How To Deal With Harris & Harris

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 go from the original creditor to a debt collection service? When you become delinquent on a payment, the creditor will contact you with written notices and phone calls. If you repeatedly ignore their efforts, they may sell your debt to a debt collection agency. Then, the agency will create a collections account in your name and take over the process of attempting to collect payment from you.

Why Is Harris & Harris Contacting Me?

If Harris & Harris contacts you, a lender (healthcare company, utility company, etc.) has sold a debt you owe, and Harris & Harris is continuing collection efforts. Since Harris & Harris now owns your debt, if you need to work out a negotiation, such as a repayment plan, you will need to work directly with the debt collection agency. 

Is Harris & Harris Legit?

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

As of early 2024, the BBB reported over 285 complaints filed against Harris & Harris in the past three years. Harris & Harris currently has a 1.1/5 star rating on the BBB website. Most complaints are flagged as “problems with product/service.” Multiple people claimed harassment from Harris & Harris and several others expressed that they received an inappropriate number of phone calls without proper validation on the debt they allegedly owed. 

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

Note to reader: 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 contacting you is legitimate, scammers can still use the company’s name to con you. Scammers typically ask for sensitive details that a legitimate debt collection agency would already have, like bank account information or your social security number. 

It is always important to validate the debt and ask for more information if the situation seems suspicious. Validating your debt is the best way to avoid a debt collector scam. And, if someone is trying to scam you, you can report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an agency that protects consumers' rights. 

Do I Have To Pay Harris & Harris?

If Harris & Harris contacts you, the first thing you need to do is figure out if the debt they claim you owe is legitimate. Debt collectors can get information wrong — such as the amount you owe or who you owe the debt to — and you can protect yourself by verifying the debt. 

How do you figure out if the debt is legitimate? First, 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 is not yours, they should stop contacting you. If they can prove the debt is yours and that they own it, you need to decide what to do next. 

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 from them or send your own debt verification letter. 

A debt validation letter is a letter from a debt collector that includes basic information about a debt they’re trying to collect from you. By law, a debt collection company is required send you a debt validation letter either before or within five days of their initial contact with you. 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, emails, etc.). If they aren't able to 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

While it might not feel like it, you do have options in how to havigate the situation with Harris & Harris.

The three main options are: 

• Dispute the debt.

• Negotiate or settle the debt. 

• Ignore the debt (while this is technically an option, this is not recommended). 

Option 1: Dispute the Debt

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

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

Also, under this law, you have the right to request credit bureaus remove negative entries from your credit report using the 609 Credit Dispute Letter.

Option 2: Negotiate the Debt and Make a Settlement Offer

If paying the debt in full isn’t an option for you (it isn’t for most people), negotiating a debt settlement could be a good route for you to take. 

Most creditors will settle for 40%–60% of the original amount owed. You can negotiate by starting with a lower percentage (even as low as 25%) but be willing to meet at 50%. You have leverage in negotiations because debt collectors typically buy your debt from the original creditor for pennies on the dollar and will 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. 

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 and payday loans, etc.). 

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 since they can foreclose or get repossessed. Federal student loans are also usually non-negotiable, but if you are struggling with student loan payments, there are increasingly available student loan forgiveness options. 

Option 3: Ignore the Debt (Not Recommended)

While this is technically an option, ignoring debt is not recommended. Even though dealing with debt can be overwhelming, 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, leading to even more trouble.

What Happens if I Ignore Harris & Harris?

The worst thing you can do if Harris & Harris contacts you is ignore them, hoping that will resolve the issue. Ignoring a debt collector could create more problems. 

Those problems include:

• Hurting your credit score

• Costing you more money in the long run (due to interest charges, fees, potential court costs, etc.)

• Creating an opening for you to get sued by the debt collector

Being sued could create more problems if you also ignore the lawsuit, prompting the debt collector to win and receive a default judgment and wage garnishment order against you. 

Most of all, ignoring the debt doesn’t make the debt collector go away and, while negative information drops off your credit report after seven years, 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 to take action. Read our article on How to Beat Harris & Harris.

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 a few different factors, such as:

• 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, official court documents notifying you of the lawsuit and outlining the case details. Your paperwork will be delivered to you in person and handed directly to you or left with an adult at your home. 

Let’s Summarize…

Harris & Harris is a legitimate debt collection agency specializing in medical, government, and utility debt. If they contact you, first validate that the debt is true and accurate, and if it is, take action and respond to Harris & Harris as soon as possible. Taking on a debt collection agency can be intimidating, but it is necessary to protect your personal finances.