Are you receiving calls from 866-858-6729? Transworld Systems Inc is calling you. The reason for the calls is to collect on an alleged debt. The problem is, the debt might not even be yours.
Transworld Systems Inc (or TSI) is a large debt collection agency. The phone number 866-858-6729 is registered to them, and it’s been used to contact millions of consumers about all sorts of debts, from medical bills to student loans. If TSI is calling you, you’re not alone. In this article, we will explain how to identify the calls, what to do about the calls, and your rights as a consumer.
Information about Transworld Systems Inc (TSI)
Company Name: Transworld Systems Inc (TSI)
Company Phone Number: 866-858-6729
What kind of company is TSI? TSI is a third-party debt collection agency. It also works as a government-contracted debt collector and as a medical debt collector.
Parent Company: TSI is owned by two private equity companies: Platinum Equity and Clearlake Capital.
Where is the company headquartered? Transworld Systems is headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
How big is TSI? TSI has over 3,000 employees and more than 56 locations throughout the U.S.
What industries does TSI collect debts for? TSI collects debts for a variety of industries, including: Medical (hospitals, urgent care facilities, etc.), Student loans, Government, Telecom, Utility companies, and Toll violations.
What is TSI’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating? TSI has a B rating from the BBB, though it is not accredited. In the past three years, TSI has had 1,055 complaints filed with the BBB.
TSI’s website: tsico.com
TSI and 866-858-6729: Are they violating your rights?
Yes, it’s possible. TSI has been fined nearly $12 million for illegal collection practices. In 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined TSI $3.2 million for excessive calling practices and for disclosing consumers’ personal information to third parties without their permission. In 2021, the Massachusetts Attorney General fined TSI $2.25 million for making excessive calls to consumers. The number 866-858-6729 has resulted in 331 complaints to the FTC. Nearly half of those consumers said the calls were robocalls.
What is TSI calling you about?
There are several reasons why TSI might be calling you from 866-858-6729. But it’s often because they think you owe a debt — or because they think someone who has used your phone number owes a debt. In many cases, it’s neither.
Why is TSI calling you?
TSI could be calling you about a wide variety of debts, including: Medical debt (for example, a bill from a hospital), Student loan debt, Government debt (for example, a toll violation), Utility debt, Telecom debt, and Car rental debt.
If you know you owe money to a creditor, you might wonder why TSI is calling you instead of the original creditor. The answer is that TSI likely bought the debt from the original creditor. Debt collection agencies like TSI regularly buy debts from other companies and then attempt to collect the debts themselves.
TSI has been accused of calling the wrong people. Consumers have reported that TSI representatives called them about debts that didn’t belong to them. On the website EveryCaller, one consumer reported that a TSI representative called them about a debt owed to Houston Methodist Hospital, despite the fact that the consumer had never lived in Houston or visited the hospital. On the website 800notes, a consumer reported that TSI called them looking for a deceased family member. When the consumer explained the situation to the TSI representative, the representative refused to accept the explanation and demanded to speak with the deceased family member.
It’s possible that TSI is calling you about a debt that you don’t owe. If you get a call from 866-858-6729, don’t assume you owe money just because TSI says you do.
Is the debt legitimate?
The debt might not be legitimate. One of the problems with debt collection agencies is that debts are bought and sold so many times, the paperwork can get lost or mixed up. In some cases, consumers have reported that debt collectors were trying to collect twice the amount of the original debt. Sometimes, debt collectors don’t even have the correct paperwork for the debt.
On the website BBB, a consumer reported that they received a document from TSI that appeared to be thrown together. There was no copy of a contract and no evidence of the debt other than a statement saying the consumer owed $3,500. The consumer said, “This is NOT a legitimate bill.”
What can you do if TSI is calling you from 866-858-6729?
You have several options if TSI is calling you from 866-858-6729: You could call them back, You could ignore the calls, You could send them a cease-and-desist letter, or You could dispute the debt. But before you do anything, check your credit report. You might not owe the debt at all.
What does your credit report say?
Before you talk to anyone at TSI, you should check your credit report. The credit report is the key document in any debt collection situation. You’re entitled to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once a year. You can request your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. Alternatively, you can contact each of the credit bureaus directly to request your free report.
What to look for on your credit report
If TSI is calling you, there should be a reference to that debt on your credit report. Here’s what you should look for: Check to see if there’s a collection account from TSI on your report. If there is a collection account from TSI, check the balance reported. If there is a balance, check the date of the debt.
This information is crucial. Just because TSI says you owe a debt doesn’t mean you actually do. And even if you do owe the debt, TSI might not have the right to collect it. For example, if the debt is several years old, it might have passed the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to contest a debt in court. In most states, the statute of limitations for debt collection is between three and 10 years. If the debt is past the statute of limitations, you might not have to pay it.
What to do next
If TSI is calling you from 866-858-6729, don’t call them back. At least, not yet. Instead, dispute the debt. You can dispute the debt in a letter or online through the credit reporting bureaus’ websites.
To dispute the debt, you’ll need to provide this information: Your name, Your address, The file number associated with the debt (which should be on your credit report), and The reason you’re disputing the debt. You should also send copies of any documentation you have, such as canceled checks or letters from the original creditor.
Once you dispute the debt, the credit reporting bureau will contact TSI and ask it to verify the debt. TSI will have 30 days to respond. If TSI doesn’t respond or can’t verify the debt, the credit reporting bureau will remove the debt from your credit report.
Where to send your dispute letter
If you decide to dispute the debt in a letter, you should send the letter to the credit reporting bureau, not TSI. Here are the addresses for each of the three major credit reporting bureaus:
Equifax Information Services, LLC — P.O. Box 740425, Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian Information Solutions Inc. — P.O. Box 9701, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion Consumer Solutions — P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
You can also file a dispute online through each bureau’s website: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
How the credit bureaus will respond
Once the credit bureau receives your dispute letter, it will respond with a letter of its own. The letter should include a summary of what you’re disputing and the results of the investigation.
The credit bureau should investigate your dispute within 30 days. If it determines that the information on your credit report is incorrect, it should let you know in writing and remove the incorrect information from your report. If it determines that the information on your credit report is correct, it should let you know that in writing and give you the contact information for TSI so you can discuss your debt directly with the company.
Your rights as a consumer
The federal government has laws to protect consumers from debt collection agencies. The most important laws are the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
The FDCPA says debt collectors can’t do any of the following: Call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., Call you at work if your employer doesn’t allow personal calls, Call your friends, family, or coworkers unless you give them permission as an emergency contact, Leave threatening messages on your voicemail, Use profanity or insults when talking to you, Make false statements to you about the amount you owe or the consequences of not paying, or Threaten you with illegal actions.
The FCRA says anyone who reports information to the credit bureaus has to make sure it’s accurate. If TSI is calling you from 866-858-6729, it might be violating one or both of those laws.
Conclusion
If you’re receiving calls from Transworld Systems Inc from 866-858-6729, you might not actually owe the debt. At the very least, you shouldn’t talk to anyone at TSI until you’ve checked your credit report. Once you’ve checked your credit report, you might need to dispute the debt. You can do that with a letter or online. Remember to keep a copy of your dispute letter and any documentation you have about the debt. That way, you’ll have a record in case TSI violates your rights as a consumer.
Take Action Today
Are you getting calls from Transworld Systems Inc at 866-858-6729? If so, we can help.
At FightCollections.com, we specialize in helping consumers dispute debt collections and remove inaccuracies from their credit reports. Visit our website to learn more about how we can help you.