Quick Answer: Encore Capital complaints often involve misrepresentation of payment terms and aggressive collection tactics, as shown in this case where a consumer was promised $25 monthly payments in court but pressured into $150 payments and forced to provide banking information. The complaint was closed with explanation by the company.
Date Received: 2018-12-13T00:00:00.000
Product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
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Consumer Complaint: I went to court on XX/XX/2018 for a debt of {$1100.00}. I pled guilty and discussed with the debt collection agencys attorney the repayment plan. The attorney stated I could make {$25.00} payments and that these could be made through my current debt management agency. I was to call the debt collection agency to set up my payment.
I called on XX/XX/18 and spoke to a XXXX. He told me that my payment would be {$220.00} a month. I relayed to him what his companys attorney told me I could make a {$25.00} payment. He put me on hold and then said he can only do {$150.00}. He also told me I could not send in a payment by check. He stated I had to give him either my routing and transit number or my debit card number.
I felt completely pressured to give him my private bank account number and feel extremely violated. I did not want to give any non public information of mine to him but Felt pressured to do so.
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State/Zip: PA
Company Response to Complaint: Closed with explanation
Was Company Response Timely: Yes
Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: N/A
Complaint ID: 3098992
The above data is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Keep in mind that every company will get a complaint from time-to-time, even the great ones. But there are a few key data points that will give you an idea about how well the company values their customers and handles consumer issues.
Look at the item Company Response to Complaint: and Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: to get a better idea of how this was resolved. And the field Consumer Complaint: can give you some context of the issue.
In particular what you are looking for was that the company response was timely and that the consumer did not dispute it. The posting of complaints has proven to be a valuable resource for both companies and consumers.
Before You Sign Anything: Run any debt relief contract through the free Contract Decoder to spot hidden fees and unfair terms. Check the company’s complaint history with the Scam-O-Meter.
Compare Your Real Options: Most debt relief companies won’t tell you about all your options — especially the ones they can’t profit from. Credit counseling has a 21-27% completion rate. Settlement resolves about 1% of enrolled debts fully. Bankruptcy has a 95% discharge rate — and protects your retirement. Take the Find Your Path quiz for a recommendation based on your actual numbers.
