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Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

No one likes being forced to pay...

Summary: Payments.tsico is a payment portal created and operated by Transworld Systems (TSI) that is supposed to make paying off a debt easier. Companies that contract with TSI can use the agency’s payment portal to collect payments from their customers. If you have been sued by TSI for a debt you owe, you can increase your chances of winning by responding with SoloSuit.

If you have old credit card debt or another financial obligation, you may have received a collection notice from Transworld Systems, Inc., or TSI. TSI is a debt collection agency that purchases old debts from creditors and attempts to collect them from consumers.

TSI is different from other debt collection agencies in that it offers a full suite of accounts receivable management services that companies can use to manage customer accounts. Some of these services include customer relationship management (CRM) and business process outsourcing (BPO).

In addition to its CRM and BPO solutions, the company helps creditors collect payments directly from clients using Payments.tsico, an accounts receivable management payment portal.

What is Payments.tsico?

Payments.tsico is a payment portal created and operated by Transworld Systems. Companies that contract with TSI can use the agency’s payment portal to collect payments from their customers. Many organizations use Payments.tsico to process payments, including credit card companies, healthcare groups, and utilities providers.

TSI also uses Payments.tsico to collect payments on third-party debt. When the agency attempts to collect a debt it purchased from a creditor, it will provide the consumer with an account number they can use to make their payment online through the portal.

Why is Payments.tsico a problem?

There are no real problems with the system itself. However, customers often become confused when viewing their bank statements because the payment recipient's name is listed as “Transworld Systems.” If the customer thinks they’re paying their utility or credit card bill, they expect to see the name of their provider or lender.

It can be challenging to track payment histories for first-party creditors using only their bank statements. Instead, the consumer must pull their account records from TSI’s system if they want to track their remittance history.

Should I pay my bills with Payments.tsico?

If your creditor uses Payments.tsico as their payment portal, you may not have another option for online payments.

That said, if you’re concerned about tracking your payments or protecting your payment information, you can set up automatic payments through your personal bank account. Your original creditor might also allow you to pay via check or cash.

To summarize, Transworld Systems acts as a debt collection agency that seeks payment from consumers for old obligations. The agency’s online portal allows clients to make payments without giving their account information.

How do I know if Transworld Systems owes my debt?

Like any debt collection agency, Transworld Systems, Inc. must send consumers a debt validation when it purchases debt from an original creditor and then contacts the consumer to collect. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the validation must include specific information, including:

The name of the original creditor and the consumer’s account number
The consumer’s name and mailing address
Itemization of the amount owed by the consumer from a specific date, such as the last payment date or the date the original creditor charged off the account
Options for further debt verification or dispute
Certain disclosures that notify the consumer of their rights and those of the debt collector

If you receive a letter from TSI seeking payment for an old debt, review it carefully. You can ask for further verification if any of the information looks suspect. In fact, try sending a Debt Validation Letter within 30 days of initial contact to force TSI to validate the debt in question. If they can’t, they should leave you alone moving forward.

Let’s consider an example.

Example: Transworld Systems reaches out to Amy, claiming she owes a debt of $750. Amy isn’t aware of any outstanding debts, and after some investigating, she suspects that Transworld Systems has incorrect information. Amy uses SoloSuit to send a Debt Validation Letter to TSI. The debt collectors at TSI are not able to provide proof that Amy actually owes the debt, and they cease collection efforts.

To learn more about debt validation, check out this video:

Should I dispute a debt from Transworld Systems?

If you have a valid dispute against the debt that TSI is trying to collect from you, it’s in your best interest to dispute it. Otherwise, the agency will assume that the information they have concerning the debt is accurate and pursue all available collection activities against you.

Common disputes concerning debt include identity theft and previous settlement. Suppose that you have records showing you paid a debt or someone stole your identity to obtain a loan or credit card. In that case, debt collection agencies must refrain from further collection activities and credit reporting.

The earlier you provide this information, the better.

If you wait too long to dispute a debt, TSI will persist in its collection efforts against you. They can report your account to credit bureaus and even attempt to obtain a judgment against you through court.

Negative reporting activity from collections agencies can significantly lower your credit score, making it difficult for you to obtain future loans, rent or buy a house, or even get a job.

To make matters worse, if the agency decides to pursue a legal case against you, they could win the right to garnish your wages or freeze your bank account to collect the outstanding debt.

What consumer rights do I have against abusive practices from Transworld Systems?

Debt collectors like Transworld Systems often try to harass their customers into paying outstanding debts. They’ll frequently call consumers, send them letters, and email them. Sometimes, they’ll reach out to debtors via social media accounts.

Regular harassment at the hands of debt collectors can be exhausting. If you don’t have the money to pay your debt, you may worry about how you’ll be able to cover essential bills if the agency insists on exercising its authority under the law.

However, the FDCPA grants consumers specific rights that debt collectors must observe. For example:

The debt collector cannot call the consumer more than seven days per week.
The collector cannot call the debtor before 8 a.m. or after 9 a.m.
The collector cannot contact the consumer for seven days following a conversation with them.
If the collector reaches out to the consumer via social media, they must identify themselves and make their intentions clear.
The collector must cease contact if the customer demands it.

If Transworld Systems infringes on your rights by refusing to adhere to the rules laid out by the FDCPA, you can file a lawsuit against them or register a complaint with the FTC. Each act of non-compliance by a debt collector is subject to a potential fine of $1,000.

What should I do if Transworld Systems sues me for an unpaid debt?

If TSI attempts to sue you for an unpaid debt, don’t ignore the court Summons. You can, and should, file an Answer to the lawsuit outlining why you don’t owe the debt.

You have up to 35 days to respond to a lawsuit against Transworld Systems, depending on where you live. If you don’t file an Answer within the deadline, you will lose by default judgment, giving Transworld the right to garnish your wages and put liens on your property.

In your Answer document, focus on responding to the claims listed against you in the Summons and Complaint and assert your affirmative defenses.

Common defenses used in debt collection lawsuits include:

You have no business relationship with the debt collector.
The debt is not yours.
You’re the victim of identity theft.
The statute of limitations has expired.
You’ve already paid or settled the debt.
You’ve filed for bankruptcy.
The collector hasn’t provided you with their license number to operate in your state.

Use the right defense the right way with SoloSuit.

Your Answer gives you the chance to push back against the debt collector. They won’t be able to obtain a judgment against you unless they can successfully disprove your claims.

If you opt to file an Answer, make sure you include as much information as possible to support your claims. The clearer the evidence in your favor, the more likely you are to win your case.

You’ll also need to go to court to make your defense in person. Based on the facts you present to the judge, the court will decide whether to issue a judgment or dismiss the case.

Should I attempt to pay the debt that Transworld Systems is pursuing me for?

If you know the debt is valid and have no recourse to non-payment, it may be best to simply pay the debt or attempt to settle it. Before doing so, however, you should confirm that TSI does in fact own the rights to your debt. You can do this by sending a Debt Validation Letter to the company.

Once you have documentation showing that TSI owns the debt, you have several options: you can pay the debt in full, try to settle it with a one-time payment, or set up a special payment arrangement.

Generally, paying off your debt in full isn’t advisable. If TSI owns your debt, it’s likely pretty old, which means your original creditor has probably been reporting it to various credit bureaus for a while. Paying the full sum, therefore, won’t make much of a positive impact on your credit score.

Debt collection agencies are often willing to settle debts for a reduced amount if asked. If you have the funds available, see if they’d be willing to accept a percentage of the total debt to close the account. Starting low in your settlement negotiations will leave plenty of room for TSI to provide you with a fair counteroffer.

If you don’t have enough money to settle the debt, you can attempt to set up a payment arrangement. Under a payment arrangement, you’ll make regular payments until you’ve repaid the debt. These plans show that you’re willing to work with the debt collector and can keep you from experiencing further legal trouble, like a Summary Judgment.

If at all possible, try to set aside some money while you’re committed to a payment arrangement. Once you’ve saved up a certain amount (say, 50% of the debt’s total value), you can offer a lump settlement instead of continuing to make monthly payments.

Fight off debt collectors like Transworld Systems with SoloSuit.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

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