Radius Global Solutions: How to handle a debt collection call

 Radius Global Solutions is a mid-size company that provides debt collection services, customer relationship management, and healthcare revenue cycle management. They offer debt collection services across many industries. They have been in business since 1982. They have about 720 employees with the main office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and corporate headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

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 Radius Global Solutions? Are they real or a scam?

Radius Global Solutions is not a scam. It is a real debt collection agency. They buy debts from credit card companies and banks. They also buy debt from many industries, including retail & consumer goods, government & education, utilities & communications, and entertainment & hospitality.

Do you owe Radius Global Solutions money?

Radius services debt from many creditors. Like most big debt collection agencies, they usually buy the debt for pennies on the dollar. They may appear on your credit report, or Radius may contact you with these names: Radius Global Solutions, Radius Global Solutions LLC.

However, there are various reasons that you may not owe Radius money. For example, the debt may not belong to you, the statute of limitations expired, or you already paid off the debt.

Step 1 - Validate your debt

The first thing that you need to do when contacted by Radius Global Solutions is to validate the debt.  After the initial contact by phone or mail, you have 30 days to validate the debt, so act quickly. It is advisable to send a registered letter. Validate the debt even if you are not sure if you are responsible for it.

According to the law, Radius Global Solutions must validate the debt. If you don’t receive proper validation, then send a notice of insufficient validations. If Radius 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.

Debt collectors have a limited time to sue you and get a judgment. SOL laws set the amount of time a creditor can sue and collect on the debt. In most states, a third-party collection agency like Radius Global Solutions cannot sue after the SOL expires.

However, the statute of limitations laws are complex and not easy to understand.  The creditor may have a different opinion on the expiration date due to re-aging a debt or the relevant state law that applies. It is always wise to respond to a lawsuit.

In any case, Radius Global Solutions still have the right to contact and get you to negotiate a settlement.

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

Stop Radius Global Solutions from debt collection harassment.

Debt collectors often are extremely aggressive in their collection tactics. As is true with all debt collection agencies, Radius Global Solutions is strictly regulated by The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

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

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

Consult with a consumer rights attorney if you believe that Radius Global Solutions violate your rights under the FDCPA. 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 Radius Global Solutions

Radius will contact you, hoping to collect the debt. They are interested in getting you to do a full payment or set up a payment plan. According to their website, they are looking to 

"Provide affordable options for resolving your particular situation.

However, like other debt collection agencies, Radius Global Solutions will negotiate your debt.  

Your first option is to negotiate directly with Radius. It is stressful and time-consuming. It takes a significant amount of time and effort. To receive a beneficial settlement, 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.

If you do not feel comfortable negotiating, then partner with a debt negotiation company. Debt settlement companies rely on databases of past settlements, so their negotiators know what range original creditors and collection agencies have accepted for payments in the past. They can reach a negotiated settlement with your debt collection agency quickly.

Complaints and lawsuits about Radius Global Solutions

Like most collection agencies, Radius Global Solutions LLC has complaints registered in the BBB and 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 a good source to learn about how consumers perceive the interactions and problems they have with the debt collection agencies.

Here is a couple of example of complaints:

Communication tactics"They call 1-3, times a day from a spoofed number that says XXXX, XXXX, but is actually Radius Global Solutions. They say they are calling for XXXX XXXX XXXX, to whom I sent a settlement letter directly to the company XX/XX/XXXX. I informed them I was a XXXX veteran and XXXX patient survivor. I finished XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, and wanted to settle this account. They did not respond to my offer. Hence the final offer is {$100.00}, and will not change ever. They have increased their calls since XX/XX/XXXX".

False statements or representation"SSI stating i owe XXXX but the money they stating i owe was when i was under age my mom was responsible of me. now they have it as a collection on my credit report".

Deal with a Radius Global Solutions lawsuit

Radius Global Solutions can contact you, but they are forbidden to make empty threats to sue you when making a collection call. If the statute of limitations is valid,  they do have the right to start a lawsuit and pursue legal remedies such as a wage garnishment or bank levy.

If Radius 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 Radius Global Solutions from your credit report?

You are able to remove inaccurate items on your credit report. Negative tradelines stay on your credit report for seven years from the delinquency date. Bankruptcies remain for ten years, and judgments can remain for even longer if the creditor renews them.

However, there are circumstances that you may see an inaccurate item from Radius Global Solutions or a company associated with it. In that case, it is possible to file a dispute with the Credit Reporting Agencies and have the negative items removed from your credit report.

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