American Collection Defense Expert Opinion Alerts of Senior Debt Collector Harassment: Are your parent’s rights being violated?
Mobile, Alabama (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- Consumers across America are being harassed by third party debt collectors in violation of Federal Law.
On July 9, in Money Watch, the Federal Trade Commission announced the Largest Civil Penalty Ever Obtained by the FTC Against a Third-party Debt Collector.
The world's largest debt collection operation, Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries, have finally been forced to agree to stop harassing consumers with allegedly illegal debt collection calls and to pay a $3.2 million civil penalty - the largest ever obtained by the Federal Trade Commission against a third-party debt collector.
In its complaint, the FTC charged that the companies violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the FTC Act by using tactics such as:
• Calling consumers multiple times per day
• Calling even after being asked to stop
• Calling early in the morning or late at night
• Calling consumers' workplaces despite knowing that the employers prohibited such calls
• And leaving phone messages that disclosed the debtor's name, and the existence of the debt, to third parties such as relatives or neighbors.
According to the FTC's complaint, the companies also continued collection efforts without verifying the debt, even after consumers said they did not owe it.
No one should tolerate calls at work by collectors ever again.
According to FDCPA and Credit Expert Joel Pate of Mobile Alabama, “Consumers rights are being violated every day by illegal and often abusive measures taken in an attempt to collect a debt. These third party debt collectors brazen disregard for the law runs the gamut from harassment, lying, and threats, to as minor of a violation as not leaving the proper industry compliant voice mail.” Voice Mail Violations
The key is to know the rights.
The best part is that the Federal Government has a tuff law that will not only stop the collectors in their tracks but brilliantly provides for the violating collector to pay for the consumers attorney’s fee’s.
In settlement talks, many of the collectors agree to absolve the debt and remove it from reporting as well as provide the consumers with a check for damages. "This is huge for the American Consumer,” according to Pate.
Another simple by equally a significant violation is when the debt collector fails to identify himself during the call. This simple failure to identify is another violation.
According to another Credit Industry Leader, Joshua Carmona, “Only in recent years has the Federal Government begun to aggressively prosecute these bad actors. Debt collectors left to their own devises will harass and break the law."
Yes, it is their right to collect debt, but it is clearly their duty to follow the law when doing so. For Example, it is a violation of their rights when collectors call multiple times per day even if it is from different phone numbers.
The American Collection Defense can stop this abuse by connecting any consumer that is receiving violating calls from these collectors to qualified top consumer protection law firms at ZERO COST that can and often do Stop the Collection calls and get money and damage awards for their clients.”
Consumers of all ages are receiving collection calls in violation of their FDCPA rights but the most fragile are the elderly.
Pate cites a recent:
Case number 5:13-cv-03243, filed in District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleges PRA violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) in several ways, including:
• Calling after being advised that the debt was not hers but belonged to her ex-husband, who was deceased.
• Harassing her with calls, which PRA was told were unwanted.
• Falsely representing that the debt was owed by her and continuing to seek collection without a legal obligation to pay.
• Failing to provide written notification within five days after its initial communication with her, advising of her legal rights to dispute the debt or request verification.
According to Pate, “Collectors knew what they were doing and hoped to take advantage of this elderly person after her husband had died. If not for a FDCPA law firm, the rights of this poor elderly lady would have been violated and she would be out the money that was legally hers.”
The answer: “If you or a family member are receiving collection calls from anyone other than the original creditor about a debt, you owe it to yourself and your family to call the offices of American Collection Defense Toll Free at 1-855-849-0906 or visit the website for more information
There is no charge for any services provided by American Collection Defense or the law firm that takes a case.
Joel Pate, AmericanCollectionDefense.com, http://www.americancollectiondefense.com, 1-855-849-0906, [email protected]
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