Consumer complaint received 2025-04-27 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: National Credit Systems,Inc.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a formal complaint against National Credit Systems ( NCS ) regarding a collection account of approximately {$4200.00} appearing on my credit reports. In XX/XX/year>, I sent NCS a written debt validation request via certified mail, invoking my rights under FCRA Section 609 and FDCPA Section 809. This letter formally requested validation and verification of the debt ( including original account documentation ) in writing. However, NCS failed to provide any written validation or original documentation in response. Instead, NCS contacted me by phone to offer a settlement on the debt without ever supplying the requested proof of its validity. This means NCS attempted to collect the debt without validating it, in direct violation of my consumer rights. 

FDCPA Violation : Failure to Validate and Cease Collection National Credit Systems has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), Section 809 ( 15 U.S.C. 1692g ). Under this law, once a consumer requests debt validation in writing, the debt collector must cease all collection efforts until it mails verification of the debt to the consumer. I exercised my rights by requesting validation well within the legally allowed timeframe. NCS never mailed any verification or documentation to me, yet they continued collection attempts by calling to demand payment/offer a settlement. This failure to validate the debt, coupled with continued collection activity, is a blatant violation of FDCPA Section 809. NCS had no legal right to continue attempting to collect once I requested validation, unless and until they provided written verification, which they did not. By ignoring my validation request and proceeding with collection calls, NCS violated my FDCPA rights and undermined the laws consumer protections. 

FCRA Violation : Suspected Re-Aging of Account NCS is also in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) through its handling of the reporting of this account. I noticed that the expected removal ( fall-off ) date for the NCS collection on my credit report changed from XX/XX/year> to XX/XX/year> without explanation. This two-month date shift is highly suspicious and suggests that NCS improperly re-aged the account. Re-aging refers to illegitimately changing the date of first delinquency or last activity on a debt, which restarts the seven-year timeline for how long the account can remain on credit reports. In other words, by moving the fall-off date to XX/XX/year>, NCS appears to have altered the debts original delinquency date to keep the collection on my report longer than permitted.

This practice of re-aging an account is illegal under the FCRA. The law ( FCRA Section 605 ( c ) and Section 623 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) forbids data furnishers from changing the original delinquency date ; no debt collector or creditor may reset the credit reporting period. Yet NCSs reporting shows a later fall-off date than originally scheduled, indicating a possible FCRA violation . As consumer experts note, some collectors try to manipulate delinquency dates to extend how long a collection stays on the report, but thats illegal. By re-aging the debt, NCS is misreporting credit information and violating my rights under the FCRAs accuracy and fair reporting provisions. This inaccurate and unlawful reporting exacerbates the harm to me by prolonging the life of this derogatory account on my credit.

Impact on My Life and Rights NCSs actions have had a serious negative impact on my life. The presence of this unvalidated, allegedly re-aged collection account on my credit reports has severely damaged my credit score and blocked my ability to obtain housing. I have been denied housing opportunities because landlords and property managers see this outstanding {$4200.00} collection and consider me a high-risk applicant. This is extremely distressing, as I am being punished for a debt that NCS has not proven I owe. Their refusal to follow the law ( by validating the debt or accurately reporting it ) is directly impairing my access to basic needs like a place to live. 

Furthermore, NCSs disregard of federal consumer protection laws has caused me significant frustration and anxiety. I made a good-faith effort to exercise my rights and resolve any legitimate debt through proper verification. Instead of receiving proof, I was met with unlawful collection tactics and potentially fraudulent credit reporting updates. This violation of my rights under FDCPA and FCRA is unacceptable and has left me with ongoing financial and emotional harm. I am bringing this to the CFPBs attention because I need help enforcing my rights and correcting this situation immediately.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation