Complaint Review: EOS CCA

EOS CCA is a dangerous nuisance. I had a recent collection call from EOS CCA and it was clear from the start that the collector had very limited information on the debt matter. He was simply “dialing for dollars” and fishing to see if my common first and last names on his computer list might actually line up with his company’s debt matter. (It didn’t and my written assertions prevailed.) A firm like EOS CCA handles many types of "debt". And its phone collectors can't be forthright about the legal status an alleged "debt" because they just work off a computer screen with sketchy information. They're under pressure to "collect" money. Effectively they work on commission and get fired if income goals aren’t produced. So take the example of bank credit card debt covered by consumer contracts and state and federal laws. In many instances the bank "writes off" an unpaid balance after 180 days using accounting rules to charge those amounts against profits. At that point the bank's ability to collect on that balance may be over. Moreover banks aren't set up to do collections. So they "sell" inactive accounts in bulk to firms like EOS CCA for about 4-cents on the dollar. But FDCPA, FCRA and various privacy and consumer laws prevent banks from giving a "debt buyer" like EOS CCA "hardcopy" of the original loan contracts or your complete Social Security number. That phone debt collector probably just has a name and the last reported phone number and the address. So their initial call is based on sketchy and often inaccurate data. The collector’s goal is to get you to agree that you are the "debtor" in the matter. If you, in fact, do agree then in many states you may become legally responsible for that alleged balance. And if you won't pay up then a firm like EOS CCA can file a case in a local court. So when that collector calls --- do not try to get into any details. Shut up. But politely and firmly ask the collector to give you their name and their firm’s address and phone number. And, most important, next firmly demand that the collector mail you a copy of the original consumer credit contract on this matter and copy of all EOS CCA's file documentation on any money that's allegedly owed. State that you need to have this written documentation before you can respond. (By law EOS CCA or any debt collector has to do this.) Then do your research to refute any errors. Or to deal with any legitimate balance owed. Again, don't get into any detail or argue with that phone collector. It's a waste of time. Get off the phone quickly. And only respond in writing --- after you receive that "hard copy" response from EOS CCA. And if you do not receive a proper written response to your verbal request in that initial phone call --- then you must document that oversight for the file with a letter to that initial collector. And you should mail a copy of that letter to EOS CCA's CEO (Paul E. Leary, Jr.) at the company's headquarters in Norwell, MA.