Protect Yourself Against Harassment by a CMS Debt Collector With DoNotPay

Are you dreading that phone call from a debt collector, harassing you for money that you don't have? You're not alone. According to statistics, one in four Americans (28%) has at least one debt in collections.

Most lenders turn to third-party debt collectors to help them recover their money, but some of these collectors become so aggressive that they cross the line into harassment. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself against harassment by a CMS debt collector.

Curious to learn how? Keep scrolling as we cover the ins and outs of debt collection, your rights, and how you can use DoNotPay as an easy, super convenient way to stop harassment and violation from CMS debt collectors.

What is CMS?

Capital Management Services (CMS) is a New York debt collection agency and call center that provides reliable debt recovery solutions. CMS offers integrated account management solutions and flexible outsourced call center solutions across several verticals. CMS has 120 combined years of experience in recovery, resolution, and recovery processes.

Is CMS Legitimate?

Yes. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) lists CMS as a collection agency that is legitimate and trustworthy. The agency helps big banks such as Capital One, CitiCard, and Discover Bank recover defaulted debts on credit cards and student loans.

CMS collections will appear on your credit statement as "Capital Management Services," "CMS Credit," or "CMS recovery." If you have a legitimate complaint against the company, you can complain with the BBB or file a lawsuit with an attorney.

Your Rights When Dealing with CMS Debt Collectors

To curb consumer harassment and rights violation by debt collectors, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted in 1978. The law prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices to recover debts. Under the FDCPA, a CMS debt collector must:

• Provide you with a written debt validation letter within five days of initial contact
• Avoid making calls during odd hours, for instance, at night or when at work.
• Avoid exposing your debts to family, friends, and employers
• Respond to all debt verification requests and pause collections until the debt is verified
• Respect your request to cease making collection calls
• Communicate with your attorney if you have one rather than you

How to Respond to CMS Debt Collectors

If a CMS debt collector contacts you regarding a collections account on your credit report, it is critical to know how to respond to them. Some of the essential things to find out include:

• The amount owed, including interest, fees, and collection costs
• Information on whether you or someone else owes the debt
• When the debt was incurred and its purpose
• The name of the regional creditor

If a CMS debt collector first contacts you in writing, they must provide a written notice encompassing all the legally-required info. However, if the initial contact is through the phone, insist that they reach you in writing. With the rising cases of fraudulent debt collectors, don't provide personal or financial info to the collector until you confirm their legitimacy.

Based on the above scenarios, there are several options you have when responding to a CMS debt collector:

• Deny any debt owed
• If 30 days haven't elapsed since the last encounter with the collector, request more information about the debt.
• Explain how and when the collector can contact you

How to Remove CMS Collections Off of Your Credit Report

A collections account on your credit report can lower your credit score for seven years. The first step of removing a CMS collections account is verifying whether the debt owed is yours. You can request a free annual credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com from the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, and check for any CMS collections.

If you find an entry, file a credit dispute form to remove the account. The credit bureau will look into the matter and respond to you within 30 days. If you have already paid the debt, you can contact CMS for a goodwill deletion. If you don't want to go through the headache of removing CMS collections, DoNotPay's Clean Credit Report product will help you clear the collections of your report easily and stress-free.

How to Deal with CMS Debt Collectors by Yourself

When someone contacts you regarding a debt owed, the first and critical step is to verify their legitimacy to avoid being scammed. Resist giving out personal or financial info until you get a debt validation letter in writing. Here are the steps you can take when a CMS debt collector contacts you:

1. Analyze the debt validation letter and verify debt information, including the original creditor, the amount owed, the debt's purpose, and the collector's identity.
2. If the debt is a mistake, or you have any questions, file a debt verification request. You can ignore the collection if the statute of limitations is almost expiring.
3. After verifying the debt, there are several options you can take:

• Clear the debt
• Request the debt collector to quit contacting you. While they are legally required to stop calling you after making this request, debt collectors might escalate the case by filing a lawsuit.
• Explain how and when you want them to contact you. You can ask them to contact your lawyer or stop calling during work hours.
• If they have violated the FDCPA rules, you can report them to the CFPB and FTC for unethical debt collection practices.

Stop CMS Debt Collections with DoNotPay

Has CMS recently contacted you or harassed you for months about a debt owed? Fret not! DoNotPay can help you assess whether the debt is legitimate and whether CMS is compliant with FDCPA on debt collection matters. DoNotPay will guide you through a series of questions and determine the right course of action to take. We will contact CMS on your behalf with a demand letter or help you complain if you choose to report CMS to the CFPB.

Here's how it works:

1. Search “debt collection” on DoNotPay.

2. Answer a series of questions about the debt collectors, including when you were contacted and how you were contacted, so we can determine if they have violated any debt collection laws.

3. Decide which course of action you want to take based on our guidance, such as filing a debt verification request, demanding for the collectors to stop contacting you, or reporting them to the CFPB.

And that’s it! Once you choose the course of action you want to take, DoNotPay will handle the rest. We’ll deliver your request directly to the debt collectors via first-class mail, or file your complaint automatically with the CFPB so that they’re no longer able to use unfair debt collection practices.

You can also check out our other credit products, including Credit Limit Increase and Clean Credit Report!

Why Use DoNotPay to Stop CMS Debt Collectors?

With all the daily hassles, it's no surprise that debt collectors can be one of the most stressful things to deal with. Fortunately, with DoNotPay, you can stop CMS debt collectors from harassing you so you can focus on more important things. Some of the distinct benefits of leveraging DoNotPay services include:

• Fast. DoNotPay eliminates the need to spend hours trying to stop CMS debt collectors on your own. Your request will be processed within minutes and without a headache.
• Easy. Dealing with relentless calls from CMS debt collectors can be a hassle, especially if you don't know your rights. DoNotPay makes it easy to stop CMS debt collectors and report them to the CFPB for FDCPA violation.
• Successful. DoNotPay has helped several thousands of consumers get debt collectors to stop contacting them by filing complaints with the CFPB. With our high success rate, you can rest assured we shall get CMS collectors off your neck.

What Else can DoNotPay Do?

Dealing with debt collectors is just one of many things DoNotPay can help you with. You can also use DoNotPay for the following issues:

1. Cancel any service or subscription
2. Increase credit limit
3. Help with bills
4. Find missing money
5. Financial aid appeal letters
6. Clean Credit report