Out of nowhere, you start getting many calls from the DCM services. Even your email isn’t spared, and you can’t help but wonder why DCM Services (Deceased Case Management Services) has made it their business to ‘harass’ you.
Do they even have the right to do so? Those are things one can’t help but wonder under these circumstances. That’s not the only thing that’s a mystery to many people regarding DCM Services.
What is it all about? Who do they collect for? Fortunately, this article puts an end to all these concerns. So, without further ado, let us learn more about DCM Services.
1. About DCM Services
DCM Services is a debt collection agency, but its uniqueness is also indisputable. After all, it collects debts from immediate family members of someone who died recently. All that matters to the agency is that the debt is overdue.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter whether the debt is directly yours because that won’t stop it from calling or emailing you non-stop.
2. Clients DCM Services Collect Form
Having looked at who they collect debts from, it is only fair to look at the other side of it. Who do they collect for? Like most similar organizations, DCM services don’t disclose their clientele. Equally important, it keeps removing the clients whose debts have been resolved while adding new ones.
Therefore, it is hard, if not impossible, to tell precisely who they collect from. However, its clients cut across various industries and organizations. They include healthcare, auto lenders, and financial services, to mention a few.
3. Various Ways of Dealing with DCM Services
Sometimes, knowing that you are dealing with a big organization can make you feel like your hands are tied. Besides, there is this confidence that the DCM Services oozes as they call you to collect a debt.
As intimidating as these things may be, all is not lost. It turns out that there are things you can do to deal with them. You have up to three options, and they are as follows;
3.1. Negotiation with DCM Services for Less Payment
It is no secret that debt collectors can get their debt from the deceased’s estate. The immediate family members should also pay any balance.
However, if you understood how the likes of DCM Services work, you would realize that you can pay less, and the debt collection agency will still profit.
After all, they buy debts from initial creditors at a relatively low price. Consequently, it is possible to negotiate for a reduced amount without the agency incurring any loss. Some people get good deals paying as low as 50% of the initial debt.
Negotiation even gets better depending on the deal. For instance, you can negotiate that DCM services will delete that debt from your credit report as soon as you pay the agreed portion.
Remember to have a written agreement in case a conflict arises in the future. However, don’t expect the changes on your credit report to reflect instantly. It takes up to 30 days for a change to be effective.
3.2. Request DCM Services to send a Debt Validation Letter
The cause of action should happen when DCM Services starts emailing or calling you. You can respond with a request for a debt validation letter. It helps you confirm that the deceased owes the agency money.
Ensure that your debt validation letter is legally binding. Equally important, get as much as possible from this letter, including the debt breakdown and the initial creditor.
The letter also contains information that allows you to inquire about the debt in question. Therefore, you can ask as much as you wish about the debt your deceased loved one owes the agency. There is also the right to dispute the debt’s existence if unsure of its validity and legitimacy.
3.3. Dispute the DCM Services Debt
This measure will involve the credit bureaus. It is the best approach if you realize that the debt validation letter they send you upon request has discrepancies.
If so, write a dispute letter to credit bureaus such as TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Remember to attach all the documents that show the discrepancies. Credit bureaus use these errors during their investigation of the matter.
After that, the findings help the bureaus decide whether to correct or remove your DCM Services debt from your credit report.
4. Can DCM Services Sue You or Garnish Your Wages?
Since this is a debt collection agency, an unpaid debt allows it to sue. That could then allow the agency to garnish your wages if the judgment is in its favor.
Besides wages, a judgment can also allow it to garnish your bank account. Putting a lien on a property is also a possible outcome. The cause of action often relies on the laws of the particular state.
Nevertheless, most debt collection agencies, including DCM Services, avoid taking matters to court. On the contrary, they opt for a payment plan that helps the debtor repay the money as agreed.
It doesn’t mean that it won’t sue if it deems it fit. Remember that laws differ from one state to another, and not all states allow debt collectors to garnish your wages.
5. What Are Your Rights When Dealing with DCM Services?
According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, no debt collection agency has a right to put you through the following;
- Mistreat you in any manner
- Use abusive language when calling or emailing you regarding the debt
- Threaten to arrest you for not paying the debt
- Reach out to you beyond authorized hours, which is between 8 am and 9 pm
- Call you several times in one day
That’s a violation of the FCDPA rights, and if they violate them, it needs to be brought to the books.
Wrapping Up
It turns out that DCM Services may be justified in calling and emailing you regarding a debt you don’t know about. It could be that your deceased loved one left behind an unresolved debt.
Nonetheless, it would help if you didn’t believe the debt collection agency instantly. On the contrary, do the due diligence to determine its legitimacy.
If the debt is legitimate, you can give it an extra push. You can opt to look for errors that can nullify the debt or negotiate. Regardless, they shouldn’t violate your rights. Although it is rare, the debt collection agency has a right to sue you, too.
Last Updated on by Arnab