If you’ve heard of an agency for debt collection called Southwest Credit Systems recently, you might already have noticed its presence to your credit reports.
A collection charge on your credit file can lower your credit score for up to seven yearseven if you settle the entire amount.
To protect yourself from any significant harm on your credit report, you must remove the information from your credit report completely.
The negative effects of bad credit can be devastating to your financial security.
What exactly is Southwest Credit Systems?
Southwest Credit Systems, LP is a small, genuine debt collection company based located in Carrollton, Texas, and it’s definitely not a scam.
It offers management of accounts receivables and consumer service solutions to:
- cable companies
- government agencies
- property management companies
- utilities providers
- telecommunication companies
It could be listed within your credit reports as several names like SW Credit Systems, SWC Group LP or Southwest Credit.
Although it’s a legitimate business, Southwest Credit Systems is not well-known among its customers.
It has received more than 1,900 complaints filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and more than 490 complaints over the past three years , with Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The complaints concern issues like harassing, inaccurate reporting and the failure to verify the amount of a debt, all which violate federal law.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is also worth filing a claim.
The steps to eliminate Southwest Credit Systems from your credit report
The removal of a collection entry on your credit file is easy but it’s not an easy task. Following the steps listed below, you can tidy your credit report and eliminate Southwest Credit Systems from your life, once and forever.
- Be aware of your rights
- Request debt validation
- Make a deal
- Employ an expert
Know your rights
The majority of people who work directly with Southwest Credit Systems don’t realize that they have legal rights that debt collectors can infringe. Knowing your rights prior to when will allow you to protect yourself from harassment and intimidation.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a law of the federal government that prohibits debt collection agencies from harassing or threatening their clients. The law also permits customers to access the data on their credit report and to dispute any inaccurate information.
The actions which are prohibited under the FDCPA include:
- Contacting you prior to you reach 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
- You are being called at work, or at times you’ve indicated is not convenient
- Informing your friends, family members,, or your employer to discuss your credit card
- Making use of abusive or harassing language
If an Southwest Credit Systems collector commits any of these violations when calling you, inform them that they’re not in compliance with the FDCPA and call them back. It is essential to know what rights you have under FDCPA prior to interacting directly with Southwest Credit Systems. Knowing this information will help you when you begin to negotiate the details of your credit and debt entry.
Request debt validation
The second and most important procedure when dealing with the collection agency is to ask for the validation of debt. You have the right to do to do this in accordance with the FDCPA in addition, Southwest Credit Systems must comply with the condition that you contact them within 30 days from the date of initial contact.
The process of debt collection isn’t always 100% successful. Many details could be lost during the transition from the initial lender to the collector. To verify the fact that Southwest Credit Systems has all the information you need about your debt, you’ll be required to compose the debt validation letter and then send this to your company. The letter requires evidence that the company has accurate information regarding the debt and is competent to recover it.
You may also contest any collection you have made with the credit bureau by using the advanced dispute process. To be able to do this you must go through a current copy your credit score. Take a close look at each Southwest Credit Systems entry and be aware of any mistakes regarding your credit score. This could include the account’s balance, number, the date of opening or closed, account number, payment status, or the other data that is incorrect.
Find a way to settle a dispute
If you are unable to get the entry deleted on the basis of a technicality, you could be able to sign an agreement to pay for deletion with Southwest Credit Systems.
Pay-for-delete agreements are exactly what it looks like. You are required to reimburse Southwest Credit Systems for a part of the amount owed in exchange for the company not reporting your account to major credit bureaus. This is an extremely long-term proposition but it’s an option worth considering.
In the beginning, you’ll need to reach a deal in conjunction with Systems. The debt collector should be informed that you’ll settle for half of the amount due in exchange for entry deletion. You’ll need to keep in contact in negotiations until you arrive at an agreement.
When you’ve negotiated the terms of the deal, make sure you make sure you get the agreement written with Southwest Credit Systems. This is crucial to hold it accountable. If a company accepts the agreement on the phone, but fails to acknowledge the agreement in writing, it’s probably not in compliance with the agreement.
You can work with an experienced professional
If you don’t want to work directly with Southwest Credit Systems directly, you could always contract an credit repair firm to take out the account for you.
Credit repair firms help consumers take out inaccurate, incorrect or fraudulent information off their credit records. They can help you boost your credit score and help you get your financial goals in order. It’s essential to partner with an accredited company to ensure that you’re getting the most value for your money.
