Nationwide Credit Inc: How to deal with Collection Calls

 Nationwide Credit Inc: is a small-sized collection agency in the United States. They operate in all 50 states. They have been in business since 1947 and are headquartered in Pennsylvania. Ocwen Financial Corporation purchased the company in 2007, and in 2009 the company operations expanded and were made part of a company called Altisource. In 2019 NCI was acquired by a multi-national company, TSI (Transworld Systems), with approximately 2,300 employees and operations centers in the United States, India, and the Philippines.

NCI act as agents for original creditors and debt buyers, including large banks, credit card companies. They handle debt from pre-collection to litigation. 

Just like dealing with any debt collector, be prepared. Verify that you owe the debt, that the company does not harass you, and that you have the right tools to settle your debt.

What is Nationawide Credit Inc? Are they real or a scam?

Nationwide Credit Inc (NCI) is not a scam. It is a real debt collection agency. NCI is a third-party debt collector and does not buy debt from the Client. They act as a full-service collection company for creditors and aggressively pursue collections for original lenders and debt buyers. NCI represents clients across various industries and types of debt, including major credit card companies, auto loans, banking and credit card, healthcare, insurance, mortgage, retail, telecommunication, and utilities. They operate in all of the United States. 

NCI has experience working with clients from early-stage pre-charge-off collections, post-charge-off recoveries, mortgage collections, and lawsuits with a vast attorney network.

Nationwide Credit Inc. has offices in Pennsylvania. They are also known as Nationwide Credit or NCII. Other debt collection agencies use the term National Credit. Don't confuse NCI with National Credit and Collections or National Credit Services. 

Do you owe Nationawide Credit Inc. money?

You may not be familiar with NCI until they contact you about a debt. They represent many original and third-party creditors.  Your credit may show the name of the original creditor or debt buyer. Because they do not own the debt, their name may not show up on the credit report except as an inquiry.

However, there are various reasons that you may not owe the original creditor or the current owner of the debt money. For example, the debt may not belong to you, the statute of limitations expired, or you already paid off the debt. Take these steps when GMC contacts you about a debt.

Step 1 - Validate your debt.

Before you proceed with any collection agency, always validate the debt. If Nationwide Credit Inc contacts you to collect a debt - immediately validate it after the first contact. You have 30 days to validate the debt, so act quickly.  The best way to contact them is to send a registered letter. 

NCI is obligated to validate the debt. If you don’t receive proper validation, then send a notice of insufficient validations. If the collection agency cannot validate the debt, it has no legal basis to collect it.

>>Learn more: Follow the steps described in the Bills.com debt validation article to preserve your rights under the FDCPA.

Step 2 - Check to see if the Statute of Limitations (SOL) is valid.

After a certain amount of time, state laws protect you against litigation. State laws set the time that a creditor can sue you and collect on the debt. The rules are complex, and special circumstances might lengthen the amount of time a collection agency can sue you. In the case that Nationwide Credit Inc. is an agent for an original creditor, generally, once the SOL expires, it can still pursue a lawsuit. However, if the debt belongs to a third party, then once the SOL expires, it cannot pursue a lawsuit. 

Even if you believe that the SOL expired, the creditor may have a different opinion on the expiration date and pursue a lawsuit against you. It is always wise to respond to a lawsuit. In the case of an expired SOL, you must answer any summons and claim an affirmative defense. Be careful not to make a payment and restart the clock on a time-barred debt.

Even if they don't pursue a lawsuit, the debt collection agency has the right to contact and get you to pay or negotiate a settlement. 

>> Learn more: Learn more about states' laws regarding statute of limitations.

Stop Nationwide Credit Inc from debt collection harassment

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act strictly regulates debt collection agencies like NCI. Even so, many consumers complain about overly aggressive and illegal collection tactics.

Here are some of the actions that they are forbidden to do:

• Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass
• Seek Unjustifiable Amounts
• Contact a relative, friend, or colleague who doesn’t own the debt
• Call at an unreasonable time such as before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM
• Use Abusive or Threatening Language
• Contact a Consumer at Work
• Threaten Arrest

If you believe Nationwide Credit Inc. violated your rights under the FDCPA, consult with a consumer rights attorney in your area. Discuss possibly filing a lawsuit against the collection agency; not only could a lawsuit result in the cancellation of your debt, but you could be awarded damages. 

Learn how to negotiate your debt with Nationawide Credit Inc.

NCI is interested in closing accounts as soon as possible.  They are interested in you making a payment as soon as possible. 

If your account is in pre-collection status, NCI is interested in getting you back on track as soon as possible. However, if you are deeper in debt, they are interested in finding a payment plan or a lump sum payoff. If you are in financial hardship, it might be possible to negotiate a large settlement, primarily if NCI represents a third-party debt buyer who purchases debts for pennies on the dollars. 

It is possible to do negotiations on your own. However, dealing with an aggressive debt collector, especially with aggressive lawyers, is stressful. It takes a significant amount of time and effort. It is helpful if you convince them that you are in a hardship. Here are three tips:

• Be calm, clear, and convincing.
• Be persistent.
• Send a debt negotiation letter.

A professional can reach a negotiated settlement with your debt collection agency quickly. If you are in financial hardship and have a large debt, consider using a professional debt negotiation company. Reputable debt settlement companies have large teams of negotiators, vast databases, and sophisticated tools. They know what range original creditors and collection agencies have accepted for payments in the past.

Complaints and lawsuits about Nationwide Credit Inc

Like other collection agencies, GMC has complaints registered in the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The CFPB has complaints about collecting a debt that the consumer didn’t owe, harassment, and impersonating an attorney, law enforcement, or government official. The complaints themselves are not proof of illegal or improper activities, although it is an excellent source to learn about how consumers perceive their interactions and problems with debt collection agencies.

Here is a couple of example of complaints from the CFPB website:

Communication tactics - You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying  "My Ex-Wife XXXX XXXX is in collections with Nationwide Credit Inc phone number XXXX has been calling me repeatedly at my home line and my work cell phone number looking for her. I have politely told them I have had no contact with XXXX who is my ex-wife of over 16 years. They keep contacting me on how to contact her over her debt which was incurred long after we were divorced and has nothing to do with me. I have also given them every point of contact I could think of so they would not keep calling me however they keep calling me regarding her. Once again this DEBT is not mine and has nothing to do with me.

False statements or representation "Attempted to collect wrong amount Received a letter from Nationwide Credit Inc, trying to collect an alleged debt. I have never heard of Nationwide Credit , Inc . I don't owe any alleged debt that they are trying to collect. In addition, their communication tactics are in flagrant violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, deceitful, hostile, and harassing".

Deal with a Nationwide Credit Inc lawsuit

Although NCI has the right to pursue a lawsuit in some circumstances, they cannot make empty threats to sue you when making a collection call. Depending on the events, they, or the debt owner, might start a lawsuit, leading to a public judgment and liens on personal property, wage garnishments, or bank levies. 

If NCI files a lawsuit against you, consult with a lawyer in your state with consumer law experience. You must file an answer to their summons and complaint or risk losing the lawsuit by default. Ignoring a summons will not make it go away, so take action to respond to the lawsuit.

Can you remove Nationwide Credit Inc from your credit report?

Nationwide Credit Inc. may appear as an inquiry on your credit report.  They may show up under the name Transworld Systems. Since NCI does not purchase debt, their name should not appear as the owner of any account identified on your credit report. However, the names of the original creditor or the third-party debt buyer will appear on your credit report.

Most accurate negative tradelines remain on your credit report for seven years from the delinquency date. Bankruptcies stay for ten years, and judgments can stay for even longer if the creditor renews them.

You can remove inaccurate data from your credit report. It is possible to file a dispute with the Credit Reporting Agencies and remove the negative items from your credit report.

>> Learn more: Learn how to dispute a credit report.