Fair Collections & Outsourcing

1. Don't pay or agree to anything on the first call

   Get the company's name, mailing address and the account number they're using. In many states a payment, or even a promise to pay, can restart the clock on an old debt.

2. Watch the mail for a validation notice

   Within five days of first contacting you, Fair Collections & Outsourcing has to send a notice showing the amount, the creditor and a dispute deadline at least 30 days out. If you never got one, that is worth noting in writing.

3. Dispute in writing before that deadline

   Ask them to prove the debt. Once they receive a written dispute in time, they must stop collecting until they mail you verification. Write the letter here, then send it by certified mail.

4. Check your credit reports

   Get all three free at AnnualCreditReport.com. If a collection account is wrong, dispute it with the credit bureau as well as the collector.

5. Never ignore court papers

   If you're served with a lawsuit, file a response by the deadline on the summons. If you don't, the collector usually wins by default and can then ask to garnish wages. What to do if you're sued.

1. Collecting a debt the person says they don't owe48% · 1,587
2. False or misleading statements20% · 674
3. Missing or unclear written notice about the debt18% · 587
4. Threatened or took negative or legal action11% · 368
5. Calling too often or after being told to stop2.1% · 71
6. Contacting or threatening to contact other people0.9% · 31
7. Problems with texts, emails or social media messages0.7% · 24

The specific problems

The single most common complaint is “debt is not yours” (31%). If that matches your situation, a written dispute is the first step: it pauses collection until they verify the debt.

1. Rental and apartment debt92%
2. Other debt5.7%
3. Credit card debt1.1%
4. Mortgage debt0.3%
5. Phone, cable and internet debt0.2%
6. Medical debt0.1%
7. Payday loan debt0.1%
8. Auto loan debt0%

Based on complaints where the person named the debt type. In 36% of complaints, the person didn't know what the debt was (average 57%).

1. Texas14%
2. Florida11%
3. California9.7%
4. Maryland7.9%
5. Georgia7.4%
6. New York4.9%
7. North Carolina4.9%
8. Pennsylvania3.8%
9. Virginia3.7%
10. New Jersey3.5%

State laws add to the federal rules, and some states require collectors to hold a license. Pick your state above for its time limits and license lookup.

Closed with an explanation only

100%

Fixed something, no money back

0%

Money back or debt reduced

0%

Answered on time

98%

Fair Collections & Outsourcing gives some kind of relief in 0% of complaints, less often than the average collector (23%). A complaint alone may not fix things; a written dispute protects your rights either way. "Relief" usually means correcting a credit report, stopping collection or closing the account. 25 recent complaints are still awaiting a response.

In its public replies to complaints, Fair Collections & Outsourcing has said it chose not to comment publicly (93% of complaints).

Use the phone number and mailing address printed on the letter Fair Collections & Outsourcing sent you, and send disputes to that address. We don't list phone numbers because scammers often call pretending to be real collectors, and caller ID can be faked.

Official website: fco.com

Not sure the caller is really Fair Collections & Outsourcing? Ask for a written validation notice, then call the number on the company's own website or on your original account statements. A real collector won't demand payment by gift card, wire transfer or crypto.

What it is

Collection agency

Mostly collects

rental/apartment

Parent company

FCO Holding, Inc. (per 2019 CFPB filing)

Headquarters

Laurel, MD

In the CFPB database since

2013

Maryland-based collection agency (FCO) that specializes in unpaid rent and move-out balances owed to apartment and property-management companies; a CFPB lawsuit filed in 2019 ended in a 2021 court order with an $850,000 civil penalty.

Government actions

• 2019, CFPB: CFPB sued FCO Holding, Inc., Fair Collections & Outsourcing, Inc., two affiliates and CEO Michael Sobota, alleging FCRA/Regulation V failures in handling credit-report disputes and identity-theft claims and FDCPA violations for asserting debts without a reasonable basis; a 2021 stipulated judgment imposed an $850,000 civil money penalty and compliance requirements. Source

A collector can't report a debt to the credit bureaus until it has contacted you about it. If Fair Collections & Outsourcing shows up on your report:

• Check the details. The amount, the original creditor and the date of first delinquency should match your records.
• Dispute errors with each bureau. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion must investigate, usually within 30 days.
• Know the seven-year limit. It runs from when the original account first went delinquent. Paying doesn't reset it, and a collector can't legally "re-age" it.
• Disputed debts must be marked. If you dispute with Fair Collections & Outsourcing, it must report the debt as disputed.

Collections, credit scores and pay for delete, explained

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• Rent Recovery Solutions803 / yr
• RentDebt Automated Collections770 / yr