by Paul MankinIs the debt collection agency American Recovery Service harassing you?
With so many debt collection agencies currently in business, it’s hard not to be terrified of the harassing collection calls that you may receive. Being called and having to deal with debt collector harassment about a credit card company hounding you for money can be extremely stressful, as well as mentally taxing.
The same can be said if you have been contacted by American Recovery Service. If they have attempted to contact you, here is what you need to know, and how to protect yourself from possibly being caught in their trap.
What is American Recovery Service?
There are multiple companies and businesses that are listed with the name of American Recovery Service in the Better Business Bureau’s database. However, there is one that is currently listed as a collections agency. This ARS is known as a Patrick K. Willis Company, and is located within Northeast California, serving the Northeastern part of California, and the surrounding areas.
Is American Recovery Service a legit Debt Collection Agency?
They are considered to be a legitimate debt collection agency. With multiple locations, they have been in business for close to 35 years, and have been accredited by the BBB since 2017. They currently hold an A+ rating with the BBB, but hold a 1 star out of 5 stars in average customer reviews.
American Recovery Service Contact Information
Address: 5118 Robert J Mathews Pkwy El Dorado Hls, CA 95762-5703
Other Address: PO Box 4917 El Dorado Hls, CA 95762-0026
Website: http://americanrecoveryservice.com/
Phone Number: 1-800-398-6480
Fax Number: 1-855-657-3613
Does American Recovery Service have Complaints against them?
American Recovery Service has quite a few complaints lodged against them. On the BBB database, they currently have 1 complaint lodged against them, which was within the last 12 months since the publication of this article. They also have 3 complaints that all rate the ARS company at 1 star or below.
On the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Consumer Complaint Database, there is no listing for American Recovery Service, only American Recovery Service Inc. which is considered to be a different entity. However, a search of an alternate name for ARS, Patrick K Willis Company Inc, provides 75 matches to complaints against the company, with as many as 20 within the year 2019.
What kind of Complaints have been made?
The complaints are primarily dealing with debt collection, as well as credit reporting and credit card debts. Of the 75 complaints made against American Recovery Service, there were 70 tagged as debt collection problems, with the other 5 spanning a variety of issues.
Through the BBB, there have been complaints against the company for mismanaging information, as well as poor customer service. One complaint made note that they had attempted to contact ARS about a debt, and they took over 2 weeks to get back in contact.
Are the Practices of American Recovery Service Legal?
Although it may not seem like it, many of these practices are quite illegal and improper. The most notable issue and complaint can be traced to the usage of information, or the illegal usage of information. As stated in multiple complaints, ARS attempted to use improper information in an attempt to elicit payments through shallow and veiled threats.
Not only that, many of the complaints state that the representatives had been verbally abusive to the consumers, as well as their family members. In the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) rules and laws, it specifically states that a debt collection agency may not verbally harass and/or abuse the consumer, or contact their relatives, in an attempt to collect on the debt. As such, this clearly shows that ARS are conducting illegal collections, and using illegal methods and practices.
How can I protect myself and fight back against American Recovery Service?
If you or a loved one have been contacted about a debt pertaining to American Recovery Service, or a Patrick K Willis Company Inc, then it may be time to protect yourself. The first step to protecting yourself is to ask for authorization and verification of the debt. This can be done in a multitude of ways, such as asking for a written letter of verification, or asking for the original debt holder’s information so that you can get in contact with them. Either way, if the company is unable to verify the debt for you, you are not required to pay the debt at all.
Another great step is to hire yourself a well experienced debt collection harassment attorney. We here at the Law Office of Paul Mankin, APC have a strong team of experienced and talented attorneys and lawyers that have all had experience dealing with debt collectors, and their crud tactics. We are able to help assist you in identifying debt collector harassment, as well as stop the harassment, and reporting the harassment to the proper authorities.
Not only can we help you to defend against harassment, we can also help to build a case, and assist you in understanding where the illegal collection patterns are for debt collectors. We are also able to help facilitate any communications or discussions between the parties, ensuring that nothing you say can be used against you.
The most important bit of information in your fight is to always remain vigilant. No matter who you have at your side, it can seem like a daunting battle against such a large company and agency. If you have ever been the subject of:
- Multiple calls per week from a third party collection agency
- Multiple calls in the early morning or late night from debt collectors.
- Violent and belligerent language and harassment from debt collectors.
- Threats of arrests or poor credit due to outstanding debts.
- Having your friends, family, and coworkers harassed from debt collectors.
- Automated robocalls from third party collection agencies.
Then you may have a case available. So do not wait, make sure to give us a call, and get started fighting back against the debt collection harassment.
by Paul MankinIs the collection agency Ace Recovery, Inc harassing you?
Ace Recovery, Inc. (aka Ace Billing Group, Inc., aka Ace Billing Inc., aka Ace Recovery Services)
Ace Recovery, Inc. opened its doors on April 1, 1992, but its founding was no April fool’s joke—in fact, the business has been active for 27 years and going. Located in Painesville, Ohio, Ace Recovery manages workers’ comp-industrial claims and secondary-to-Medicare claims, offing: end-to-end claim management, claim status management, account receivables management, secondary insurance billing, incoming patient calls, old account receivables recovery, claim denial review, appeal of all denied or low paid claims, and more. Like many debt collectors, Ace has operated under different entity names and may still operate under different names for different purposes, including but not limited to Ace Billing Group, Inc., Ace Billing Inc., and Ace Recovery Services.
450 Blackbrook Road
Painesville, OH 44077
(440) 856-7000 (phone)
(800) 959-5223 (toll free)
(440) 856-2577 (fax)
http://www.acebillinggroup.com
A Better Business Bureau (BBB) file was opened for Ace Recovery, Inc. on September 10, 1992 but does not report any consumer complaints. The collector is not BBB accredited and has no BBB rating. A BBB file for one of Ace’s alias companies, Ace Billing Inc., was opened in March 2019. This file reflects a business start date of June 12, 2013 but uses the same address, website, and phone numbers as those used by Ace Recovery, Inc. Unlike Ace Recovery, Inc., however, Ace Billing Inc. has earned an “F” rating from the BBB and has some poor consumer reviews.
Negative consumer reviews primarily include complaints about calls from false numbers and leaving threatening messages, as well as repeated calls from the collector even after they’ve been notified the person they are trying to reach is not reachable at that number. Several additional phone numbers associated with Ace Recovery’s lawful, as well as potential unlawful, collection efforts include:
(440) 856-7000
(800) 959-5223
(440) 856-2577
(440) 856-7000
(800) 959-5223
(440) 856-2577
(440) 856-7000
(800) 959-5223
(440) 856-2577
Ace Recovery is not a scam—it is a legitimate debt collector, but that does not mean they do not use immoral or unlawful collection tactics. If you have received harassing calls from phone numbers associated with Ace Recovery or from Ace employees using false numbers, your rights might be violated. Likewise, if Ace Recovery continues to call you after you have made a formal request for them to cease calling and/or have notified them that they debt attempting to be collected either belongs to someone else or otherwise is not owed by you, you may have a claim against Ace Recovery for debt collector harassment.
To learn more about the laws governing debt collection and debt collectors in Ohio, see Ohio Attorney General’s Office debt collection FAQ. To file a complaint against Ace Recovery, you can go through a business reputation firm like the Better Business Bureau (see BBB complaints) or go directly the the State. Complaints against Ohio-based debt collectors may be filed with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Consumers/File-A-Complaint or by calling (800) 282-0515.
If you believe you have a claim for collector harassment or are a victim of another violation of state or federal debtor’s rights, you should speak with a collection agency harassment attorney immediately. Contact us today at 1-800-219-3577 to discuss your matter and see how we can help at no cost to you.
by Paul MankinStefanie Lawley
STEFANIE LAWLEY, PARALEGAL
Location: California
Phone: 310-776-6337
Fax: 323-207-3885
Stefanie is a seasoned paralegal with over 10 years of experience specializing in personal injury and products liability litigation. At The Law Office of L. Paul Mankin, Stefanie is directly involved with all personal injury and products liability cases from the initial contact with the client until resolution. She is able to use her years of case and litigation experience to ensure each case is handled professionally and compassionately, in order to obtain the best possible outcome.
Stefanie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Purdue University as well as a Paralegal Certification from The American Institute for Paralegal Studies. She was born and raised in Iowa and moved to Dallas, Texas after graduating from Purdue, where she resided for twelve years before relocating to San Diego two years ago. When Stefanie is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, preferably at the beach. She is an avid lover of animals, travel, scuba diving, movies, comics, music, and The Dallas Cowboys.
by Paul MankinDebt Collection Agencies
INFORMATION ABOUT COMMON DEBT COLLECTORS AND CREDITORS:
Ability Recovery Services, LLC
ACB Receivables Management, Inc.
Accelerated Collection Service, Inc.
Accelerated Receivables Solutions
Account Management Services, Inc.
Account Recovery Services, Inc.
Action Collection Service, Inc. (MT)
Action Financial Services, Inc. (ID)
Action Financial Services, LLC
Adams & Morse Associates, Inc.
Adler Wallach & Associates, Inc.
Advanced Call Center Technologies, LLC
Advanced Capital Solutions, Inc.
Advance Recovery Systems, Inc.
Advantage Financial Credit Service
Affiliate Asset Solutions, LLC
Affiliated Management Services
Agency of Credit Control, Inc.
AIH Receivables Management Services
Alexander Collections Agencies
Alliance Asset Management, Inc.
Alliance Collection Service, Inc.
Alliance Group & Associates, LLC
AllianceOne Receivables Management
American Billing Service of Jacksonville
American Collections Enterprise
American Credit Acceptance Corp.
American Credit and Collections, LLC
American Medical Collection Agency
Alternative Recovery Management
American Collection Services, Inc.
Anderson and Associates Credit Services, LLC
Anderson, Crenshaw, & Associates, LLC
Andrews, Bolden, & Associates, Inc.
Apex Financial Management, LLC
Asset Managment Outsourcing, Inc.
Blackstone Financial Group, LLC
California Business Bureau, Inc.
California Recovery Bureau, Inc.
Continental Central Credit, Inc.
Edgewater Consulting Group,LLC
EGS Financial Care, Inc.
Encore Receivables Management, Inc.
Federal Adjustment Bureau, Inc.
Fidelity Creditor Service, Inc.
First National Collection Bureau
General Business Recoveries, Inc.
Genesis Credit Management, LLC
H & R Accounts, Inc.
Ideal Collection Services, Inc.
Midland Credit Management, Inc.
Sequoia Concepts, Inc. D/B/A Sequoia Financial Services
TSC Accounts Receivable Solutions
Westside Recovery Services, LLC
Have you ever received multiple phone calls from the same phone number, but did not answer your phone, and therefore, don’t know who is calling you? We have found that many consumers experience numerous harassing phone calls each day. As a consequence, consumers screen their calls and do not answer the phone when a phone number is not recognized. Call screening seems to most commonly occur when consumers are receiving harassing phone calls from a debt collection who is most likely committing multiple FDCPA violations. We have started a list of common debt collector phone numbers so that you can identify who is calling you based on common debt collector phone numbers.
Who is calling me from 1-866-683-5215 (A-Collections Agency, LLC)?
Who is calling me from 1-888-418-8001 (ABC Collectors, Inc.)?
Who is calling me from 1-800-356-3713 (A.C.A. Recovery, Inc.)?
Who is calling me from 1-855-207-1892 (Ability Recovery Services, LLC)?
Who is calling me from 1-800-444-1944 (BCA Financial Services)?
Who is calling me from 312-380-4059 (Harris & Harris, LTD.)?
by Paul MankinIs Hatfield Portfolio Group Harassing You?
Hatfield Portfolio Group is a debt collection agency located in Amherst, New York. The company has been doing business since 2010 and also operates under the names Harbinger Processing Group LLC, Frontline Recovery LLC, and HPG.
Contact Information:
4330 Maple Rd Ste 100
Amherst, NY 14226-1064
http://hatfieldportfolio.com
(716) 261-2789
Hatfield Portfolio Group has two complaints that were filed against it with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to which it never responded, giving it a rating of D- with the BBB. One of the complaints alleges that the company contacted them and two other family members about another family member’s debt. The other complaint is for harassing phone calls at work and the debt collector’s refusal to provide a payment history. The lack of BBB complaints does not mean that Hatfield Portfolio Group is a polite and law abiding collector, as it has 53 complaints against it with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency created to protect consumers from unfair and abusive practices by banks, debt collectors, and other financial institutions. CFPB complaints allege that Hatfield Portfolio Group has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) in numerous ways, including:
- Not providing proper debt verification information
- Calling before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
- Threatening to sue on time barred debt
- Making repeated calls to the same telephone number
- Failing to advise consumers of their mini Miranda rights
- Contacting family members and employers
- Using obscene or abusive language
- Threatening to have consumers arrested if they do not pay
- Calling after being asked in writing to stop
The collection agency has been sued in California, Ohio, Indiana, and New York for using some of these very same collection tactics. In 2017, a California resident filed a lawsuit claiming Hatfield Portfolio Group made repeated calls to her cell phone and threatened to have her arrested if she did not begin making payments on the debt. The agency failed to respond to the complaint and a default judgment was issued against it. In 2015, an Indiana resident filed suit against Hatfield Portfolio Group for failing to provide proper notice of the debt within five days of its initial contact and for threatening to call his employer or references if he did not return a call. The collection agency failed to respond to this suit as well, and a default judgment was entered against it. A look at the other lawsuits against Hatfield Portfolio Group seems to indicate that it is the company’s general policy not to respond to lawsuits.
Has Hatfield Portfolio Group called your friends, family members, or employer, made repeated calls to your number, failed to advise you they were attempting to collect on a debt, or harassed or abused you in any way? If so, please call us today at 1-800-219-3577 for your free, no obligation consultation.
by Paul MankinIs the debt collection agency Alternatives Collections, LLC harassing you?
When it comes to debt collection agencies and services, many think of thugs walking around, beating up anyone that owes them money. However, those are the days of old. In the modern era, debt collectors hide behind phones, letters, and emails, in an attempt to confuse and distort the information given to you.
Companies such as Alternatives Collections LLC may attempt collection practices that may seem shady. Are they legal practices, or is this debt collection agency going too far? Here are the things you need to know if you have been contacted by Alternatives Collections LLC, and the steps you need to take to protect yourself.
What is Alternatives Collections LLC?
Currently, there are no associated businesses that are directly under that name. With many debt collection agencies and businesses, the names all tend to be similar in nature, which allows businesses to sometimes get away with harassment and aggressive tactics.
There are other companies that do go by a similar name, however. A company based out of Buffalo, New York goes by a similar name which is Alternative Collections LLC. They also do business as Alternative Collection Solutions, ACS Asset Compliant Solutions, and ACS.
Is Alternatives Collections LLC a legit Debt Collection Agency?
As far as stated, the company based out of Buffalo, New York is a legitimate business. They have been in operation since 2006 and had their Better Business Bureau file opened in 2008. They have been accredited by the BBB since 2008, and currently hold an A+ rating with the BBB.
Alternatives Collections LLC Contact Information:
Address: 65 Lawrence Bell Dr Ste 101 Buffalo, New York 14221-7182
Phone Number: 1-716-995-5714
Other Phone: 1-716-633-3500
Other Phone: 1-888-995-4227
Alternative Names: Alternative Collection Solutions, DBA – ACS Asset Compliant Solutions, ACS
Fax Number: 1-716-633-3501
Website: www.acs-cam.com
Does Alternatives Collections LLC have Complaints against them?
Alternative Collections LLC currently has no listed complaints against them on the BBB website.
They do, however, have 8 listed complaints against them through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Consumer Complaint Database.
Of note, there are no complaints against an Alternatives Collections LLC on either the BBB or the CFPB’s CCD.
What kind of Complaints have been made?
The spectrum of the complaints is quite large. The most recent complaint was from 2018, where it stated that Alternative Collections, LLC botched their management of a loan or lease. Another complaint states that they had been contacted by Alternative Collections, LLC about a debt that they never even had. Even further back, the complaints state that they have been harassed by multiple phone calls from debt collectors, as well as having them attempt to collect the wrong amount against the proper debt.
There is something else of note. These complaints did not originate from the same state or area. These came from many areas around the US. The states listed as consumer states on the CFPB’s CCD files show that the complaints came from California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida, just to name a few.
Are the Practices of Alternatives Collections LLC Legal?
Unfortunately, these types of practices are not legal, and should be considered harassment and excess use of abuse under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (RFDCPA). Debt collectors are held to a certain standard, as there used to be no laws about how a debt collector could collect on a debt. Since then, debt collection laws have been in place, such as the FDCPA, or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The FDCPA states that a debt collector is not allowed to do certain things that would be considered excessive or abusive in nature.
These Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) laws state that a debt collector may not call after certain times of the day, or before certain times of the day. They also state that debt collectors are not allowed to contact people other than the consumer in question about the debt. This means they are not allowed to contact close family members, friends, or coworkers.
In the case of Alternative Collections, LLC, they breached multiple legal laws and steps. In the case of repeated calls, this breaks the FDCPA laws, as well as attempting to continue contacting the consumer after the consumer asked them not to. These are both examples of debt collector harassment and abuse of power from them.
How can I protect myself and fight back against Alternatives Collections LLC?
Debt collection harassment can be quite intricate in nature. Because you may not know exactly what constitutes harassment, you may find it difficult to define and identify the harassment.
The first step to protecting yourself against such harassment is quite simple. If you have been contacted by Alternative Collections, LLC, or Alternatives Collections LLC and their subsequent names, make sure to ask for identification of the debt. This can be done multiple ways, such as a written letter, key information details, and an identification key for online searches. If they are not able to provide adequate identification of the debt, it is safe to state that the debt may be a scam.
Another step to take is to find and hire an experienced and knowledgeable debt collection harassment attorney or lawyer. We here at the Law Office of Paul Mankin, APC have a deep and experienced roster of attorneys that are willing to help and assist you throughout the process of stopping and prosecuting unlawful debt collection harassment. We can help you identify debt collection harassment, as well as assist you in stopping the harassment and reporting it to the proper authorities.
Not only can we help you to defend against debt collection harassment, we can also help to build a case, and assist you in understanding where the illegal collection patterns are for debt collectors. We are also able to help facilitate any communications or discussions between the parties, ensuring that nothing you say can be used against you.
The most important bit of information in your fight is to always remain vigilant. No matter who you have at your side, it can seem like a daunting battle against such a large company and agency. If you have ever been the subject of:
- Multiple calls per week from a third-party collection agency
- Multiple calls in the early morning or late night from debt collectors.
- Violent and belligerent language and harassment from debt collectors.
- Threats of arrests or poor credit due to outstanding debts.
- Having your friends, family, and coworkers harassed from debt collectors.
- Automated robocalls from third party collection agencies.
Then you may have a case available. So do not wait, make sure to give us a call, and get started fighting back against the debt collection harassment.
by Paul MankinIs the debt collection agency Action Revenue Recovery, LLC harassing you?
Action Revenue Recovery, LLC is a medical collections agency founded in Louisiana on July 4, 1999 by owner and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Drew Kennedy. Action specializes in resolving outstanding insurance claims and collecting on unpaid medical bills. Their service reportedly employs computer-generated notices (in keeping with federal requirements) and is administered by collection account specialists. Action claims that their collectors are Fair Debt Collection Practices Act-certified and maintain positive public image for their clients, but their record of consumer complaints speaks somewhat to the contrary.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Action Revenue Recovery, LLC
910 Bres Ave
Monroe, LA 71201-5955
(318) 387-9002 (phone)
(318) 387-0606 (fax)
A Better Business Bureau (BBB) file was opened for Action Revenue Recovery, LLC on February 1, 2008 and contains 14 official public complaints. The collector is not BBB accredited but does maintain an ‘A’ rating. The collector also has 33 CFPB complaints. Based on the many complaints lodged against it on both government and privately run online business review forums, the medical collections company has seen its share of litigation. In one notable case, Action Revenue Recovery, LLC was sued in Missouri for collections actions taken in 2014, including using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt; failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications; threatening legal action it could not take; failing to send a debt validation letter. The allegations alleged, if true, are all violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the California Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.
The collector’s Yelp listing does not have any consumer reviews but does list an alternative business address: 2225 Justice Street, Ste B, Monroe, LA 71201.
Consumer complaints regarding Action’s collection practices generally include: never attempting collection before filing lawsuit or affecting credit report; consumer’s have no awareness of any balance (common complaint) after insurance billed by doctor, no notice of collections account or opportunity to pay balance, credit score affected before knowledge of debt; acting in an unprofessional and uncooperative manner when debtors try to get information to pay their balances; threatening or suggesting a debtor’s credit would be damaged; and attempting to collect debt not actually owed.
These actions, each and all, amount to collector harassment under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and you have the right to be free of this behavior. To learn more about how the federal government regulates debt collection and protects debtors and other individuals from collector harassment, see FTC Debt Collection pamphlet. More information regarding complaints regarding Louisiana-based collectors can be found at https://louisianalawhelp.org/issues/consumer-issues/debt-collection-garnishment-repossession. Complaints regarding a collector in any state may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or (877) FTC-HELP (877-382-4357), and complaints regarding any collector or other business can be made at BBB complaints.
If you believe you have a claim for collector harassment or are a victim of another violation of state or federal debtor’s rights, you should speak with a consumer rights attorney or debt collector harassment attorney immediately. Contact us today to discuss your matter and see how we can help at no cost to you.
by Paul MankinIs Blackstone Financial Group, LLC
Blackstone Financial Group, LLC is a debt collection agency located in Ontario, California. The agency has been in business since 2009 and provides debt collection services to a wide range of creditors.
Contact Information:
2910 S Archibald Ave # A
Ontario, CA 91761-7358
Phone: (909) 456-1240
No complaints against Blackstone Financial Group, LLC have been filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency created to help ensure that debt collectors, and other companies in the financial industry, do not abuse consumers, or the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
This does not mean that the collection agency has never violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a federal act that was passed in order to protect consumers from abusive and unfair debt collection practices, and if you feel that Blackstone Financial Group, LLC is using unfair or abusive practices in order to collect a debt from you, it may be time to contact an attorney. The FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from using any harassing, unfair, or abusive tactics when attempting to collect a debt. A company may violate the Act by:
- Calling at unusual times (specifically before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.)
- Using obscene or profane language
- Failing to provide verification of a debt to a consumer
- Threatening to take actions it does not intend to take
- Falsely implying that communications are from an attorney
- Impersonating a law enforcement official
- Continuing collection attempts after being asked in writing to stop
- Communicating with third parties about a debt
- Depositing, or threatening to deposit, a post dated check before the date on the check
This is not an all inclusive list of the acts prohibited by the FDCPA, and if you feel as if you have been abused or harassed by Blackstone Financial Group. LLC, please contact our office for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-219-3577.
by Paul MankinFree Program: Creditor Call Stopper
Are you being harassed by bill collectors? Some people receive constant calls from creditors at all hours of the day and night. We are sure that you find this annoying, especially if you are working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic (and therefore within earshot of your home phone vrtually 24/7).
For many people, however, this kind of harassment goes beyond merely annoying. In fact, bill collector harassment can get so bad that it prevents you from concentrating on your work, which in turn can prevent you from earning the money that would pay your bills and stop the phone from ringing. Other people face harassing calls for debts that are not even their own.
WOULD YOU LIKE THE CALLS TO STOP?
If you ever wondered when it will be time to put a stop to it, that time is now — because I know how to make it happen. You didn’t ask these bill collectors to call you (who would do that?). You may have told them to stop calling you, and they probably ignored you time after time.
In addition to calling your home phone and your cell phone, bill collectors might be calling your work, your friends, your family or your ex-roommate, thereby causing you significant stress and humiliation. You might even lose your job over these calls. It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense.
THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE:
If you are like most consumers, you have very little idea of the true extent of the rights that you possess against bill collectors. And believe me, they are extensive. I know, because I have been exercising them in favor of my clients for many years. In fact, you might end up in a position to actually demand that your creditors pay you money — in fact, that happens all the time.
A broad range of federal and state laws have been enacted to protect consumers like you from abusive bill collectors. These laws include:
- The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which restricts the behavior of third-party bill collectors. Although the FDCPA applies only to third-party debt collectors (a collection agency, for example, rather than the company that issued you your credit card), you can receive damage of up to $1,000 per violation.
- The California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act; which restricts the behavior of both third-party bill collectors and original creditors such as credit card issuers. It prohibits most (but not all) of the activities that are prohibited to third-party debt collectors under the FDCPA).
- The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which prevents bill collectors and other creditors from unfairly placing negative information on your credit report. It might also be possible to file a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate and negative credit information.
- New California legislation that requires debt collectors to inform you if the statute of limitations has already expired on the debt they are trying to collect.
- The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), which prohibits “robocalls” and establishes a Do Not Call registry. This law offers victims up to $1,500 in damages per violation.
- The Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, which provides for civil fines of up to $10,000 (which go to the government, not to the victim of harassment) for robocalls.
WHAT DEBT COLLECTORS CANNOT DO:
These laws collectively prohibit bill collectors, and often original creditors as well) from the following actions:
- Knowingly or negligently placing inaccurate information on your credit report;
- Subjecting you to robocalls;
- Pretending to work for a government agency including the police, the Justice Department, the US Marshals, the prosecutor’s office or a consumer reporting agency;
- Threatening to have you arrested or prosecuted;
- Threatening to take any action against you that they are not capable of taking or are not entitled to take;
- Threatening to take any action against you, even actions they are entitled to take, that they do not actually intend to take;
- Calling you early in the morning, late at night, or at inconvenient times;
- Sending you a bogus court summons (be careful to check it out, through, because it might be real — but don’t verify it using the contact details provided in the document because they might be bogus);
- Publishing your name as a debtor in an attempt to publicly shame you;
- Discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse or your attorney (they can, however, contact third parties to try to locate you, although strict limitations apply even in this case);
- Try to collect a debt you don’t owe (this is a very common practice, however);
- Fail to send you written verification of the debt (unless the creditor is an original creditor rather than a third-party debt collection agency);
- Threaten you with harm, especially physical harm;
- Use profane language;
- Call repeatedly;
- Call you after you have requested them to stop contacting you (except to confirm that they will comply with your request and to notify you that they have filed a lawsuit against you); and
- Call you at work, as long as you notify them in writing not to do so.
Any of these activities can be used as leverage to stop an aggressive creditor dead in his tracks.
A LOOPHOLE IN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: DON’T FALL INTO THIS TRAP:
The statute of limitations defines the length of time that a creditor has to sue you for an unpaid debt. In California this time limit is four years for most types of debt (but 20 years for state tax debts). The statute of limitations clock typically starts running on the date you fell into default, depending on the type of debt and the terms of your indebtedness.
After the statute of limitations period expires, you still owe the debt, and your creditor may still call you, but your creditor cannot sue you for it, which renders the debt uncollectible unless you make an error.
You could legally revive it by acknowledging the debt (particularly in writing) or by paying a portion of it. If this happens, your creditor will regain the right to sue you. For this reason, do not cooperate with a debt collector, even to the point of acknowledging the debt, until you confirm whether the statute of limitations has run out.
TRY OUR FREE PROGRAM TO STOP THE CREDITORS CALLS AND RESTORE YOUR PEACE OF MIND
If you give us permission to do so, we will be more than happy to stop bill collectors from calling you using every legal means at our disposal. We will take advantage of some of the specific laws mentioned above that allow us to demand that your creditors stop calling you. Your rights as a debtor are useless unless you use them. We know exactly what they are, and we will use them on your behalf.
Our Services are Free: No Hidden Fees and No Obligation
This is a unique program — we won’t charge you a dime for our assistance. Additionally, our services come with absolutely no obligation on your part, financial or otherwise. We promise you that you won’t be involved in a lawsuit or any other legal action, and it doesn’t matter how many times a week you are being called by debt collectors.
OK, so what’s the catch?
“This isn’t the way the real world works. Where is your incentive to help me? There’s GOT to be some hidden catch.” Actually there isn’t. But there is an incentive for us to help you — reputation. There’s nothing like proving it, and by proving what we can do for debtors, our reputation improves, one satisfied consumer at a time. And word of mouth advertising is the most effective kind of advertising there is.
Information We Need
In order for us to help you, we will need certain basic information such as:
- the creditor or debt collector’s name and address;
- The phone number or numbers that they called you from; and
- Enough information about you to be able to tell them who to stop calling.
ABOUT THE LAW OFFICE OF PAUL MANKIN:
The Law Office of Paul Mankin is a small law firm — small enough to offer you personal and individualized service, but not so small as to lack the resources to properly assist you (a problem frequently faced by sole practitioners). One of our major areas of practice is assisting clients who are being harassed by debt collectors.
Attorney Paul Mankin, firm founder, developed his passion to help abused debtors quite early in his career, when he saw with his own eyes just how vicious creditors are to debtors. In personal injury and bankruptcy cases, for example, he watched creditors ruthlessly pursue people who had been seriously injured in accidents and were unable to work to pay off their debts. He watched these creditors broke the law in their debt collection efforts, and it made him angry.
At the Law Office of L. Paul Mankin, we help clients who are being bullied by unscrupulous debt collectors, and we help them fight back. We see it as our job to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.
SEEK ASSISTANCE TODAY
Contact us today by completing our online contact form (scroll down after clicking the link) and indicating your desire to participate in our program. If you do this we will be in contact with you shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!
by Paul MankinIs Central Credit Services, Inc Calling You?
Central Credit Services, Inc.
Central Credit Services, Inc. (CCS) is a third-party debt collector that specializes in the debt collection of auto, mortgage, credit card, and retail debt. CCS was founded in 1987 and is based in Jacksonville, Florida with additional offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CCS is a subsidiary of Radius Global Solutions, LLC (Radius Global), which is a debt collection agency that was formed in 1988.
Many allegations of debt collection harassment have been made against CCS and its parent company, Radius Global. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a Government agency that is tasked with protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices and is authorized to take action against companies that violate consumers’ rights. The CFPB has received over 750 complaints against CCS and Radius Global.
Consumers allege that CCS and Radius Global have engaged in the following illegal debt collection practices:
- Attempting to collect a debt that is not owed by the consumer;
- Attempting to collect a debt that has been paid;
- Attempting to collect more than what is owed;
- Harassing consumers by making repeated and frequent calls;
- Improperly discussing the consumer’s debt with a third party; and
- Refusing to validate or provide proof of a debt.
Creditors and debt collectors should be held accountable for these unethical and unlawful practices. If you are being harassed or subjected to any of these, deceptive, or abusive debt collection practices, it is time to hold CCS and Radius Global accountable. Please contact our office for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-219-3577.