If you’ve been receiving letters or phone calls from Credence Resource Management, you may be wondering why. The company is a debt collections agency based in Dallas, Texas, and is known to take debt over for DirecTV, AT&T, and other major companies.
If you recently reviewed your credit report and noticed a Credence Resource Management account, you’re faced with the challenge of trying to get them off your credit report to improve your credit score and stop the calls and letters. Credence Resource Management may also display on your credit report as:
- Credence Collections;
- Credence RM;
- Credence Resource Mana;
- Credence Resource Management AT&T.
Dealing with debt collectors such as Credence RM may be difficult and time-consuming, but it’s possible when you know your rights.
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Why Is This Collections Agency on My Account?
You may not have a debt directly with them, but Credence Collections likely purchased one of your unpaid accounts, such as an AT&T phone plan or DirecTV subscription that went into collections.
Debt collectors work by purchasing debt that a company has given up hope on collecting on. They purchase the debt because they believe they could get the consumer to pay for it using tactics that normal companies wouldn’t. The tactics to collect on the debt may include elevated amounts of phone calls, legal and threatening letters, and more.
How to Stop Credence Resource Management
There are a few ways you can stop Credence Resource Management from constantly contacting you:
Request Debt Validation
As soon as Credence Resource Management contacts you about the debt, mail them a letter (within 30 days) requesting they validate or prove the debt is yours. They must comply and respond to you in writing with the facts they have showing it’s your debt.
In some cases, the collection agency may not have all the facts, can’t verify the debt, and will have to delete it. In other cases, any incorrect or missing information about payment history, dates of the debt, or account information means they must wipe it away from your credit report.
Look closely for errors in the validation letter — find any and Credence RM will have to delete the collections account and stop pursuing you. If they fail to delete the account due to incorrect information, you could dispute it yourself with the credit bureaus.
Request Written Communication
It’s your right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require a debt collector to contact you in writing only. It’s a good way to stop the phone calls and verbal scare tactics. If the debt collector doesn’t comply with your request to mail you written communications and continues to call you, you could report them to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) for unfair and unlawful debt collection methods.
Negotiate a Settlement for Removal
If the debt is verified as yours, you could negotiate to pay all or a portion of the debt in exchange for a deletion of the collections account from your credit report. Get the agreement in writing from Credence RM before you pay the debt — if they don’t follow through, verbal agreements don’t hold any weight.
Hire a Credit Repair Agency
If you’re unable to stop Credence RM, hiring a reputable credit repair agency may be a good last resort. You may have to pay for the service, but it may be worth the expense to let a professional deal with the debt collector on your behalf.
Is Credence Resource Management Legit or a Scam?
Credence Resource Management is a real company, but they have many complaints made against them that make them appear less than legitimate. These include:
- Failing to respond to debt verification requests;
- Not removing items from a credit report after agreeing to do so;
- Repeated phone calls to individuals.
It’s important to maintain a file of all your communications with the agency. Insist that all communications are to be done in writing, both on their part and yours so you have a paper trail. And if Credence RM refuses to comply with your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, file a complaint with the CFPB.
Can Credence Resource Management Sue Me or Garnish My Wages?
Wondering what happens if you don’t pay your debt in collections? They may be able to sue you — but this isn’t always the case. If they do sue you, it’s important to have your written communications ready.
Proof that you requested account verification that went ignored or copies of your letter asking for written communication only — combined with call logs or proof the agency continued to call you — could help your case. If Credence RM manages to win a judgment against you, they could garnish your wages to collect the judgment amount.
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