm Tuesday
11am- 9pm Wednesday
11am- 8pm Thursday
11am- 5pm Friday
Central Standard time

If you call in and simply provide your personal information our Debt Resolution Specialists can look up your file and transfer you to your Account Manager.

We also have a FAQ blog coming soon.

Some questions that will be answered are
• What kind of agency is National Credit Solutions
• Who regulates a collections agency?
• What tools does NCS use to collect?
• Is it legal for NCS to report to my credit
• Do I have to pay extra fees to NCS in addition to the principle balance?
• Does NCS have to provide proof of purchase before collection?
• Will my account be closed if I send in a complaint?
• What is the best way to dispute a debt?
• Should I contact the original creditor?
• How can I prove this debt is not mine?


A personal note addressing some questions I have been asked:

• If you have moved and currently have a new address it helps to call in and correct the information so you can receive any reminders for payments, receipts, or notifications concerning your account. You should have received an initial letter 5 days after any contact with NCS informing you of your balance and your rights. If you have found something on your credit report and haven’t received a notice from NCS yet please contact our office so that we can get you the information you need as quickly as possible.

• If you contact NCS and make a request for payment in full (PIF) your account will be closed and the Credit Bureau will be contacted. We will request that the collection be deleted from your credit report entirely. NCS reports to the Credit Bureau with any updates to your credit every Friday. This ensures quicker updates than many other agencies out there. All that NCS can do however is notify the Credit Bureau and after that it is their obligation to make any changes as they see fit. The time that it takes to see any immediate results or removal varies.

• If you are seeing the date of December 2008 this is when National Credit Solutions received your actual account, this is NOT the date that indicates when the actual transaction occurred NOR does this date effect the fall-off date of the collection on your credit. The fall-off date for the collection on your credit is seven years from the last activity on the account. Your credit report will have this date listed. NCS does not “re-age” any accounts or manipulate any information illegally. NCS operates in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). We are licensed and working continuously to adhere to different stipulations that vary from state to state. We follow a strict code of ethics and treat every one of our consumers respectfully.

• There are some consequences that come from leaving a collection report on your credit and waiting for 7 years for it to fall off. These consequences include but are not limited to drastic changes in your credit score, high interest rates, high insurance premiums, and difficulty acquiring loans or purchasing a house or car and may affect job eligibility. For more information on Your Rights: Credit Reporting & Credit Reports & Scoring visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit.shtm


• If you know that you owe money but have questions about the actual amount you can call into the NCS office and ask a Debt Resolution Representative for a breakdown of the principle balance as well as any late fees or interest accrued.


This information is not to be construed as legal advice. Legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. Every effort has been made to assure that this information is correct and up-to-date. This is not a full and exhaustive explanation of the law nor should it be used as or considered legal council.

If you wish to contact NCS:

MAILING
PO Box 15779
OKC, OK 73155-0799

Main Number:
1-800-384-0585

Because I am advising you to contact NCS I must state by law:
National Credit Solutions is a debt collection company. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides that a debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of debt. Section 807 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides that "false, deceptive, or misleading representation" includes the failure to disclose the mini Miranda in the oral or written communication with the consumer and in addition to this within five days after first contact, the debt collector must send a written notice advising the consumer of the amount of money owed; the name of the creditor to whom the money is owed; and the actions which the consumer may take if the consumer believes that he, or she, does not owe the money.
Thank you for your patience and I hope that I was able to help you in some way. Dealing with debt can be scary or unpleasant but NCS can help. We strive to make the payment process as easy and quick as possible for you. Getting your debt resolved and keeping you satisfied is our first priority.

There are lots of complaints and advice out there on National Credit Solutions but I disagree with a lot of it. I understand that some people are concerned that NCS is a scam. The first thing I would do would be to investigate it. However no one ever does this, people just freak out when they are notified or find something on thier credit.

NCS is a legitimate business, certified with the BBB and FTC, and is lisenced in every state that it does business in. Thier credit reporting capabilities are legitimate. The report to the Credit Bureau every Friday.

Here is some general info. on how the company works and what you should expect.

If you see that NCS has reported something to your credit report this means that the account has been overdue for an extended amount of time and the original creditor has transferred your uncollected debt to National Credit Solutions for collection. Someone had to provide two types of identification and legitimate credit card or payment information for these original transactions... so whether it was you ordering from a company (BMG) a long time ago and you just can't remember OR it was someone with your information ordering the merchandise EITHER WAY the order is under your name because of the information that was provided. If you submit a WRITTEN request for validation NCS will supply that to you no problem at all ( they have 30 days to get it to you)

You may or may not have been contacted by the original creditor for attempts to receive payment before they handed over the account to a 3rd party collections agency. It stinks to find something on your credit report without any warning HOWEVER once the account is handed down to a collections agency they have the right to report it to the Credit Bureau without notification (With the exceptions of 3 states).

NCS contacts the credit bureau ever Friday for updates. After NCS receives contact from you or contacts you personally, 5 days from this initial contact you will receive a letter stating your rights and the amount owed. If they don't hear back from you it is assumed that you have received the notice.

After receiving this first notification from NCS you have 30 days to send in a formal written request for validation. After 30 days NCS is not legally obligated to send you a validation but may or may not as a common courtesy.

It is very important to resolve any issues with collections agencies in order to avoid increasing fees and to maintain a good credit score. Some people might say don’t pay, reporting to your credit is just a bullying tactic. This is bad advice because the longer you wait to pay your debt the more fees build and your credit worsens. In extreme cases your credit card may be cancelled, you may be refused a loan or unable to make any serious purchases.

Full payment, payment plan, settlement?

There is a difference in each of these options and how it affects your credit report. Also keep in mind that the quicker you resolve your debts with the agency the better -- as the account sits in the system it accumulates interest fees and becomes more and more expensive with time. Stay calm and make an informed decision, but do not blow your payment off. This only costs you more in the long run.

Full Payment- quickest, guarantees that your credit will be cleared

Payment Plan -National Credit Solutions offers various payment plans over extended periods of time based on how much you are financially able to pay. This process takes longer to clear your credit but eventually does. they can set up automatic withdrawals according to the payment plan you have established.

Hardship Settlement- On a case by case basis NCS may or may not qualify you for a hardship settlement after assessing your situation and financial standing. Different factors affect their ability to settle such as ownership of the account and what type of account it is. If you chose this option your credit report will show that you settled for less than the legal amount owed. They can't guarantee the degree to which your credit will improve it varies in each situation.

Best way of paying
They accept payments over the phone or by mail, from checking, savings, credit or debit cards, mail orders, or cashiers checks. (Discover, Visa, MasterCard only) They will prob. encourage you to pay over the phone which I was uneasy of at first but when I checked into it I was told this was for a few reasons. It is a lot faster and actually more secure to pay via phone. If you mail in your payment there is a difference in the amount paid versus the final balance ( which includes any fees that were accumulated while your payment was in the mail).

After I pay how long will it take to get it off my credit?

NCS reports to the Credit Bureau with any updates to your credit every Friday. All that NCS can do however is notify the Credit Bureau and after that it is their obligation to make any changes as they see fit. The time that it takes to see any immediate results or removal varies.

Other Options: Cease & Desist/ Dispute

Cease and Desist is a formally written request. Be advised, cease and desist does not make debt go away. Requesting cease and desist will simply terminate any written or verbal communication towards you from NCS employees. NCS will honor this request. However, the debt will still show up on the consumers credit report, the account is still open, and the individual is still held accountable for the debt. But don't send a cease and desist and ask for verification...that doesn't make sense.

If you are disputing the debt it is best to file your dispute through Transunion.com or experian.com, or mail it directly to NCS addressed to Blake Taylor for the quickest response.

IF YOU ARE FILING A DISPUTE KEEP IN MIND:
1.) You must provide proof.
2.) After a dispute is received by NCS they commence an investigation that can take up to 30 days.

If you feel that the debt being pursued is not yours and you have legitimate proof to clear the account from your name then you should file a dispute. After they receive a dispute an investigation is taken up that lasts 30 days. After this 30 day period NCS has 30 days to contact you. This takes time.

If for example you are disputing the debt on the grounds of identity theft you must provide a police report and the identity theft affidavit for that relevant period of time when the debt occurred. Another example would be a person who was overseas at the time of the transaction, if the correct documents were submitted to prove this the account would be closed.

With millions of accounts there are bound to be mistakes or cases of fraud HOWEVER many people claim identity theft with no proof in an attempt to get out of paying.

If you don’t think the debt is yours do not file a complaint submit a dispute!

Complaints should be very rare. File a complaint if you are reporting any harassment or if the agency has broken the law.

Any other questions let me know...We’re here to help!

This information is not to be construed as legal advice. Every effort has been made to make sure this information is correct and up-to-date. It is not a full and exhaustive explanation of the law in any area. This information is not intended to be and should not be used as legal advice.

My husband and I recently had a credit report run for our refinance. We were surprised to find the Experian rating to be affected by a claim the National Credit Solutions for BMG. We had never received any type of correspondence or phone calls related to the debt. When I contacted them to find out what the charges were for I was told they were for DVDs purchased in 2004. I specifically asked for a detailed invoice itemizing the items that were purchased. When I got the envelope in the mail the following week (because they claim they can't do anything electronically...but information I read on line about these folks indicate they have emailed information) it was a typical collection letter indicating the balance due and information indicating we only had 30 days to officially dispute it or it would be considered a valid debt. I contacted National Credit Solutions again requesting a detailed invoice of the items purchased and was told that I needed to request that in writing. I am sending the official letter tomorrow but given all the stories I've read on line about this outfit, I have to believe this is some kind of scam. We pay our bills and don't recall these purchases.