Universal Fidelity - What to expect?

Hi...I owe sonic $2000 and I just received a letter from Universal Fidelity saying they have taken over the debt. I live in Columbus, OH and yes they have been calling me as well from the Dublin, OH location. They have never left me a message though, I know it's them because their number shows up on my caller ID. I'm not sure what to do either about this....I need the same advice you do. Is there any one who knows how far they will take this?

Sonic Payday is not licensed in most states in the US. They are in violation of many federal and state laws and have number of complaints filed with the legal authorities. Sonic Payday usually sends all their files to Universal Fidelity who is also famous for their illegal collections.

First check out in your state for the laws on payday loan lending. Confirm whether this business is legal in your state. Sonic will try by every possible means for a wage assignment to your payroll dept. Inform them about this so that they don't allow the debits from your account. Check out this link also. You will know more about their activities.

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about3377.html

I am also dealing with Universal Fidelity right now. I have been paying off Sonic for a year and got one bill from Universal Fidelity saying that I owed $128 and another saying that I owed $791!! I told them the last time I called them that I needed some sort of validation and wasn't paying anything until I got it, since that is too big of a discrepancy...

I am still wondering what to do! I live in Texas and I know that wage assignment is not an option here. Since Universal Fidelity is headquartered in Texas do you think they will take me to court. If so, how long would it be from the first call? I know I owe the debt to Sonic, but should I ask for validation anyway. I just do not have the money to pay it right now. I am drowning as it is.
Any more advice or comments?

sharinki, you must ask for a debt validation from Universal Fidelity if they are contacting you for this account. You have a debt with Sonic and perhaps, they have hired Universal Fidelity for collections. UF must be able to put the details of the debt in writing for your reviewing purpose and before making a payment.

Well, I just sent off my validation letter to Universal Fidelity. What should I expect now? I am so nervous.

I owed money to Dillard's/GE Finance and they used Universal Fidelity. UF sent me a settlement offer which I accepted and paid off the amount in full.

Last week i received a letter from another collection agency saying that I owe Dillard's another $94.

I will dispute that, of course. But now my concern is if UF coordinates with its clients what it does.

Also, quite a few years back I had a hospital bill that I could not pay and it was sent to UF. Yes, I was able to arrange for payment plan with UF. One time they cahsed my check but the balance was not showing it. After a few months of faxing the copy of the check and talking to different people, the balance still stayed the same. I finally told them that I will not make another payment untill I am sure they are properly processed.

The debt was about $1000, and I never received another bill from them. So I don't know what happened.

All in all, I think they have quite mess at UF.

How did you get them to send you a settlement offer? They gave me the "it has to be on the phone" line, and I'm supposed to authorize a post-dated check and *then* they'll fax or send a settlement offer. I'm supposed to let them debit an account and then for all I know they could "lose" the information and/or never get around to the written confirmation? How dumb do they think I am?

We have been recieving phone calls from Universal Fidelity For months. They don't leave any message , except it is important and to call this phone number. When we call the phone number we are put on hold. I don't intend to stay on hold when I don't even know what it is about. Is there any way we can find out in writing, what they want. My son does have student loans. [email]nwdb@comcast.net[/email]

Welcome to the forum Mrs. Blomberg.

If you want to force their hand you could send them a written request that they no longer contact you by phone and use USPS only.

Evidently American Express uses Universal Fidelity also, UF called and I answered, offered me a settlement for 406.00 I postdated a debit transaction they got the money, never sent me a satisfaction letter and two weeks later sent my account back to American express, not even showing that I had sent the payment at all, now AM X wants the full amount and I have a guy from UF assuring me they'll send me a satisfaction letter within 3 to 5 days, and a representative from UF told me flat out "If you never recieved a satisfaction letter from us you could be SOL" good luck....

I help a disabled man with his bills. A man who called himself Jesse called and said he was with American Express. I had never seen anything showing the elderly man I help owed anything. The man who said he was American Express did not give me any kind of accurate details that I could verify. When I googled the number he gave me it was Universal Fidelity. The man lied to me. I am now very leary of even calling him back. I fear this is a rip-off, or identity theft attempt. The man who called even said if the account were paid American Express would issue a credit card. Now how dumb is that!!!

So UF has been calling my house for my daughter, who has'nt lived here for 3 years. I have asked and asked them to stop calling. Their response is that they will continue to call this number until the debt is paid. What debt? "That's a private matter". How do you get them to quite calling?

Report: Universal Fidelity Debt Collection Company
Category: Employers

Universal Fidelity Debt Collection Company Debt Collection Agency Bilks Employees and Doesn't Pay Their Own Debts Houston And Columbus, Ohio Texas and Ohio
*Consumer Suggestion ..Looking For Further Information

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Universal Fidelity Debt Collection Company
Phone: 281-550-1444
Fax:
1445 Langham Creek Dr
Houston, Texas, 77084
U.S.A.

Universal Fidelity employed both of my sons. Two years ago, one of them was fired for inadequate work performance. They placed him on an account with uncollectable debts that had already circulated through several other debt collection companies. A year later they admitted no employee had succeeded on the account and they had given the account up and 'apologized'. He was re-employed.

Universal Fidelity gives their employees bonuses for surpassing company expectations. At the beginning of last month, both sons were due significant bonus checks. Universal Fidelity fired my other son, saying he had used profanity on a collection call. This sounds like a sound reason, until the fact is taken into account that the caller had hung up on him, and my son was basically using profanity to a dead line, which was being monitored. Even though he had already earned his bonus from the last month, Universal Fidelity withheld the bonus because they made up a 'convenient' rule that if you are not employed when it is time for the bonus checks to be written, you don't get it. However, they magnaminously sent messages to him that he should reapply in 'a couple months' and they would rehire him.

My other son was doing very well on his accounts. He expressed fear that he (likewise) would be fired because the company owed him almost $ 3,000 in bonus money for the month of July, and he had openly expressed his dissatisfaction about the scam perpetrated against his brother the prior month. Sure enough, he was fired today. Universal Fidelity just pocketed his money. How convenient and timely. He had collected more money than any other collector in the agency. He had just received a commendation from Texas headquarters that month for exemplary performance in the collection of defaulted student loans.

If you don't collect enough money, you're fired! If you collect too much, you're fired because Universal Fidelity has invented a handy rule to confiscate your money if you earn too much, retroactive to the time you earned it! This is definitely a RIP OFF and morally and ethically wrong. Can anyone offer advice on how to deal with this?

Becky
Marysville, Ohio 43040, Ohio
U.S.A.

Universal Fidelity employed both of my sons. Two years ago, one of them was fired for inadequate work performance. They placed him on an account with uncollectable debts that had already circulated through several other debt collection companies. A year later they admitted no employee had succeeded on the account and they had given the account up and 'apologized'. He was re-employed.

Universal Fidelity gives their employees bonuses for surpassing company expectations. At the beginning of last month, both sons were due significant bonus checks. Universal Fidelity fired my other son, saying he had used profanity on a collection call. This sounds like a sound reason, until the fact is taken into account that the caller had hung up on him, and my son was basically using profanity to a dead line, which was being monitored. Even though he had already earned his bonus from the last month, Universal Fidelity withheld the bonus because they made up a 'convenient' rule that if you are not employed when it is time for the bonus checks to be written, you don't get it. However, they magnaminously sent messages to him that he should reapply in 'a couple months' and they would rehire him.

My other son was doing very well on his accounts. He expressed fear that he (likewise) would be fired because the company owed him almost $ 3,000 in bonus money for the month of July, and he had openly expressed his dissatisfaction about the scam perpetrated against his brother the prior month. Sure enough, he was fired today. Universal Fidelity just pocketed his money. How convenient and timely. He had collected more money than any other collector in the agency. He had just received a commendation from Texas headquarters that month for exemplary performance in the collection of defaulted student loans.

If you don't collect enough money, you're fired! If you collect too much, you're fired because Universal Fidelity has invented a handy rule to confiscate your money if you earn too much, retroactive to the time you earned it! This is definitely a RIP OFF and morally and ethically wrong. Can anyone offer advice on how to deal with this?

Becky
Marysville, Ohio 43040, Ohio
U.S.A.

You can file a complaint with your state Employment office, http://ohio.gov/working/ See the Employee Rights section.

Look!

I am aware of many of Universal Fidelity's illegal practices. If you are worried about being sued then know this. UFLP does not have the right to sue unless they have permission from the creditor. Only a handful of their creditors give them the right to sue on their behalf. UFLP will probably not sue if the amount owed is less than $5,000. The amount in legal fees will outweight the amount of the debt. Therefore, it would not be advantageous for them to pursue litigation. Yes, they will most likely threaten you with litigation, but that will violate the FDCPA if the creditor has no intent to sue. At this point, I suggest you record their threats of litigation becuase your rights would have been violated.

Get an Attorney! UFLP would most likely settle out of court with you because they do not want to get their insurance company involved. So, if the amount you settle on is less than $20,000 then most likely they will settle with you around $10,000 or $11,000.

You have to beat these guys at their own game....Record the messages or conversations you have with these guys.

Oddly enough i worked there then, and the first son had been warned.. several times about his phone conduct. it was horrible to say the least. bordering on racist. he used up all his chances he had to be released before someone sued. The latter son-he cam in and did well the first month and was paid his bonus...after that he had beat up everyone who wld be intimidated into paying that he cld- he wldnt work with anyone and just wanted them to magically come up wit the thousand they owed. he then started to just take the whol thing as a joke. and he deserved to be fired. If you dont beleive me...ask Cyrus. he continued to succeeed and work there. :)

i have no idea of what the person is saying however, the usage of the line
"we will take further action" or variances of this line is VERY subjective. it could mean.. we will just continue to call. but can be construed as a legal threat. such as by a person who owes a debt and is scared of someone taking legal action.

Universal Fidelity is a terrible collection company. They will not send the payment they take from your account to the original creditor and they will give you excuse after excuse as to why the money hasn't been transferred. It would better for you to make an arrangement with the original creditor to send them the money directly otherwise you'll be waiting around for two months, constantly calling to find out where your money is and why your account hasn't been paid off.