Summary: Ignoring calls, texts, and letters from debt collection companies like Berlin-Wheeler doesn’t make the debt go away. In this article, you’ll learn SoloSuit’s advice for resolving debt with Berlin-Wheeler and putting an end to those pesky phone calls once and for all.
Not many people know debt collection companies by name — until they’ve dealt with one directly, anyway. If you’ve been getting calls or letters from a company called Berlin-Wheeler, you have the distinct displeasure of dealing with one of the most established collection agencies. Do you need to find your peace again and get Berlin-Wheeler to leave you alone? Here’s the SoloSuit guide.
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What is Berlin-Wheeler?
Berlin-Wheeler in Topeka, KS, was founded in 1951. It is located at 2942A SW Wanamaker Dr #200, Topeka, KS 66614. It’s much more established than many other debt collectors, and its decades in the industry have given it time to expand. If you’ve recently gotten a call from (785) 271-1000, Berlin-Wheeler is probably trying to reach you about a debt.
So who does Berlin-Wheeler collect for? Berlin-Wheeler was initially designed to help hospitals and medical practices collect on delinquent accounts, but it now works with businesses across a range of sectors. Aside from healthcare establishments, it collects for utility companies, government agencies, student loan companies, and various types of businesses within the financial sector.
Below is a photo of Berlin Wheeler’s headquarters in Topeka, Kansas:
Berlin Wheeler reviews
Is Berlin-Wheeler legitimate? Yes, it is. Berlin-Wheeler has an A- BBB rating, but over the last few years, it’s received dozens of complaints on its BBB profile. Dissatisfied consumers have also made reports to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database, where you can read nearly 300 complaints against Berlin-Wheeler.
Berlin Wheel has an average rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. See some examples of real Berlin Wheeler reviews below:
Ask Berlin-Wheeler for validation before you pay anything
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) affords Americans several rights when dealing with debt collectors. However, most of us can’t remember all these protections off the tops of our heads.
Companies like Berlin-Wheeler count on people not knowing what to do when they get that first collection letter. After all, if someone is confused, scared, and able to scrape together enough money to pay the bill, they’re probably going to.
One of the most fundamental rights you have under FDCPA is the right to ask any debt collector to prove that you owe a debt and that they have the right to collect it. When you send the collector a letter requesting that information, it’s called a Debt Validation Letter. If you’re putting together a Debt Validation Letter, make sure you request that they send you the following information:
- The original creditor (whom you owed the debt to before it was sold to Berlin-Wheeler).
- The amount owed.
- A copy of the contract between you and the original creditor.
- The last payment or other transaction made on the account.
- Proof that Berlin-Wheeler is authorized to collect the debt.
- Berlin-Wheeler’s debt collection license number for your state of residence.
Ideally, you should write and send the Debt Validation Letter within 30 days of the notice from Berlin-Wheeler. Once the company has received your letter, it is legally forbidden from contacting you about the debt until it has validated the debt.
In some cases, especially if the debt isn’t too large, collection agencies will see validating the debt as too much work. If this happens, you’ll stop hearing from them. Likewise, if you do not actually owe the debt, Berlin-Wheeler won’t be able to prove that you do. In all likelihood, you’ll stop hearing from the company in that case as well.
Getting a debt collector to finally leave you alone is a great feeling, but it also can be good for your credit score. If a collection agency is harassing you about debt, that debt may well be showing up as a collections account on your credit report. If Berlin-Wheeler decides to drop the issue, the company will likely remove collections accounts from your report, increasing your score.
Make Berlin-Wheeler validate your debt.
What to do if Berlin Wheeler proves you actually owe the debt
There’s a chance that Berlin-Wheeler will be able to prove that you owe the money. In this case, there are three potential courses of action. If you have the funds readily available, you can pay the amount in full and have the whole thing over and done with. If you can’t afford to pay the whole amount, you might consider offering a settlement or trying to set up a payment plan with the collector.
Let’s consider an example.
Example: Sheila owes $600 to her credit card company, and Berlin-Wheeler has validated the debt. She can’t afford to pay it all at once, so she offers $400 as a settlement. The company won’t budge, so she asks to set up a payment plan. She agrees to pay Berlin-Wheeler $100 per month for six months to pay off the debt. Once she does that, the collection account disappears from her credit report.
If Berlin-Wheeler Inc. proves that you owe the debt and you simply refuse to pay it, you might find yourself facing a lawsuit. Most debt collectors and consumers see lawsuits as a last resort. If the company loses a lawsuit, it will have spent a considerable amount of money and time for nothing. And if you lose, you might be ordered to pay the debt (or even have it taken right out of your paycheck).
You probably don’t want your situation to advance to the lawsuit stage. But if it does, check out SoloSuit’s secrets to win your debt collection lawsuit.
Settle your debt with Berlin Wheeler and get on with your life
As much as we might wish it, Berlin-Wheeler Inc. collections don’t just go away if you ignore them. But if you have a clear plan of action in place, you might be able to negotiate your debt down. At the very least, you’ll no longer have the prospect of a lawsuit hanging over your head.
Settle your debt with Berlin Wheeler.