Imagine having a surprise roommate. IQ Data International may have entered your life as a squatter if you discovered a collection account on your credit report.
You might be among hundreds of consumers who have settled lawsuits with IQ Data International for a combined $5 million. And now you’re ready to take action.
You could try paying IQ Data International to have them vacate your credit report, but why would you? Instead, you could use this article as your first step towards removing IQ Data International as a creditor on your report, and reclaiming your financial identity.
Who Is IQ Data International?
IQ Data International is a debt collection agency with its headquarters in Bothell, Washington. They are collecting on a debt that a property management company or landlord claims that you owe. IQ Data International operates as a subsidiary of Assurant, Inc., which is a Fortune 500 insurance company. Assurant, Inc. is a publicly-traded corporation (NYSE: AIZ).
IQ Data International has other business names. They also go by the names RentCollect Global and Assurant Recovery Solutions. IQ Data International claims that it is licensed to operate in all 50 states and Canada. They have an NMLS registration number of 971181 and a California debt collection license number 10045-99.
IQ Data International’s Contact Information
21222 30th Drive SE, Suite 210 Bothell, WA 98021
Phone: (888) 248-2509
Years in Business: 22–27 years (began operations in 1998, but was incorporated June 2003)
Parent Company: Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ)
Also Known As: RentCollect Global, Assurant Recovery Solutions
IQ Data International is a subsidiary of Assurant, Inc. IQ Data International goes by multiple names. They also operate as RentCollect Global and Assurant Recovery Solutions. They claim to be licensed in all 50 states and Canada. Their NMLS number is 971181. They have a California debt collection license number 10045-99.
What Do We Know About IQ Data International?
IQ Data International is no stranger to class-action settlements. In 2015, IQ Data International agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit Jones v. I.Q. Data International for $1 million. The lawsuit claimed that IQ Data International made debt collection calls to consumers’ cell phones using an automatic dialing system without their consent.
In March of 2024, IQ Data International agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit Singh v. IQ Data International. The company agreed to a $4 million settlement after claims that they illegally added interest to former tenants’ accounts.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received more than 350 complaints about IQ Data International. The Better Business Bureau has given IQ Data International an F rating. Over the last three years, 214 complaints have been filed against IQ Data International with the BBB. The company has an average customer review rating of 1.04 out of 5 stars based on 141 customer reviews.
IQ Data International has been sued at least 200 times in federal court for violating consumers’ rights. There is currently a petition for certiorari pending with the United States Supreme Court involving IQ Data International. The lawsuit alleges that IQ Data International contacted a consumer directly even though they had notified the company that they should only communicate with the consumer’s attorney.
Why Your IQ Data International Collection Account Might Not Be Valid
Credit Report Errors
Credit reports are not always accurate. In fact, a study by U.S. PIRGs found that 79% of credit reports contained errors or other serious problems. Errors are even more likely to occur on credit reports with collection accounts because often the debt has been sold multiple times. Sometimes the records are corrupted or incomplete. Other times the verification process is flawed.
A debt collector does not need to verify a debt before placing a collection account on your credit report. The burden is on you to initiate a dispute if there is an error, inaccuracy, or an item that is not yours.
IQ Data International has reportedly attempted to collect debts from consumers who did not owe the debts. A consumer reported to ComplaintsBoard that they discovered IQ Data International had placed a $5,370 collection account on their credit report for a debt that they did not owe. According to the complaint, IQ Data International reported the debt to all three credit reporting bureaus. The consumer stated:
“I recently applied for a home mortgage when I learned that IQ data international turned me in to all 3 credit beauros for non payment of $5370 to wood hollow apts in san antonio, tx. Although i’ve never received a letter or phone call from anyone, I explained to the company that i’ve never lived there and they have the wrong person.”
Lack of Verification
Debt collectors often don’t have the information they need to verify a debt. When a debt is sold to a debt collection agency, sometimes paperwork doesn’t get transferred. Other times, it simply wasn’t transferred. Either way, if the debt collector doesn’t have access to paperwork verifying a debt, you may be able to initiate a successful dispute.
If you dispute a collection account, you can force the credit reporting bureau to request that the debt collector verify the debt. This could include providing documentation such as a copy of the original contract for the debt, a copy of your signature on a credit application or contract, a detailed accounting for how the debt collector arrived at their figure, a letter or other document from the original creditor that sold the debt to the collection agency, proof of ownership, and proof that the debt collector is licensed to collect debt in your state.
If the collection agency can’t provide this documentation, you may be able to remove the collection account from your report.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires a debt collector to validate a debt if the consumer disputes the debt. However, you may be able to dispute a debt even if you aren’t sure that it is inaccurate. It is often difficult to determine if a debt is accurate simply by reviewing the information on your credit report.
A debt collector must be able to verify the debt within a reasonable amount of time. If they can’t, you may be able to have the collection account removed. You don’t necessarily need to prove that the account is not valid. The burden is on the debt collector to prove that it is.
Consumers have reported that when they dispute IQ Data International’s collection accounts with credit reporting bureaus, the company often responds with a generic reply stating that the information was “verified.” IQ Data International’s response doesn’t include actual documentation for the debt.
According to complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, when consumers dispute a debt with a credit bureau, IQ Data International often responds by stating the information was verified. However, they do not provide any documentation to support their claims.
Why Paying IQ Data International Won’t Help
It seems intuitive to simply pay a collection account to get it removed from your credit report. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t work that way.
When you pay a collection account, you might be able to get it changed from an “unpaid collection” to a “paid collection.” However, the collection account could still remain on your credit report. In fact, the negative impact to your credit score may have already occurred, so paying it won’t help your credit score.
Further, making a payment can acknowledge that you owe the debt. Once you acknowledge that you owe the debt, you may limit your future options. Additionally, if the statute of limitations on the debt has run out, making a payment can restart the clock, giving the debt collector additional time to sue you for the debt.
Paying a collection account doesn’t necessarily remove it from your credit report. It may simply change the status of the account from “unpaid” to “paid.”
Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily help your credit score. The negative impact of the collection account to your credit score may have already occurred. When you pay a collection account, you may be acknowledging that you owe the debt. Once you acknowledge that you owe the debt, it may be harder to challenge it. If the statute of limitations has run out on a debt, paying on the debt can restart the clock.
This means that the debt collector may have additional time to sue you for the debt.
What IQ Data International Representatives May Do
They May Try to Pressure You into Paying
Representatives from IQ Data International may use high-pressure tactics to get you to pay a debt immediately. When you talk with an IQ Data International representative, they may try to pressure you into making an immediate payment. They may even pressure you to take out a loan to pay off the balance. They may threaten that if you don’t pay immediately, they will have to escalate the issue.
If you do talk with an IQ Data International representative, you don’t necessarily have to make an immediate decision. Instead, you may be able to say that you need time to think about it or consult with a financial advisor.
BBB reviewers have reported that IQ Data International representatives pressure them into immediately paying debts. One reviewer stated:
“They kept trying to push me and my husband into opening loans to resolve the balance. They were unprofessional and highly aggressive. Going against protocols and threatening to take legal action against both me and my husband because we were stating that we couldn’t make one time payment.”
They May Ask You Questions
The representative may ask you questions about your finances or your employer. They may even ask why you can’t pay the debt immediately. Anything you tell them could be used against you later.
If you talk with an IQ Data International representative, they may ask you questions. They may want to know where you work, whether you have savings, or why you can’t pay the debt immediately. You don’t necessarily have to answer their questions. If you talk with an IQ Data International representative, you don’t have to provide detailed information about your situation. In fact, you may choose not to talk with them at all.
Consumers have reported that IQ Data International representatives ask them invasive questions. One consumer filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after an IQ Data International representative demanded: “give me your wife’s bank information login so I can see how much she has.”
Know Your Rights
You Have the Right to Tell IQ Data International to Stop Calling You
You have the right to request that IQ Data International stop calling you. The FDCPA states that you have the right to request that a debt collector communicate with you in writing only. Once you make the request, the debt collector is not supposed to contact you unless they are suing you.
You can make the request over the phone or in writing. It’s often a good idea to make the request in writing. If you need to file a complaint or go to court later, you may need proof that you made the request.
BBB reviewers have reported that IQ Data International representatives continue to call them, even after they’ve asked to communicate in writing only. One reviewer stated that an IQ Data International representative “told me if I got off the phone they would sue me by 5 pm” and kept the caller on the line until she paid the debt in full. The caller ended up “sobbing.”
You Have the Right to Dispute a Debt
You have the right to dispute a debt. If you dispute a debt, IQ Data International will have to verify the debt. This means they will have to provide documentation to the credit bureau to prove that the debt is valid. If they can’t verify the debt, it may be removed from your credit report.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that you have the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. You can initiate a dispute by writing a letter to the credit reporting bureau.
In the letter, identify the item you are disputing, state why you are disputing it, and request that they remove it. The credit reporting bureau will then initiate an investigation and reach out to IQ Data International to verify the debt. If IQ Data International can’t verify the debt, the credit reporting bureau will remove the item from your report.
You can also dispute a debt online. All three major credit reporting bureaus allow consumers to initiate disputes online.
After you initiate a dispute, IQ Data International will have to provide documentation to verify the debt. This could include documentation such as a copy of the original contract for the debt, a copy of your signature on a credit application or contract, a detailed accounting of how IQ Data International arrived at their figure, a letter or other document from the original creditor that sold the debt to IQ Data International, proof of ownership, or proof that IQ Data International is licensed to collect debt in your state.
You Have the Right to Work with a Credit Repair Company
You have the right to work with a credit repair company to dispute a debt. If IQ Data International is listing an inaccurate collection account on your report, working with a credit repair company may help. The company can help you initiate a dispute and communicate with IQ Data International on your behalf.
A credit repair company can help you initiate a dispute and communicate with IQ Data International on your behalf. The company may also be able to identify violations and other issues that support your dispute. IQ Data International may be less likely to push back against a credit repair company than they would against an individual consumer.
What’s Next?
Paying IQ Data International may not be your only option for resolving a collection account on your credit report. Instead, consider initiating a dispute.
If IQ Data International is listing an inaccurate collection account on your credit report, you may be able to remove it by initiating a dispute. You have the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. You can initiate a dispute by writing a letter to the credit reporting bureau.
In the letter, identify the item you are disputing, state why you are disputing it, and request that they remove it. Then, the credit reporting bureau will initiate an investigation and reach out to IQ Data International to verify the debt. If IQ Data International can’t verify the debt, the credit reporting bureau will remove the item from your report.
You can also initiate a dispute online. All three major credit reporting bureaus allow consumers to initiate disputes online.
After you initiate a dispute, IQ Data International will have to provide documentation to verify the debt. This could include documentation such as a copy of the original contract for the debt, a copy of your signature on a credit application or contract, a detailed accounting for how IQ Data International arrived at their figure, a letter or other document from the original creditor that sold the debt to IQ Data International, proof of ownership, or proof that IQ Data International is licensed to collect debt in your state.
You can also work with a credit repair company to initiate a dispute. A credit repair company can help you initiate a dispute and communicate with IQ Data International on your behalf. The company may also be able to identify violations and other issues that support your dispute. IQ Data International may be less likely to push back against a credit repair company than they would against an individual consumer.
Disputing a collection account on your credit report may seem overwhelming. However, there is help available.
At FightCollections.com, we have years of experience helping consumers dispute inaccurate information on their credit reports. We can help you initiate a dispute and communicate with IQ Data International on your behalf.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
