Are You Being Called By A&S Collection Associates, Inc.?*

Are you being called by A&S Collection Associates, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know

Credit allows us to buy big-ticket items like homes and cars using an affordable repayment plan, but there’s a downside: if we lose our jobs or are otherwise unable to work, we’re left with huge debts we may not be able to pay. When debt collectors aggressively demand payment, however, you don’t have to tolerate abuse.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is a consumer protection law that curbs the activities of abusive debt collectors. It prohibits collection agencies from using pressure tactics like those below:

• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Reporting inaccurate information to the credit bureau
• Trying to collect an amount that is not authorized by law or the original creditor agreement
• Using profane and obscene language
• Telling you that you can be arrested for not paying your debts
• Making threats they have no intention of following up on, such as garnishing your wages or suing you

Company Profile: A&S Collection Associates, Inc.

A&S Collection Associates, Inc. is a collection agency located in Glendale, Arizona, with a head office in Williamstown, Vermont. It was established in 2003, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by David Seres. A review of consumer complaint boards turns up several allegations of improper debt collection practices. Litigation files at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that A&S Collection Associates, Inc. has been sued for allegedly violating the FDCPA while collecting consumer debts.

Alleged Violations against A&S Collection Associates, Inc.

John Swygert vs. A&S Collection Associates, Inc.

According to PACER, in or around early 2010 A&S Collection Associates, Inc. began contacting Arizona resident John Swygert to collect an alleged debt. Mr. Swygert later complained that agency employees failed to identify themselves as debt collectors in all communications and even threatened to sue him or garnish his wages if he did not pay.

Feeling harassed by A&S Collection Associates, Inc., he hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debt
• Harassing him by phone
• Failing to identify themselves as debt collectors in all communications
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Threatening actions that could not legally be taken

A judge awarded Mr. Swygert $7,412 in damages, attorney fees, and court costs.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for A&S Collection Associates, Inc. are:

• 1-800-660-6642
• 1-802-433-2130
• 1-916-857-8842

If any of these numbers appear on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by A&S Collection Associates, Inc.. If they try to deceive or bully you into paying a debt, hire a consumer attorney immediately. If you file a claim against A&S Collection Associates, Inc., you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. No matter how much they want your money, debt collectors must obey the law when trying to collect it, or expensive penalties result.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:10-cv-00042-JWS from the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against A&S Collection Associates, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.