Dena Standley is a seasoned paralegal with more than 20 years of experience in legal research and writing, having received a certification as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal from Southern Technical College.
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: Nationwide Credit Corporation is a third-party deb collection agency that might sue you for owing a debt. Luckily, there are ways to resolve your debts with Nationwide Credit, and debt settlement might just be your best option. SoloSettle makes the debt settlement process simpler.
Persistent calls and letters from Nationwide Credit can be frustrating. Even worse, the debt collector may threaten to sue. For consumers, it is easy to go into panic mode. But panicking can cause you to act unwisely.
SoloSuit helps you respond to Nationwide Credit on time, settle debts you owe for less, and win debt-collection lawsuits.
This article discusses who Nationwide Credit is and who it collects for, the company's customer reviews, your rights under the FDCPA, and how to resolve a debt with the company.
Nationwide Credit is a third-party debt collection company in Alexandria, Virginia. It also calls debtors on behalf of creditors, providing an extension to credit providers' call centers.
The company's full name is Nationwide Credit Corporation. It also goes by the acronym NCC. If you have received a call from Nationwide Credit, someone has likely placed a past-due account in your name with the company, and it is reaching out to collect. Nationwide Credit’s contact information is as follows:
Physical address: 5503 Cherokee Ave Ste 101, Alexandria, VA 22312-2307.
Mailing address: P. O. Box 9156 Alexandria, VA 22304.
Phone: 703-642-7500.
Website: Nationwide Credit
Who does Nationwide Credit collect for?
According to the company's website, it works with:
Government
Utilities
Health care
Credit Unions
So, Nationwide can contact you for past-due tax payments, natural gas bills, and medical debts, among others.
Although it boasts the Better Business Bureau's highest rating, A+, some consumers disagree, as the following section demonstrates.
A look at Nationwide Credit's customer reviews and complaints
Nationwide Credit is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and has been in business for five decades. It has offices in Alexandria, Virginia. Over the last few years, NCC has received several complaints regarding its debt collection practices, submitted via its BBB profile and the CFPB complaint database.
A close look at the BBB and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) platforms reveals that Nationwide Credit has violated consumer rights by misrepresenting itself as a government entity.
Let’s take a look at a real consumer complaint against Nationwide Credit, as listed on the CFPB complaint database (edited for clarity and privacy):
"I received a letter with a County letterhead claiming to be the Department of Tax Administration. It claimed a tax lien and demand(ed) for payment. In the body of the letter, they informed me that a copy was sent to my previous employer demanding to garnish 100% of my income until the debt was settled and threatened that unless payment was received in full by a certain date, they would file a suit at court.”
The misrepresentation allegations above are serious. Nationwide Credit can get into trouble if the consumers decide to sue for FDCPA violations.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act can protect you
Debt collectors are known for their frequent abuse of consumers' rights. Below are some conditions in the FDCPA regulations that NCC must respect.
A debt collector may not use false, deceptive, or misleading representation to collect a debt. So they cannot lie to you that they are federal or state government affiliates. They also cannot claim that non-payment will lead to arrest or garnishment unless the action is lawful and they intend to follow through with the threat. While NCC may collect back taxes for the government, they cannot use any county's logo in a bid to threaten consumers.
Debt collectors must not mistreat consumers. Therefore, they cannot ask you to pay more than you owe, solicit postdated checks to scare debtors, and communicate with you about debt via postcard.
Every debt for which a collector contacts you requires validation. Within five days of initial contact, NCC must send you a written communication containing the amount of debt, the current creditor, a statement of your right to dispute the account, and other important information.
If Nationwide Credit violates your rights, you can report it to the FTC or you may sue to receive up to $1,000 for each violation.
NCC can sue you if it believes you are playing hide-and-seek when you can afford to pay your debts. What can you do? Send a Debt Validation Letter asking them to verify the debt. If they have already sent a lawsuit letter, respond with an Answer.
What you should do if Nationwide Credit sues you
If you’ve been sued for debt, the best way to respond is by filing an Answer into your case. This will help you avoid losing automatically by default judgment and buy you time to resolve the debt through a settlement.
Most consumers feel intimidated by court papers, especially if it is their first time facing a lawsuit. You will be happy to know that SoloSuit can generate your legal Answer in just 15 minutes.
The three steps in responding to a debt collection lawsuit are:
Respond to each claim against you.
Assert your affirmative defenses.
File the Answer at the court and send a copy to Nationwide Credit Corporation's attorney.
In step 1, read NCC's complaints carefully and indicate whether you agree, deny, or deny for lack of knowledge.
In step 2, state why you are innocent of the charges. For example, is the debt the result of identity theft? Did you already pay the account in full? You should mention all your defenses here because you cannot bring them up later.
Step 3 is the most crucial. Most states have a deadline for filing the Answer. Check that your response reaches the court before it is too late. Some states, like Virginia, do not have a deadline for filing, but you still have to attend a court hearing on the date that the plaintiff has set with the court (typically within 60 days). Please keep time to avoid default judgments.
To learn more about these three steps, check out this video:
Resolve your debt with Nationwide Credit through debt settlement
Debt settlement can help you resolve your debt with Nationwide Credit once and for all.
In a debt settlement, you offer Nationwide Credit a portion of the total amount due, usually at least 60% of the debt’s value. In exchange for a lump-sum payment, the creditor agrees to drop its legal claims against you and release you from the remaining balance.
NCC usually considers negotiating a debt settlement if you promise to make a lump-sum payment and clear the remaining amount within a short period. Because of this, debt settlement usually works best if you have some cash saved or expect to receive some money soon
Settling your debt helps you avoid a judgment and wage garnishment. You’ll save some money and move on from this challenging experience.
If you decide to settle your obligation, you’ll want to ensure you get the terms of your agreement in writing and pay NCC before your court date. If you’ve never tried debt settlement before, consider working with a professional organization that will guide you through the process.
To learn more about how to settle a debt with Nationwide Credit, check out this video:
SoloSettle, powered by SoloSuit, is a tech-based approach to debt settlement. Our software helps you send and receive settlement offers until you reach an agreement with the collector. Once an agreement is reached, we’ll help you manage the settlement documentation and transfer your payment to the creditor or debt collector, helping you keep your financial information private and secure.
What is Solo?
Solo makes it easy to resolve debt with 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.
SoloSettle can help you contact your debt collector or creditor and negotiate the debt to settle for less, all online. It simplifies and streamlines the process to settling your debt.
No matter where you find yourself in the debt collection process, Solo is here to help you resolve your debt.
Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.
If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.
Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.
Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.
Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.
We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.
Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.
Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.
Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.
Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.
Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.
We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.
You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.
And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.
"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" - Heather