How To Deal With Harris & Harris Debt Collectors in 2024

Harris & Harris is a legitimate debt collection agency. They focus on consumer debts, specifically healthcare, government, and utility debt. If Harris & Harris contacts you, validate the alleged debt first.

Once you verify the debt belongs to you, choose your path forward. You can dispute the debt if information is incorrect. You can also negotiate a settlement to pay less than the full amount.

What Is Harris & Harris?

Harris & Harris is a debt collection agency based in Chicago, Illinois. They buy debt from healthcare companies, government entities, and utility companies.

Harris & Harris also goes by:

• Harris and Harris
• Harris & Harris, LTD
• Harris & Harris Debt Collectors
• Harris & Harris Limited
• Harris Collections

Here is their contact information:

Website: https://www.harriscollect.com/

Phone number: 1-800-362-0097 (Toll-Free)

Address: 111 W Jackson Blvd Ste 400, Chicago, IL 60604

How does your debt reach a collection agency? When you become delinquent on a payment, the creditor contacts you with written notices and phone calls. If you repeatedly ignore their efforts, they may sell your debt to a collection agency. The agency creates a collections account in your name and takes over collection efforts.

Why Is Harris & Harris Contacting Me?

If Harris & Harris contacts you, a lender has sold your debt. Since Harris & Harris now owns your debt, you must work directly with them. Any negotiation or repayment plan goes through the collection agency, not the original creditor.

Is Harris & Harris Legit?

Yes, Harris & Harris is a legitimate company. However, they have several consumer complaints filed against them. Both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have documented numerous issues.

As of early 2024, the BBB reported over 285 complaints filed against Harris & Harris in three years. Harris & Harris currently has a 1.1/5 star rating on the BBB website. Most complaints are flagged as problems with product or service. Multiple consumers claimed harassment from Harris & Harris. Several others received an inappropriate number of phone calls without proper debt validation.

Repeated phone calls and lack of written notice are common Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations. The FDCPA is a federal law that protects you from harassment by third-party debt collectors. If you believe a debt collector violated the law, report them to the CFPB. You can even sue for compensation.

Note: These reviews and complaints highlight relevant issues but may not represent all consumers’ experiences.

How Do I Know if I’m Being Scammed?

Even if the company is legitimate, scammers can use their name. Scammers typically ask for sensitive details that a legitimate agency would already have. Bank account information and your social security number are common targets.

Always validate the debt and ask for more information if anything seems suspicious. Validating your debt is the best way to avoid a debt collector scam. If someone is trying to scam you, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Do I Have To Pay Harris & Harris?

If Harris & Harris contacts you, figure out if the debt is legitimate first. Debt collectors can get information wrong. They may report the wrong amount or even the wrong debtor. You can protect yourself by verifying the debt.

How do you determine if the debt is legitimate? You validate the debt. You need to verify that:

• The debt is an actual debt you owe
• The debt collector genuinely owns the debt
• The amount of debt is accurate

If Harris & Harris has incorrect information and the debt isn’t yours, they must stop contacting you. If they prove the debt is yours and they own it, you need to decide your next steps.

Below are steps you can take to verify and validate the debt Harris & Harris claims you owe.

Step 1: Send a Debt Verification Letter

If you haven’t already received a debt validation letter from Harris & Harris, request one. You can also send your own debt verification letter.

A debt validation letter is a letter from a debt collector. It includes basic information about a debt they’re trying to collect from you. By law, a debt collection company must send you a debt validation letter. They must send it either before or within five days of their initial contact. They must also give you a 30-day window to dispute the debt.

During the 30-day debt dispute window, the collection agency can’t continue collection efforts. Phone calls, letters, and emails must stop. If they can’t verify the debt within those 30 days, you shouldn’t have to pay. Make sure you check your credit report and dispute errors with the major credit bureaus.

If Harris & Harris verifies the debt, your next step depends on whether you agree with the amount they claim you owe.

Step 2: Decide What To Do Next

You have options in how to navigate the situation with Harris & Harris.

The three main options are:

• Dispute the debt
• Negotiate or settle the debt
• Ignore the debt (not recommended)

Option 1: Dispute the Debt

If you disagree with the amount of debt Harris & Harris indicates, dispute it. It’s your right to challenge incorrect information. Often, if there’s incorrect information on the letter, that same information was reported to the major credit bureaus. It is advisable to check your credit report and dispute any errors.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have rights. You can get a free copy of your credit report from each major credit bureau once every 12 months. The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You can get these free reports from AnnualCreditReport.com.

You also have the right to request credit bureaus remove negative entries from your credit report. You can use the 609 Credit Dispute Letter to exercise this right.

Option 2: Negotiate the Debt and Make a Settlement Offer

If paying the debt in full isn’t an option for you, negotiating a debt settlement could work. Most creditors will settle for 40-60% of the original amount owed.

You can negotiate by starting with a lower percentage. Start as low as 25% but be willing to meet at 50%. You have leverage in negotiations because debt collectors buy your debt for pennies on the dollar. They make a profit even if you pay less than what you originally owed.

Negotiating a successful settlement with Harris & Harris may seem intimidating. But it is possible. Our partner Solo can help you respond to a lawsuit and negotiate a settlement.

Can You Negotiate Every Past-Due Debt?

You can’t negotiate every past-due debt. But it is usually an option for most consumer debts. Credit card debt, medical bills, personal loans, and payday loans are typically negotiable.

Tax debt is also usually negotiable. But the IRS has its own system for negotiating it.

Debt from mortgages or car loans typically cannot be negotiated. Lenders can foreclose or repossess these secured debts. Federal student loans are also usually non-negotiable. But if you’re struggling with student loan payments, there are increasingly available forgiveness options.

Option 3: Ignore the Debt (Not Recommended)

While this is technically an option, ignoring debt is not recommended. Dealing with debt can be overwhelming. But ignoring the debt or debt collector won’t make either go away. Often, it increases stress and causes greater money anxiety. It may also provoke debt collectors to ramp up their collection efforts.

What Happens if I Ignore Harris & Harris?

The worst thing you can do if Harris & Harris contacts you is ignore them. Ignoring a debt collector creates more problems.

Those problems include:

• Hurting your credit score
• Costing you more money in the long run due to interest charges and fees
• Creating an opening for you to get sued by the debt collector

Being sued creates more problems if you also ignore the lawsuit. The debt collector wins and receives a default judgment. They can then get a wage garnishment order against you.

Most of all, ignoring the debt doesn’t make the collector go away. Negative information drops off your credit report after seven years. But the debt doesn’t disappear. Agencies can continue collection efforts until the statute of limitations expires.

Bottom line: The best thing you can do for yourself is take action.

Can Harris & Harris Sue Me?

Unfortunately, Harris & Harris can sue you. If they repeatedly contact you and you ignore their collection efforts, they can file a debt collection lawsuit.

Whether or not a debt collector sues depends on several factors:

• Your state’s wage garnishment laws
• The amount of time your debt has been in collections
• The amount of debt you owe

If a collector does sue you, you will receive a summons and a complaint. These are official court documents notifying you of the lawsuit and outlining the case details. Your paperwork will be delivered to you in person. It’s critical to respond to the lawsuit. If you don’t, you face serious consequences.

If you’re worried about responding on your own but can’t afford a lawyer, our partner Solo can help. They’ve helped over 280,000 people respond to debt lawsuits. They offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

What If Harris & Harris Gets a Judgment Against Me?

If Harris & Harris wins a lawsuit against you, they receive a court judgment. With a judgment, they can pursue aggressive collection methods. These include wage garnishment, bank account levies, and property liens.

Wage garnishment allows them to take money directly from your paycheck. Bank account levies let them freeze and withdraw funds from your accounts. Property liens can affect your ability to sell assets.

You still have options even after a judgment. You can negotiate a payment plan. You can also settle the judgment for less than you owe. In some cases, you may want to consider bankruptcy to eliminate the debt entirely.

How Harris & Harris Contacts Debtors

Harris & Harris uses multiple methods to contact debtors. They send collection letters to your mailing address. They make phone calls to numbers on file. They may also attempt to reach you through email.

Under the FDCPA, debt collectors have rules they must follow. They cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. They cannot contact you at work if you tell them not to. They cannot harass, threaten, or abuse you in any way.

If Harris & Harris violates these rules, document everything. Keep copies of letters, record call times, and note what was said. You can file a complaint with the CFPB. You may also have grounds to sue the collector for damages.

Your Rights When Dealing With Harris & Harris

You have strong protections under federal law. The FDCPA gives you specific rights when dealing with debt collectors like Harris & Harris.

You have the right to:

• Request debt validation within 30 days of first contact
• Dispute the debt if you believe it’s inaccurate
• Request that the collector stop contacting you
• Sue the collector for FDCPA violations
• Report violations to the CFPB and state attorney general

You also have the right to request communication preferences. You can tell Harris & Harris to stop calling and communicate only in writing. You can limit their contact to specific times or methods.

When To Consider Professional Help

Sometimes handling debt collectors on your own feels overwhelming. You may benefit from professional assistance in certain situations.

Consider getting help if:

• Harris & Harris has already sued you or threatens to sue
• You’re being contacted by multiple debt collectors
• You can’t afford to pay anything toward the debt
• The collector is violating your rights
• You have questions about your legal options

If Harris & Harris has sued you, our partner Solo can help you respond to the summons. They provide affordable help to answer debt collection lawsuits. Their service costs less than hiring an attorney. And they’ve successfully helped thousands of people defend themselves in court.