Collections Agencies
International Credit Recovery Inc.Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Collections Agencies.
Information and Alerts
Alert Details
This business has 2 alerts.
Pattern of Complaints
BBB finds a pattern and high volume of complaints regarding collection activities for consumers on client accounts for Progressive Business Publications of Malvern, PA. Consumers have advised BBB that they have not ordered any publications from Progressive Business Publications and therefore they do not owe any debt to International Credit Recovery. The company response to many of these BBB complaints with a response stating: "However, after careful review of this customer’s complaint we now have dead-filed the account stopping all collection activity as a courtesy to this company and Progressive Business Publications was notified. There will not be a balance due on this invoice, we will not run her credit card. This matter is considered closed."
The business responded to this pattern of complaints with the following statement:
In response to that, a majority of complaints appear to be billing/collection issues approximately 400. The customers are upset they are being billed for product they feel they didn’t order. They are now upset they are being contacted by a collection agency. They express to us they thought it was only a trial or free issue. However, they are told it will be a year subscription if not cancelled after their 30-day trial period. They are also sent a confirmation email with those terms. We found that a majority of the complaints misunderstood those terms and have not fully read the email sent to them or disregard it altogether. In our attempts to correct this we do explain step by step their original agreement and if a customer is still dissatisfied we will clear them from collection.
The percentage of customers with this problem is minimal compared to the customers we are contacting.
An average of 28,500 customers is turned over to us annually, so in 3 years that is 85,500 customers.
Of those an average of 500 in 3 years has complained regarding Progressive Business Publications’ business practices. That is 1% of the customers we contact the other 99% (85,000) we either are able to resolve ourselves or they pay their debt and do not send in a complaint.
We have been given authority by our client Progressive Business Publications to dead-file accounts with similar problems. They also contact us with customers to pull from collections as well to resolve any issues they may have. Our relationship with our client is strictly third party, however we have done business with them for 25+ years and have established a relationship of trust to be able to dead-file accounts we feel have reason to not continue their subscription.
Licensing
BBB confirmed that International Credit Recovery Inc. had not obtained a necessary license from Out-of-State Collection Agency. BBB encourages you to contact the following agency or agencies to confirm this information:
Important Information
Pending Government Action
The following describes a pending government action that has been formally brought by a government agency but has not yet been resolved. We are providing a summary of the government’s allegations, which have not yet been proven.
On May 13, 2020 the Federal Trade Commission sued the operators of a Pennsylvania-based telemarketing scheme in US District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania. Charges filed allege that they charged organizations such as businesses, schools, fire and police departments, and non-profits for books and newsletter subscriptions they never ordered.
The FTC’s complaint also names the defendants behind a New York-based debt collection operation, alleging that they illegally threatened the organizations if they failed to pay for the unordered merchandise. The matter is pending. For more details go to the Federal Trade Commission press release.
In response to these charges, the business provided the following statement:
The accounts forwarded to International Credit Recovery, Inc. from Progressive Business Publications for collection efforts are for commercial accounts only. International Credit Recovery, Inc. does not attempt to collect any consumer debt on behalf of Progressive Business Publications. International Credit Recovery, Inc. does not engage in the practice of threatening to file a lawsuit or adversely affect a commercial entity’s credit rating if an entity refuses to pay the debt. Nor does International Credit Recovery, Inc. illegally threaten commercial entities in an attempt to collect a commercial debt. Rather, if an entity cancelled the subscription within the applicable time frame or never agreed to purchase a subscription, the account is closed. Additionally, less than one percent (1%) of the commercial accounts forwarded to International Credit Recovery, Inc. have resulted in complaints to the BBB. Over ninety-nine percent (99%) of collection efforts are resolved without complaint. International Credit Recovery, Inc. disagrees with the allegations by the FTC and is currently defending such allegations.
Service Area
- 13851
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