Consumers who receive phone calls from 314-513-0122 will be directed to a voicemail of Consumer Collection Management. This company is reaching out to you in an effort to collect a debt from one of their clients.
Consumer Collection Management (CCM) is a third-party debt collection agency that works to collect debts from various hospitals, apartment complexes, and other creditors throughout the Midwest.
Consumers who receive this number in their caller ID are not alone. There have been complaints registered on every major consumer complaint forum. Understanding who the company is and the tools that you have available to you is an important first step in getting them to stop calling you.
About Consumer Collection Management
Company Name: Consumer Collection Management, Inc. (CCM)
Type: Third-party debt collection agency
Headquarters: 2333 Grissom Drive, Suite 100, Maryland Heights, MO 63146
Years in Business: Since March 22, 1979
Structure: Privately-held, family-owned corporation
Industry Specialization: Medical debt; apartment and housing debt; utility debt
Size: Medium; approximately 21-50 employees; estimated annual revenue of $2-4.7 million
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating: A- (not BBB-accredited)
Pattern of Complaint with the BBB
Although Consumer Collection Management has been in business for over 40 years, this does not mean that they have clean records. In fact, the Better Business Bureau has registered a formal “Pattern of Complaint” on CCM’s profile. This alert was issued due to reports of harassing phone calls, rude and vulgar language, and attempts to collect a debt that consumers claim they do not owe.
In addition to the complaints registered on the BBB website, Consumer Collection Management has also faced various federal lawsuits that were filed under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
In one of these cases, a consumer filed a claim in the Central District of Illinois. The claim indicated that CCM had sent a misleading collection letter that claimed fees could be added to a $307.26 medical debt, when in fact, no fees were going to be added to the debt. These instances are indicative of a collection company that is willing to do whatever it takes to pressure consumers into making a payment.
Why is Consumer Collection Management Calling You?
CCM Specializes in Medical Bills and Apartment Debt
The majority of the debts that Consumer Collection Management attempts to collect are for healthcare providers and apartment management companies. In fact, the company is a sponsor member of the St. Louis Apartment Association, and they also integrate with property management software companies like Yardi and RealPage.
If you have ever had a medical procedure, a visit to the emergency room, or a disputed balance on an apartment, it is possible that your account was sent to Consumer Collection Management for collection. The original creditor outsourced the collection of your debt to CCM, and now they are attempting to contact you by calling you on the phone, sending you letters in the mail, and making reports to the credit bureaus.
It’s Also Possible that CCM Has the Wrong Person
Many of the complaints that consumers have registered about the phone number 314-513-0122 indicate that CCM is calling the wrong person.
One consumer reported on the ShouldIAnswer website that CCM called him looking for a deceased family member. The representative allegedly indicated that the consumer’s grandmother “had a personal matter with their office.” Another consumer reported on 800notes that CCM called his place of employment at a prison and claimed that “they had verified his employment.”
As a result of this call, the consumer was called out of his workstation and written up for the disturbance.
As a third-party debt collector, Consumer Collection Management relies on the information it is provided with from the original creditor. If this information is outdated or incorrect, there is a chance that you are being targeted by CCM through no fault of your own.
What Happens When You Answer the Phone?
The Agent Refuses to Identify Himself
The reports from various consumers who have answered phone calls from 314-513-0122 all seem to indicate a common theme. When consumers answer the phone, the caller either refuses to disclose the name of the company or only gives the abbreviation “CCM” without further explanation.
One consumer reported on CallerCenter that when he called the company back, the representative “seemed super weird about disclosing information about their company,” and that the caller ID did not list the name of any company.
Another consumer reported on 800notes that when he asked the name of the company, the caller hung up the phone. An attorney also reported on 800notes that when he returned the phone call, it “was not answered as required by FDCPA,” and that the representative did not identify the name of the company until two minutes into the conversation.
They Use Hostile Tactics to Try to Pressure You
The tactics that Consumer Collection Management agents use extend beyond evasiveness.
One caller reported on WhoCallsMe that a representative from CCM called and asked to speak with a former employee by name. When the caller indicated that the employee was unavailable, the representative responded by using profanity.
Another consumer reported on ShouldIAnswer that an agent called and indicated that he “could not confirm how much was owed,” refused to identify the company, and then called the consumer’s place of employment.
This is where the emotional manipulation comes in. Debt collection agents know how to create a sense of urgency and anxiety in consumers. When you work with a third party, such as a credit repair company, you do not have to deal with this manipulation at all. You do not have to subject yourself to hostile phone calls in order to resolve a credit reporting issue.
Here is Your Step-by-Step Playbook for Shutting Them Down
Step 1: Pull Your Credit Reports and Identify the Account
Before you do anything, you need to see what Consumer Collection Management has reported to the credit bureaus. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and pull your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Scroll through each report and look for any account that is listed from Consumer Collection Management or CCM. Make a note of the balance, the date of first delinquency, and the name of the original creditor.
This step will tell you whether or not CCM has made any reports to the credit bureaus or if they are simply calling you in an attempt to pressure you into making a payment. If you do not see the account on your credit report, CCM does not have any leverage. However, if you do see the account, you now have the information you need to proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Dispute the Account Through the Credit Bureaus, Not Through CCM
Your initial reaction may be to call the collection agency and attempt to negotiate a resolution. This is exactly what CCM is hoping you will do. If you call them directly, you are giving them the opportunity to extract a payment from you, reset the clock, or get a statement from you that they can use against you at a later time.
Instead of contacting the debt collector directly, you can dispute the account through the credit bureaus using your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
When you file a dispute, the credit bureau has a period of 30 days to investigate the account and verify the information with the collection agency. If the agency is unable to provide adequate verification, the account must be deleted. The FCRA and FDCPA are laws that provide you with shields for protection, but they also give you swords to attack.
Why Paying the Debt Will Not Fix Your Credit
The Pay-for-Delete Myth
Many consumers operate under the assumption that if they pay a collection agency, the negative account will be removed from their credit report. Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest myths in the consumer finance industry. A “pay for delete” agreement does not mean what you think it means.
Once you have paid the debt, the account will remain on your credit report for the full seven years, starting from the date of first delinquency. Now, instead of being listed as an “unpaid collection,” the account will be reported as a “paid collection.”
Having a paid collection on your credit report and having an unpaid collection on your credit report have nearly the same weight under most credit scoring models. If paying the debt does not get the account removed from your credit report, it really provides you with no benefits to your credit score.
Disputes Seek Removal, Not a Status Change
When you file a credit bureau dispute, you are not trying to get the status of the account changed. Instead, you are seeking removal of the account altogether. Many collection agencies, especially smaller regional firms like Consumer Collection Management, have difficulty verifying accounts when consumers file disputes. This is often due to the fact that the original documentation is no longer available.
When the verification process fails, the account gets removed from your credit report. The difference between disputing an account and paying an account is the difference between playing offense and playing defense. The FCRA was enacted to provide consumers with offensive tools.
Why You Need Professional Help
Expertise Matters When Collectors Take Shortcuts
As previously noted, Consumer Collection Management has a history of taking shortcuts. The agents refuse to identify their company, the phone calls do not comply with FDCPA disclosure requirements, and the collection letters include misleading language about non-existent fees. These are not just minor annoyances. They are violations that provide you with leverage when you are disputing an account.
A credit repair expert understands how to identify violations and build a dispute strategy around them. The expert knows what documentation to request, which processes to use at the credit bureau, and how to escalate the situation when a collector is non-responsive.
Free Consultations Provide You with Clarity but Not Commitment
A free consultation is one of the most underutilized tools that consumers have at their disposal when dealing with collection calls. The consultation provides you with the opportunity to understand your situation and your options before deciding whether or not you want to pursue them.
During the consultation, you can learn what Consumer Collection Management has reported to the credit bureaus, whether or not it is accurate, and what your chances of removal are. Just having this information in your arsenal puts you in a different position than the one that CCM is counting on.
Stop the Calls. Protect Your Credit. Take the First Step.
What to Do Next
Consumer Collection Management is calling you from 314-513-0122 because they are counting on you not understanding your rights. They are relying on your sense of urgency, your confusion, and your willingness to negotiate on their terms. Now you know that you have other options.
The FCRA and FDCPA provide you with tools to challenge what Consumer Collection Management has reported to the credit bureaus. If you file a credit bureau dispute, the burden of proof is on them, not on you. If they cannot provide adequate documentation to verify the debt, the account must be removed from your report.
Contact FightCollections.com today to schedule your free consultation. There is no cost and no obligation. Our team will review every account that Consumer Collection Management has reported to the credit bureaus and will help you build a dispute strategy that is designed to challenge what they cannot prove.
You do not have to allow the calls from 314-513-0122 to control your day.
