How to deal with Weltman Weinberg & Reis

Weltman Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA, commonly known as Weltman is a nationally recognized full-service debt collection agency in the United States. They have been in business since 1929 and became a leading collection agency in the 1970s. Weltman has more than 65 attorneys and over 500 total employees.

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 Weltman, Weinberg & Reis? Are they real or a scam?

Weltman is not a scam. It is a real debt collection agency. They act as agents for creditors and aggressively pursue collection and lawsuits.  They represent nearly every type of creditor, including some of the largest financial institutions in the U.S. 

They also have offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Louisville. Weltman has contacts with lawyers across the United States, so they can actively pursue lawsuits. Here are some of their phone numbers:  (216) 685-1000, (888) 624-2335, (800) 567-9310, (877) 346-1493, (800) 570-3931, (888) 434-0085.  

Do you owe Weltman Weinberg and Reis money?

Weltman Weinberg & Reis represents many original creditors as well as third-party debt buyers. In general, they do not buy debt. You may see on your credit report the name of the original creditor as well as WWR, Weltman, or Weltman Weinberg & Reis LPA. 

However, there are various reasons that you may not owe Weltman or the original creditor 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.

Always Validate a debt when Weltman contacts you to collect a debt. Once contacted, you have 30 days to validate the debt, so act quickly. It is recommended to send a registered letter. 

According to the law, Weltman must 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.

State laws set the time that a creditor can sue you and collect on the debt. However, they are complicated and not easy for the layman to understand. Since Weltman may represent an original creditor, in most states, once the SOL expires, it can still pursue a lawsuit. 

Even if you think 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.

In any case, Weltman still 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 Weltman Weinberg & Reis from debt collection harassment.

Debt collectors often are extremely aggressive in their collection tactics. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act strictly regulates the actions of a debt collection agency, including Weltman.

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

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

If you believe Weltman 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 Weltman, Weinberg & Reis

Weltman will contact you, hoping to receive full payment.  However, depending on your situation, they might be willing to negotiate. They offer a wide range of services to their clients, from routine collection calls, debt negotiation and litigation.  A public judgment can lead to wage garnishes, bank levies, and liens on personal property. Here is what they have to say about their services:

"Creditors have long believed that, once a cease and desist is requested, their only option is to give up on all collection activity. There is a solution.

In some cases, it is wise to take a do-it-yourself approach. However, dealing with a collection agency, especially with aggressive lawyers, is stressful. It takes a significant amount of time and effort. It is helpful if you convince Weltman that you are in a hardship. Since they are paid on a contingency basis for collection accounts, especially first-party (original creditor) debt, they are interested in closing the account quickly. Here are three tips: Be calm, clear, and convincing. Be persistent. Send a debt negotiation letter.

Another approach is to use a professional debt negotiation company. An experienced debt settlement company is helpful if you have considerable debt and financial hardship. They 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 Weltman (WWR)

Like most collection agencies, Weltman Weinberg & Reis 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 an excellent 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:

False statements or representation - Attempted to collect wrong amount "Weltman Weinberg Reis collection agency bought my debt at a discount from XXXX XXXX. My credit report states the balance on the student loan the day it was closed is {$3400.00}. XXXX is trying to collect {$4900.00}. Under the law, collection agencies are not permitted to collect interest or late charges that may have incurred on the account before it was sold to the collection agency. ".

Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly- Contacted you after you asked them to stop "On XX/XX/XXXX I submitted via certified mail to Weltman, Weinberg , & Reis Co., LPA a written request to stop contacting me except via US Mail however they continued to attempt to contact via telephone many times through out XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and the beginning of XXXX. At one point they called my in laws and told them they were attempting to get in touch with me over a past due loan and they attempted to call me at my place of employment on or about XX/XX/XXXX however I do not have a record of this. I do have records however showing 29 call attempts from them, some with messages, that occured between XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, XXXX. Some days they called 2-4 times per day. Also on XX/XX/XXXX, within 30 days of receiving the validation notice, I requested several documents to validate the debt including proof that the account had been sold or assigned to the collection agency which I did not receive."

Deal with a Weltman Weinberg & Reis Co. , LPA lawsuit

Weltman cannot make empty threats to sue you when making a collection call. However, they do have the right to start a lawsuit and pursue legal remedies such as a wage garnishment or bank levy. Unlike many collection agencies, Weltman is well equipped to pursue litigation throughout the United States.

If Weltman 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 Weltman Weinberg & Reis from your credit report?

If the information is inaccurate, then you can have it removed. Most 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 Weltman 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.