“I’m Going to Put a Judgment on You”

Often we hear reports from clients that a debt collector threatened to put a judgment against them if a debt was not immediately paid.  This is a misleading statement and may be actionable under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and/or the corresponding Pennsylvania law protecting consumers from abusive debt collection [more...]

Date: 2009-01-04 21:06:20

Blog posts (25) | Videos (38)
 

How to Get Credit Card Debt Collectors to Focus Their Energy Elsewhere

Most of those people who cannot afford to pay their monthly minimum credit card payment become potential victims of the consumer debt collection industry. However, a growing number of consumers have found a law to protect themselves against credit card debt collectors. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-26 12:39:41

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is a great service that allows consumers to pay off their debts for less than the amount they owe ... with you then to sell your debt to a third party collection agency. Often times collection agencies will purchase ... . It’s a great alternative for anyone considering to file for bankruptcy. The basic process of debt [more...]

Date: 2008-11-12 04:32:25

August 20 roundup

Lawyers’ contingency fee is temptation to ethical corner-cutting in consumer debt collection, too ... -good “Donda West Law” but it won’t do much to keep impulsive clients from rushing into plastic ... fee, debtor-creditor law, endangered species, Indian tribes, legal discipline, medical, movies film [more...]

Date: 2008-08-20 10:32:48

In major settlement, St. Louis Park company agrees to stop handling consumer arbitration disputes

Less than a week after being sued by the Minnesota attorney general’s office, the nation’s largest arbitrator of credit card and consumer collections has agreed to stop performing such work, state Attorney General Lori Swanson announced today. The National Arbitration Forum, based in St. Louis Park, allegedly deceived consumers into thinking it was a neutral arbitrator in debt collection, the lawsuit said. [more...]

Date: 2009-07-19 21:01:22

Best Web Sites to Learn About Consumer Law Issues -- Our Chicago Consumer Attorneys Can Assist You in Your Lemon Law, Predatory Lending, Auto and RV Fraud, Unfair Debt Collection, Unfair Wage Practices Claims and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuits

[ consumer%20protection%20m-Chicago%20Consumer%20Protection%20Attorneys%20--%20Chicago%20Consumer%20Protection%20Lawyers%20--%20Chicago%20Class%20Act ... more trouble Managing credit card debt Stopping eviction, lockouts and utility shut-offs ... consolidation options How to find effective credit counseling agencies Alternatives to filing bankrupt [more...]

Date: 2009-01-04 18:28:31

Debt Fraud is Real: What you Should Know

Recent statistics have shown that millions of consumers are affected by debt fraud each year, ... the identity of the debt collection agency. They do not consider the possibility that the whole thing ... with debt scams becoming increasingly common among younger generations. The truth is that people [more...]

Date: 2009-01-16 00:24:21

Best Web Sites to Learn About Consumer Law Issues -- Our Chicago Consumer Attorneys Can Assist You in Your Lemon Law, Predatory Lending, Auto and RV Fraud, Unfair Debt Collection, Unfair Wage Practices Claims and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuits

[ consumer%20protection%20m-Chicago%20Consumer%20Protection%20Attorneys%20--%20Chicago%20Consumer%20Protection%20Lawyers%20--%20Chicago%20Class%20Act ... get them into even more trouble Managing credit card debt Stopping eviction, lockouts and utility ... while you get back on your feet. When you cannot ignore a particular debt without serious [more...]

Date: 2009-01-04 22:18:05

Collection Agency calling from 571-431-1958 (Washington, VA)

Steve reported a Collection Agency (5714311958 from Washington area, VA) . The following comments were posted: AACC AACC AACC 5127689800 AACC 804-234-9056 assetacceptance.com Asset Acceptance is a leading purchaser and collector of charged-off consumer debt. Since 1962, we have provided credit originators such as credit card issuers, consumer finance companies, retail merchants, utilities and others an efficient alternative in recovering defaulted consumer debt. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-25 19:53:49

Indian Debt Collectors Feel Sorry for Americans

Debt collection of American consumers is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Indian outsourcing. "It's like people are totally drowning," said collector Omkar Gadgil, 24, who goes by the alias [more...]

Date: 2008-10-15 13:01:22

A Look At 2009 From The Inside: Real Estate, Credit, and Debt

About two months ago I wrote a post that included information from a monthly magazine, (sic), I read religiously ... with more regulations. Consumer advocates will thrive and collection agencies will be riddled with compliance ... who is president and chief executive officer of debt broker National Loan Exchange, Inc. as [more...]

Date: 2009-01-02 15:47:36

Consumer Advice to Ring in the New Year

December 23, 2008 FTC News Release: Nine Consumer Tips to Make the Most of 2009 As 2008 draws to a close, ... credit report with no strings attached. To learn more about credit, mortgages, debt collection ... the Federal Trade Commission has nine consumer tips that can yield big dividends next year [more...]

Date: 2008-12-23 18:24:31

Collecting Past Due Accounts in an Erratic Economy

(Finance News and Information) The recent large spike in consumer debt has many business owners struggling to adapt to current conditions and unclear ... and damaging their reputations during this nationwide financial crisis Leading debt collection...... [more...]

Date: 2008-11-19 08:26:10

Insider Tips About The Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Forms

consumer law Chapter 13 bankruptcy forms are available to Americans in need to offer a second chance. You may berate yourself and wonder how you got into such a predicament, but the truth is that over one million people ended up filing bankruptcy forms in 2008 and the numbers are climbing in 2009. No matter what your case may be, you don’t have to suffer wage garnishment, foreclosure, repossession, insurmountable debts or harassing creditors and collection callers. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-08 17:54:32

California Court Approves Class-Action Lawsuit Against Debt Collector Accused of Abusive Tactics

Here is a press release I received from Public Citizen. I am forwarding it to you in case you were a victim of ACCS. WASHINGTON, D.C ... and described ACCS’s practices as “debt collection rather than law enforcement.”  Members of the class ... . - A California court has ruled that almost a million consumers who were victims of an overly [more...]

Date: 2008-12-04 23:16:45

What Every Consumer Needs to Know

What Every Consumer Needs to Know Building good credit history is extremely important to one’s life ... that control credit. These rights have been stated as provisions on Fair Debt Collection Practices ... so as to bear witness on whatever maltreatments or unduly practices of debt collectors and lenders. Fair Debt [more...]

Date: 2009-01-07 12:47:09

Minnesotans may sue if a debt collector levies funds in a joint account

Back in November, I won an important decision for Minnesota consumers against Messerli & Kramer, a law firm that seems to handle the bulk of debt collection lawsuits filed in Minnesota. Messerli & Kramer served a levy on my clients’ bank for funds in their’ joint bank account, even though [more...]

Date: 2009-01-07 16:00:01

Sprint ETF Settlement a Raw Deal for Consumers: How you can (easily) fight back

Sprint recently settled an Early Termination Fee (ETF) class action suit ... $25 credit on that debt, if Sprint has already sold the debt to a third-party (collection agency ... . And, it’s quite broad, covering customers from 1999 all the way to 2008. The settlement makes [more...]

Date: 2009-01-06 16:23:10

Sprint ETF Settlement a Raw Deal for Consumers: How you can (easily) fight back (Updated)

Sprint recently settled an Early Termination Fee (ETF) class action suit ... $25 credit on that debt, if Sprint has already sold the debt to a third-party (collection agency [more...]

Date: 2009-01-05 10:30:45

More Bad News For Retail REITs

Seeking Alpha's Housing Tracker is a collection of housing-related excerpts from various sources, grouped by topic ... Malls around the nation are struggling with debt and vacancies against the backdrop of a significant slowdown in consumer spending. Reports from South Florida, Georgia and Arkansas below show things [more...]

Date: 2008-10-20 10:50:29

consumer credit counseling

A consumer credit counseling service may be right for you if you are behind on your debts and not being able to make even the minimum payments. A reputable credit counseling agency can help to stop collection calls ... into one lower monthly payment. Some of them can help you have your debt paid off in three to five years [more...]

Date: 2008-11-28 02:21:05

Common Credit Questions: Should You Send a Debt Validation Letter on an Attorney's Letterhead?

No. Actually, a debt collector may overreact to a DV letter sent from an attorney. You do not want the collection agency/creditor paying too much attention to your dispute. You want them to ignore it so it goes away. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) expects that the consumer [more...]

Date: 2008-12-26 19:14:00

Consumer Debt Collection Lawsuits: Are They Federal Or State Matters?

When you’ve been sued or harassed by a debt collection agency or a debt buyer, a company that purchases debt and generally uses illegal, ... federal or state court. *Federal vs. state* While the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA ... have adopted their own laws. We asked Steve Recordon, an attorney from San Diego, California whose firm [more...]

Date: 2008-06-26 13:40:47

Compliant Debt Collection

Far too many uninformed consumers give in to the overbearing intimidation and scare tactics of unscrupulous debt collectors, ... to them from debt collectors. The FDCPA is a strict liability law, which means that a consumer bringing ... Act.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission under its powers [more...]

Date: 2009-01-08 19:28:29

Debt collection tactics come under scrutiny

Debt collection firms may face a government crackdown amid concern about the "aggressive" tactics used by some, such as chasing the wrong people and refusing to deal with debt advisory services. Gareth Thomas, the consumer minister, told the Guardian he had summoned the debt collection industry's main trade [more...]

Date: 2008-11-18 00:06:10

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