How To Deal With Midland Funding LLC
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Midland Funding LLC is a legitimate debt collection agency that focuses on consumer debts under their parent company, Encore Capital Group — a major debt buyer. If Midland contacts you, you should first validate the alleged debt. Once you verify that the debt belongs to you, you can choose how to deal with Midland. Your main options are disputing the debt (if the information is incorrect or you disagree with the debt amount), or negotiating a settlement so you end up paying a portion of the debt.
Written by the Upsolve Team. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated January 13, 2026
Table of Contents
What Is Midland Funding LLC?
Midland Funding LLC is a debt collection agency based in San Diego, California. They purchase and collect consumer debts from credit card companies, medical and healthcare providers, and auto and personal loans. Most of the debts they buy come from credit unions, global banks, and utility providers.
Once they buy a debt, Midland often partners with their affiliate company, Midland Credit Management (MCM), to handle the collection process. Both Midland Funding and MCM are subsidiaries of Encore Capital Group, a well-known debt buyer.
Here’s Midland’s contact information:
🌐 Website: https://www.midlandfunding.com/
📞 Phone number: 1 (800) 825-8131
📍 Address: 350 Camino de la Reina, Ste. 100, San Diego, CA 92108-3007
Why Is Midland Funding LLC Contacting Me?
Midland Funding is likely contacting you because they purchased a past-due debt tied to your name. This debt may have originally come from a credit card issuer, loan provider, or utility company.
🔃 Here’s how that process typically works: When you miss payments on an account, the original creditor may try to collect for a period of time. If they don’t succeed, they may charge off the account and sell it to a debt buyer like Midland.
Once Midland owns the debt, they (or Midland Credit Management) take over the collection efforts.
If you want to dispute the debt, negotiate a settlement, or set up a payment plan, you’ll now need to deal directly with Midland, not the original creditor.
Is Midland Funding LLC Legit?
Yes, Midland Funding LLC is a legitimate debt collection company. As of 2026, they hold an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They have a 4.6 out of 5-star customer review rating on the site.
📢 Despite its ratings, Midland has received a lot of negative feedback. Over the past three years, the BBB has logged more than 1,000 complaints. Many involve Midland trying to collect debts consumers say they don’t owe or failing to provide proper documentation.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency that oversees financial institutions, has also received more than 17,000 complaints in the past year related to Encore Capital Group, Midland’s parent company.
Note to reader: These reviews and complaints highlight relevant issues but may not represent all consumers’ experiences.
🛡️ Some of the issues reported may also represent potential violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a federal law that protects you from harassment, deception, or unfair treatment by debt collectors.
If you believe your rights under the FDCPA have been violated, you can file a complaint with the CFPB or consider taking legal action.
How Do I Know if I’m Being Scammed?
While Midland Funding is a legitimate debt collection company, scammers sometimes pose as real agencies to trick people into paying money they don’t actually owe. Scammers often rely on pressure tactics or urgency to get you to share sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account details.
A legitimate debt collector should already have this information and won’t pressure you to provide it over the phone.
One of the best things you can do is to ask for written proof of the debt before making any payments. This is known as debt validation, and it's your legal right. We’ll walk through how that process works in the next section.
🚩 If something feels off, trust your instincts. You can also read our guide to 8 Red Flags of Debt Collector Scams to better understand how to recognize and avoid common tactics used in scam attempts.
📣 If you believe you’re dealing with a scammer, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the government agency that investigates consumer fraud.
Do I Have To Pay Midland Funding LLC?
If Midland contacts you about a debt, your first step is to figure out whether the debt is legitimate. Debt collectors often buy debt in bulk from various creditors, and the details can sometimes get mixed up.
✅ To figure out if the debt is legitimate, you need to validate the debt to verify that:
The debt is actually yours.
Midland legally owns the debt.
The amount they’re trying to collect is accurate.
Step 1: Send a Debt Verification Letter
If you haven’t already received a debt validation letter from Midland, you can request one from them or send your own debt verification letter.

A debt validation letter is a document that debt collectors are required to send, either with their first communication or within five days. It should include:
The amount owed
The name of the original creditor
Instructions about how to dispute the debt within 30 days
📝 If you dispute the debt or request verification within that 30-day window, then Midland Funding must pause all collection efforts — including phone calls, letters, and emails — until they provide adequate proof.
If they can’t verify the debt, they’re not supposed to continue trying to collect it. But if they do provide verification, your next steps will depend on whether you agree with the debt information or want to challenge it further.
Step 2: Decide What To Do Next
If Midland has verified the debt and the details are accurate, it’s time to decide how you want to respond. It might not feel like it, but you do have a few paths to choose from.
🔽 Your three main options are to:
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 believe the debt is still incorrect — whether the amount is wrong or it doesn’t belong to you — you have the right to dispute it.
Mistakes on a validation notice often show up on your credit report as well. That’s why it’s important to check your credit reports and dispute any errors with the major credit bureaus.
🧾 You can get a free credit report once every week from AnnualCreditReport.com. The site allows you to request reports from each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
✉️ If you want to see how the credit bureaus verified a specific account — or request supporting documentation — you can send a 609 letter. While this letter won’t remove inaccurate information, it can help you better understand what’s being reported and where that information came from.
Option 2: Negotiate the Debt and Make a Settlement Offer
If you can’t afford to pay the full amount of the debt, consider trying to negotiate a debt settlement.
🤝 Debt collectors often agree to settlements between 40% and 60% of the original amount owed. You can start the conversation at 25%, but be prepared to meet somewhere around 50%. Showing that you’re open to negotiation can improve your chances of reaching an agreement you can afford.
Although it might not feel like it, you do have leverage. Debt collectors like Midland Funding typically purchase debt for a fraction of the original balance — sometimes just a few cents on the dollar. Because of that, they’re often willing to accept less than the full amount and still make a profit.
📘 Read Upsolve’s guide How To Win Against Midland Funding for step-by-step tips on how to negotiate a successful settlement.
Option 3: Ignore the Debt (Not Recommended)
While ignoring a debt collector like Midland Funding might feel easier in the moment, it’s rarely a good idea. It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and hope the problem will go away on its own, but unfortunately, that’s not how debt collection works.
What Happens if I Ignore Midland Funding LLC?
Ignoring Midland Funding won’t solve your debt problem, and it could make things worse.
Here’s what might happen if you avoid the debt:
Your credit score could take a hit.
The balance may grow due to interest, late fees, or court costs.
Midland could sue you to collect the debt.
If you’re sued and don’t respond, the court may issue a default judgment, which could lead to a wage garnishment.
Avoiding the situation doesn’t stop collection efforts or erase the debt. While negative marks fall off your credit report after seven years, the debt itself may still be collectible if the statute of limitations hasn’t expired in your state.
Bottom line: The best thing you can do for yourself is to take action. You can take on Midland and come out the other side.
Can Midland Funding LLC Sue Me?
Yes, Midland Funding can sue you for an unpaid debt. While lawsuits are usually a last resort, they may take legal action if you don’t respond to their attempts to contact you.
⚖️ Whether or not you get sued depends on several factors, including:
Your state’s wage garnishment and debt collection laws
How long the debt has been in collections
The total amount owed
📄 If you’re sued, you’ll receive a summons and complaint — official court documents that explain what the lawsuit is about. These are typically delivered in person, either to you or an adult at your home.
It’s important to respond by the deadline listed in the summons. If you don’t, the court may issue a default judgment, which could give Midland the ability to garnish your wages or freeze your bank account.
If you're worried about responding on your own but can't afford a lawyer, you can draft an answer letter for a small fee using our partner SoloSuit. They've helped hundreds of thousands of people respond to debt lawsuits, and they have a 100% money-back guarantee.
SoloSuit is an affiliate partner, which means Upsolve may earn a small commission if you choose to use their paid service. This helps keep our services free.
Let’s Summarize…
Midland Funding LLC is a legitimate debt collection agency that buys and collects on past-due consumer debts like credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans. If they’ve contacted you, it likely means they’ve purchased a debt in your name and are now trying to collect it. Your first step should be to validate the debt and confirm the details are accurate.
If the debt is valid, you can choose to dispute it or negotiate a settlement. Ignoring the situation can lead to added fees, credit damage, or even a court judgment. Taking action early can help you avoid those outcomes.
