Why am I getting calls from Southwest Credit Systems?
Southwest Credit Systems is a debt collector and them calling you means their entry is already on your credit report.
A collection account on your credit report drops your credit score and will stay on your report for seven years – even after you pay it off.
Bad credit can impact your financial future severely.
To prevent such damages, you need to remove their collection entry from your credit report entirely.
This article gives you four steps you can take to remove Southwest Credit System from your credit report.
- Understand Your Rights
- Request Debt Validation
- Negotiate a Settlement
- Hire a Professional
Removing a debt collection entry from your credit report is straightforward but not easy.
But we’ll look at all steps in detail.
4 Simple Steps to Remove Southwest Credit Systems from Your Credit Report
The following steps will help you clean up your credit report and remove Southwest Credit System from your credit report.
1. Understand your rights
Most people don’t realize they have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which protects consumers from unethical debt collection practices.
Understanding the law and your rights ahead of time will help you protect yourself from the manipulation of debt collectors.
FDCPA is federal legislation that prevents debt collection agencies from abusing and harassing consumers. The FDCPA also allows you to view information on your credit report and dispute any inaccurate information.
Some of the practices the law FORBIDS under the FDCPA are:
- Contacting you before 8 am or after 9 pm
- Calling you at work or anytime you have said is inconvenient
- Using abusive language and harassing you
- Contacting your friends, family, or employer regarding your debt to intimidate you.
- Misrepresenting information regarding your debt.
- Misrepresenting themselves when contacting you
- Threatening to take legal action they cannot or even take.
If Southwest Credit Systems uses any of these methods when contacting you, tell them they violate the FDCPA.
You must understand your rights under the FDCPA when dealing with Southwest Credit Systems or any other debt collector.
Equipping yourself with the law will help you begin negotiating your debit and credit entry details.
2. Request debt validation
Requesting debt validation is time-sensitive, and you ought to do it within one month.
FDCPA laws allow you to request a debt validation which Southwest Credit Systems must comply with as long as you reach out within one month of the first contact.
The only way you can confirm Southwest Credit Systems has all the correct information about your debt. That’s why you need to write and send a debt validation letter to them.
A debt validation letter asks them to prove that they have the correct information regarding your debt and are qualified to collect it.
You can also dispute the collection if you find inaccurate information on your credit report.
To succeed at this, you’ll need to review the latest copy of your credit report and closely look at the Southwest Credit Systems entry to note any errors.
Errors could include account numbers, balances, date opened or closed the account or payment status, or any other inaccurate information.
If you find any inaccurate information, write an advanced dispute letter to demand the collection removal. It makes it difficult for the credit agency to verify the collection and may cause them to remove the collection entry.
3. Negotiate a settlement
If you fail to have the collection entry removed, you may make a pay-to-delete agreement with Southwest Credit Systems.
In a Southwest Credit Systems pay for delete agreement, you agree to pay Southwest Credit Systems a part of your debt in exchange for them to stop reporting your debt to major credit bureaus.
This can be difficult but worth trying out.
First, you’ll need to negotiate with Southwest Credit Systems and tell them you’ll pay a fraction of the debt in exchange for deletion. Expect to go back and forth with them until you reach an agreement.
Once you work out something, get the agreement in writing with Southwest Credit Systems to hold them accountable.
Once you receive the written agreement, proceed to make your first payment and check your credit report after 30 days. If you notice Southwest Credit Systems has not deleted the entry, reach out to them and remind them of your agreement.
But one more thing.
Never make any promise of payment unless you’re willing and financially able to follow through. If you fail to follow through, then the collection agency will use the broken promise against you.
4. Hire a Professional
What if you are not confident in dealing with Southwest Credit Systems, or maybe you dint have the time?
You can work with a professional to remove the collection entry for you.
Credit repair companies help people like you remove inaccurate, fraudulent, or incomplete entries from their credit reports.
They can help you build your credit, improve your score and get your financial goals back on track.
It’s essential to work with a reputable credit repair company to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money.
But, what is Southwest Credit Systems, and Is Southwest credit legit?
Southwest Credit Systems debt collection is a small but legit debt collection agency headquartered in Texas.
Southwest Credit Systems provide account receivable management and consumer solutions for;
- Government agencies
- Cable companies
- Utility providers
- Property management companies
- Telecommunication companies.
Southwest Credit Systems may appear on your credit report in various names such as Southwest Credit, SW Credit Systems, or SWC Group LP.
Although they are legit, they’re also not popular among their customers.
They have received close to 350 complaints lodged against them with Better Business Bureau (BBB) and 2,000 with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
These complaints are mainly for inaccurate reporting, harassment, and failure to validate debt – which is all a violation of the law under the FDCPA.
Other questions you may need answers
1. Will Southwest Credit Systems Remove from the credit report?
You can negotiate with Southwest Credit Systems to remove the entry if you can convince them that you had extenuating circumstances.
However, they have no legal obligation to do so.
2. Why should you never pay a collection agency?
If your creditor reported you to any of the credit bureaus, then you should change your strategy. Ignoring collection calls will hurt your score, less but it will take seven years to fall off your credit report fully.
Even paying off the debt will do some damage, especially if the collection is from one or two years ago.
3. What’s the relationship between Southwest Credit Systems, Comcast, Verizon, or T-Mobile?
Southwest Credit Systems collects debt for multiple service providers, including cable and telecom companies like Comcast, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
If Southwest Credit Systems is contacting you over an unpaid debt, ensure to ask for verification.
4. Southwest Credit Systems Contact Information
Looking for Southwest Credit Systems’ contact information?
- Southwest Credit Systems’ phone number: (972) 300-1700, Toll-Free: 800-462-3808, Fax: (972) 3004701
- Southwest credit systems address: 4120 International Pkwy Ste 1100, Carrollton, TX 75007-1958
- Website: swcgroup.com
How to deal with Southwest Credit Systems
Dealing with debt collection agencies is not funny, but it’s best to deal with them now than have the damage to your credit score.
Following the above steps will minimize Southwest Credit Systems’impact on your credit scores and sleepless nights.
Improving your credit score and building your credit involves patience and good habits.
Make it this year’s goal to regain your financial freedom.
FAQs About Southwest Credit Systems
Does Southwest Credit Systems Delete?
Yes, Southwest Credit System deletes. However, you must first negotiate with them: inform the debt collector about your intention to pay the debt halfway for an entry to be deleted. After settling, you can then get the agreement written down by Southwest Credit System.
Can a Collection Agency Be Removed from a Credit Report?
Yes, a collection agency can be removed from a credit report. Ask the debt collector or the original creditor for a ‘goodwill deletion.’ You can write a letter to the collector explaining the prevailing circumstances and why you desire debt removal. For instance, mortgage application.
How Do I Get Something Removed from My Credit Report?
There are several ways of getting something removed from your credit report, including the following:
- Request for a ‘goodwill deletion.’
- Wait for the credit reporting time to lapse.
- Raise a dispute with the Credit Bureau.
- Pay your creditor in exchange for a ‘delete offer.’
- Settle the matter with the business that reported you to the Credit Bureau.
How Do I Remove an Apartment Collection from My Credit Report?
You remove an apartment collection from your credit report by writing to the collector or creditor to remove the information as a goodwill deletion. The letter mustn’t be too detailed. Instead, you only need to indicate the debt, state that it’s paid, and that you want it removed.