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Can You Negotiate with Americollect?

Sarah Edwards | February 08, 2024

Sarah Edwards
Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Harris is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

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.

Summary: To negotiate with Americollect, confirm your debt, plan repayment, choose phone or written negotiation, propose an offer, and get any agreement in writing. SoloSuit can help with each of these steps and more.

If you’ve just been contacted by Americollect saying you owe a debt, you might be tempted to pay it off immediately to avoid further stress. However, if you’re willing to deal with Americollect a little longer, you might find yourself owing less than you thought. Take a closer look at how you can negotiate with Americollect.

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What is Americollect?

Americollect is a debt collection agency located at 1851 S Alverno Rd, Manitowoc, WI 54220. It primarily collects for hospitals and health systems, and its phone number is 800-838-0100, though you may receive calls from phone numbers like 920-682-0311. Founded in 1964, Americollect is one of the older debt collection agencies in the state.

While the agency is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and has a BBB rating of A, its 13 customer reviews average 1.38 stars as of January 2024. Many reviews mention rude representatives.

This collector also has a fair number of complaints. In the last three years, it’s had dozens of BBB complaints. Of those complaints, 44 were filed in the past 12 months. Some complaints note that Americollect claimed to have verified a debt but didn’t include any documentation.

There are also a number of complaints about Americollect on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. Americollect has almost 2,000 complaints. Many allege that Americollect refused to verify their debt, and some said that representatives threatened to arrest them if they didn’t pay.

Learn more: Sued by Americollect? Win in Court

There are several ways you can negotiate with Americollect

Debt collectors generally purchase debt for pennies on the dollar. As a result, they’re often willing to accept less than the original amount of the debt. If you can propose a solution that’s beneficial to you and Americollect, they might be willing to work with you. Here are three general options to consider:

  • Payment Plan: You pay a certain amount of the debt each month until it’s paid off.
  • Pay-for-Delete: You agree to repay the debt immediately if the collector will take the collection off your credit report.
  • Settlement Agreement: The debt collector accepts a smaller amount than the debt was originally worth.

Of these three general strategies, you’re more likely to have success by offering a payment plan or a settlement amount. A pay-for-delete is the best way to protect your credit score, but many debt collectors are hesitant to remove collections from your report.

Generally speaking, even if you pay them off, collection accounts stay on your credit report for seven years.

Here’s how to negotiate with Americollect

Negotiating with Americollect — or any debt collector — can be stressful. To maximize your chances of success, follow these steps:

1. Validate your debt first

It’s always a good idea to exercise your right to validate debt. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) allows you to request that the debt collector prove you owe what they say you do. You just need to send a Debt Validation Letter within 30 days of learning of the debt. If Americollect can’t prove it, you don’t have to pay.

To learn more, check out SoloSuit’s video Q&A about Debt Validation Letters:

2. Create a plan

Before you talk to Americollect, make sure you have a plan. You also should have that plan written down. Take a look at your debt and determine whether you can pay a portion of it as a lump sum. If you’d prefer a payment plan, work out what you could comfortably afford per month.

3. Decide how you’ll negotiate

Whether you deal with Americollect on the phone or in writing is up to you. However, because it’s always wise to have a record of your communications with debt collectors, negotiating in writing is usually the better choice.

4. Propose your offer

Once you feel mentally ready and have some time, start negotiating by proposing your repayment plan. Don’t feel pressured to reach an agreement immediately — you can always try to re-negotiate another day.

5. Get it in writing

If you reach an agreement with Americollect, get it in writing. That way, it’s documented in case Americollect takes legal action against you.

Can you negotiate if Americollect has already sued you?

What if you’ve already gotten a Summons informing you that Americollect is suing you for your debt? You can technically still negotiate at this point, although negotiations are a lot more formal — and you need to act quickly.

If you do get a Summons, make sure to respond by your state’s deadline. Otherwise, the court will likely get a default judgment against you, and you’ll lose your right to negotiate.

After you respond to the lawsuit, you can begin negotiations by sending an offer to Americollect. Often, debt collectors want to avoid taking a lawsuit to trial, so there’s a good chance Americollect will let you settle for less than the original debt.

If you want the best chance of reaching a fair settlement, SoloSuit can help. When you use SoloSettle, we deal directly with the collector, so you don’t have to.

To get an idea of how this process works, let’s consider an example.

Example: Lisa gets a Summons from Americollect indicating she’s being sued for a $500 debt. Lisa uses SoloSuit to send an Answer right away. After she files her Answer, Lisa uses SoloSettle to negotiate a settlement amount. Ultimately, she and Americollect agree that $400 is an acceptable settlement. Lisa pays up, and the collector stops bothering her.


Learn how SoloSuit can help you draft and send an Answer to a lawsuit!

Take control of your debt with SoloSuit

At SoloSuit, our goal is to empower you to take on debt collectors and improve your financial future. With some careful planning, you’ll be well on your way to successfully negotiating with Americollect. Let SoloSuit give you your best chance of negotiating your debt!

Get started with SoloSettle from SoloSuit today!

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