I.C. Intelligent Collection Debt Collection Agency
I.C. System Collection Agency - also known as Intelligent Collections
I.C. System, Inc.
444 Highway 96 E
Saint Paul, MN 55127-2557
Phone: (651) 483-8201, (651) 204-1220, (800) 279-7951, Web: www.icsystem.com,
Email: consumeraffairs@icsystem.com, Ms. Barbara Erickson, Chairman (Principal)
How to Protect Yourself from I.C. Systems Collection Agency
I.C. System (Intelligent Collections) is a collection agency founded in 1938 with corporate headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota and a branch office in Fargo, North Dakota. It employs more than 1,000 people in its debt collection services departments, which focus on consumer and commercial collections, early-out, pre-collections, “locate and cure” programs, and charge-off collections. Among its bag of tricks for “receivables management” are credit reporting, skip tracing, and litigation and non-litigation attorney referral.
I. C. System specializes in collecting for hundreds of telecommunication and utility companies, offering outsourcing services and even acting as a company’s internal collection office as part of “first-party” efforts to collect. They will also target delinquent customers on behalf of their clients for accounts that have not yet been handed over to traditional “third-party” collection agencies. If they attempt to collect on accounts when individuals are no longer customers, also known as “third party write-off services” they will pursue credit bureau reporting - which destroys your credit score - and take legal action if necessary.
Whether acting as a first-party collector or offering third party write-off services, debt collection is an enormously profitable industry - all at the consumer's expense. There are several ways third-party collection agencies make money. Often they work on commission, and receive a percentage of any amount of debt they successfully collect. Agencies may also purchase large groups of bad debts for only a small percentage of their face value (what is actually owed). When debt is sold, the debtor no longer owes the amount to the creditor; he or she owes the full amount of the debt to the purchaser. When collection agencies purchase debt for a tiny fraction of their face value they stand to make an enormous profit on the difference between the purchase price of the loan and the amount actually collected.
This is a concept that you must keep in mind when negotiating with I.C. System debt collection agency.
I.C. Systems has over 30,000 clients in almost every industry, and in advertising their services claim that none of their clients has ever had to pay a legal judgment based on their practices. This could indicate a higher level of fair and ethical practices employed by I.C. systems, as compared with other collection agencies, but even if you are dealing with a more reputable collection agency, you should know your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
The FDCPA is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and prohibits abusive collections tactics that invade your privacy or could be considered harassment. Collectors are not allowed to make threats or use abusive language, involve third parties or discuss your account with anyone else. These practices are illegal, and if you’re in a situation where I.C. Systems is violating the FDCPA, you should contact an attorney who assists victims of the unethical practices of debt collectors.
