How to Negotiate With a Unifin Debt Collector and Win

Debt collection notices trigger stress and worry. Following the written notice, phone calls from collectors begin. You might be juggling work, family, and other responsibilities. Responding to a debt collector feels overwhelming.

You need to find out what the debt collector wants from you. In many cases, the debt collection notice was sent in error. The amount might be wrong. Here’s how to handle a debt collection notice from Unifin.

What Is Unifin?

Unifin is a debt collection agency. The company collects unpaid debts related to student loans, health care, utilities, and telecommunications. Government agencies also use Unifin to collect outstanding balances.

Is Unifin a Legitimate Debt Collector?

Yes, Unifin is a real debt collector. The Better Business Bureau has accredited them since 2014.

Unifin has hundreds of complaints filed against them over the past three years. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also reported dozens of complaints against Unifin.

Complaints against Unifin involve consumers who say the debt doesn’t belong to them. Unifin regularly reports fraudulent debts to credit reporting agencies. Most of these consumers are victims of identity theft.

Here’s a real complaint against Unifin:

“I just received a letter last week from this debt collector on a debt I know I paid off from 2016. It has been 6 years! My credit reports all say this credit card is paid off and the amount due is $0 and it’s not in collections. I also bought my first house last year and during the process, they never said this was in collections at all! I called to dispute it today and talked to a VERY rude person in customer service that pretty much said there is no point in disputing and I have to pay it. How is this possible if even my credit reports say nothing about me owing???”

Watch out for abusive or harassing activities from Unifin. Know your rights under federal law to protect yourself.

Who Does Unifin Collect For?

Unifin collects debts on behalf of various creditors:

• Credit Card Companies: Unifin collects for credit card issuers with delinquent accounts.
• Healthcare Providers: Medical debt gets handed to Unifin when patients fail to pay their bills.
• Telecommunications Companies: Phone, internet, and cable services turn over unpaid bills to Unifin.
• Utility Providers: Unifin also collects on unpaid utility bills.
• Government Agencies: Unifin collects unpaid taxes, fines, or other debts owed to government entities.

Contact Unifin Inc

Stand up for your rights when a Unifin debt collector contacts you. Here’s Unifin’s contact information:

• Address: PO Box 1608, Skokie, IL 60076
• Email: info@unifininc.com
• Phone: (888) 572-3987
• Website: https://unifininc.com/

Your Rights Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

The FDCPA protects consumers from abusive and harassing debt collection activities. When you receive notification that a debt collector is attempting to collect money, take action immediately. Force them to validate the debt you may owe them.

Dispute in writing that you owe the debt. The collector must mail you verification of the debt. They must also provide the name and address of the original creditor. All communication from Unifin will stop until they do so.

After receiving validation, communication efforts to collect will probably increase. Debt collectors are not allowed to harass or abuse you. They cannot engage in these activities:

• Threatening to use violence or other means to harm you or your reputation
• Using obscene language
• Repeatedly calling you throughout the day or evening
• Making telephone calls without properly identifying themselves
• Falsely indicating the nature of the debt
• Implying they are pursuing legal action without actually doing so

Any of these methods to collect a debt are banned by the FDCPA. If you experience them, notify the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the BBB. In extreme cases, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the company.

Send a Debt Validation Letter to Unifin

Before you agree to make any payments to Unifin, request debt validation. Send a Debt Validation Letter to force Unifin to prove the following:

• The amount of the debt
• The name of the creditor
• The collector will assume the debt is valid unless you send a Debt Validation Letter within 30 days
• The collector will need to mail you validation of the debt
• The collector will need to mail you the name and address of the original creditor

In many cases, debt collectors don’t actually have documentation to verify your debt. They may have thousands of consumers they are pursuing. Documentation may have been lost in the shuffle.

In other cases, they purchase aged accounts without obtaining all necessary paperwork. They’re hoping to get consumers to pay on aged debt without pushback.

Send a Debt Validation Letter to Unifin Inc at their mailing address: PO Box 1608, Skokie, IL 60076.

What If Unifin Is Suing You for a Debt?

If you’ve received a Complaint from Unifin, you can respond. File a written Answer to the lawsuit. File your Answer before the court deadline, which is typically between 14 and 35 days.

You can represent yourself with our partner Solo. In your Answer, follow these six tips:

1. Keep it simple: Your Answer should focus on responding to claims in the Complaint. You can admit, deny, or deny due to lack of knowledge.
2. Deny most claims: Deny as many claims as possible. Force Unifin to do more work to prove their case.
3. Include affirmative defenses: These are legal reasons that Unifin should not win the case. A common affirmative defense is the statute of limitations.
4. Use standard formatting: Include a caption listing the court information, party information, and case number.
5. Include a certificate of service: Verify the address you used to serve Unifin the Answer.
6. Sign it: Most courts reject any legal documents without signatures.

If you don’t respond to the complaint from Unifin, a default judgment may be entered against you. The judgment can allow Unifin to garnish your wages. They can freeze your bank account or put a lien on your personal property.

Expert Tips to Negotiate With a Unifin Debt Collector

Here are tips from a lawyer on how to negotiate with Unifin:

1. Use bankruptcy as leverage: Mentioning bankruptcy can be a strong negotiating point. Creditors might settle for some amount rather than risk getting nothing. Only use this if bankruptcy is a genuine consideration.
2. Make a realistic offer: Unifin collectors won’t take unrealistically low offers seriously. Strike a balance between not offering too much and not offering so little that Unifin loses interest.
3. Be ready for a counteroffer: The party initiating settlement discussions makes an initial offer more favorable to them. A plaintiff will ask for more money than they expect to receive. A defendant will offer less than they’re prepared to pay.

Negotiating with Unifin requires strategy and patience. Our partner Solo can help you respond to the lawsuit and negotiate a settlement.

How to Beat Unifin in Court

If Unifin is suing you for an unpaid debt, you can represent yourself in court. Create an Answer to the debt lawsuit Complaint. The whole process takes 15 minutes.

Many users get their cases dismissed entirely. You have rights when facing a debt lawsuit. Exercise them by responding before the deadline.