North Shore Agency on Your Credit Report? Fight Back and Win

The recommendation for every consumer is to check their own credit with the three major bureaus at least once a year. These bureaus are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. This recommendation ensures there aren't errors, unfamiliar information, or signs of identity theft. With that in mind, you may be confused if you check your credit and see the North Shore Agency there.

You've never had an account with any company by this name, so why are they listed as collections on your credit report or calling you? If you’re getting contacted by a debt collector or they’re listed on your credit report, you have to be careful in how you deal with the situation to avoid making it worse. 

There are steps you can take to remove North Shore Agency from your credit report and stop their calls. 

What Is the North Shore Agency?

The North Shore Agency is a third-party debt collector; other companies hire this service provider to collect debts. That's why the name is unfamiliar—even if you legitimately owe a debt, it wasn't originally under the North Shore Agency name.

The parent company of the North Shore Agency is called the NCO Group and also goes by the name NCO Financial Systems.

Is the North Shore Agency a Scam?

The North Shore Agency isn't a scam. They are a real debt collection company, but they could call you about the debt you don't owe. Verifying any information you find on your credit report or receive calls about is important.

Who is the North Shore Agency Collecting For?

The North Shore Agency collects for businesses in various industries, including financial services, cable, utilities, health care, and retail.

Why Is the North Shore Agency On My Credit Report?

If your first introduction to the North Shore Agency is on your credit report, a creditor has sent your information to this company, so they'll try to recover your debt. It may be listed as a collections account, and this negative information can cause a serious drop in your credit score and ability to get new credit and open accounts. 

If an account is listed in collections, you may also have to pay significantly higher interest rates on loans and other financial products.

How Do I Know If the Debt Is Mine?

If you're getting calls from North Shore Agency or it shows up on your credit report, there's no guarantee the debt is yours or that you owe the money. It's common for debt collectors to get in touch with the wrong person when they're trying to get payment for a debt that's charged off. You might be dealing with harassment and stress for debt that belongs to someone else.

If the debt isn't yours, under federal laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you can dispute it so it can be removed from your credit. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a broad consumer law that provides you the right to transparency, accuracy, and fairness as far as how your financial information is reported, accessed, and maintained. 

Rights under the FCRA available to all consumers in the U.S. include:

• You have the right to know the information contained in your credit file. 
• If any person or organization pulls your credit history and uses information found there against you, they’re required to inform you of that. 
• You’re entitled to a free disclosure of your credit file if you’re in certain situations, such as being an identity theft victim. 
• Regardless of the situation, all consumers are entitled to one free disclosure from each of the three credit reporting bureaus every year. 
• It’s your right to dispute information that’s inaccurate, fully or even partially. 
• If, after an investigation, information is found to be unverifiable, incomplete, or inaccurate, it should be corrected within 30 days. 

If you believe there’s an error and that’s why North Shore Agency is contacting you, talk to a consumer protection attorney as soon as possible. 

The Debt Isn't Mine, But It's On My Credit Report

Frequently errors are discovered on credit reports for a range of reasons. Even if a debt isn't yours, it can still be listed on your report.

Reasons that debt could be listed on your credit report incorrectly include:

• Your name or personal information, like your Social Security number, got mixed up with someone else. 
• The original creditor North Shore Agency is working for sent the wrong information about your name or account. 
• A debt could be on your credit report that should have fallen off– this is usually seven years for negative information. 
• There are duplicate pieces of information on your credit report. 
• You paid a debt, but it’s listed as charged off. 
• The balance or payment date information isn’t correct. 

What If You Owe the Debt?

You may go through the steps above and find out the debt is yours. Weigh your options here. You may be able to work with the third-party collector to see if they will settle with you or let you follow a payment plan. Even if you think you do owe a debt you’re being contacted about before you talk directly with a debt collector, it’s a good idea to consult with an FCRA attorney. 

Even if you owe the debt, the North Shore Agency can't use harassment, threats, or intimidation. This is against the law under the FDCPA. They can't contact you at work if you ask them not to, and debt collectors can't intentionally try to inconvenience you.

How to Get the North Shore Agency Off Your Credit Report

Unfortunately, despite your legal rights under the FCRA and FDCPA, that doesn't mean companies will always comply, nor does it mean that negative but wrong information will be promptly removed from your credit report. 

To get the company’s attention, you might have to work with an FCRA attorney to get North Shore Agency off your credit and to stop their calls. 

Fair Credit can help, and we offer free consultations to review your case and help outline the next best steps for you.