Is First Federal Credit Control, Inc Calling You?*

Is First Federal Credit Control, Inc calling you? Protect yourself from abuse!

A 2014 study confirmed that 35% of Americans have unpaid debts in collections. This means that literally thousands of people are dealing with debt collectors on a routine basis, and not all of these encounters are pleasant or even civil.

Fortunately, the law protects you from bullying and harassment, no matter how much you owe.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, gives consumers the right to dispute a debt and tell a collector to stop contacting them. It also prohibits the use of tactics like the following to collect or attempt to collect a debt.

• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Contacting you at work after being advised that such calls are not permitted
• Trying to collect amounts that exceed the original debt
• Threatening you with consequences or actions they can’t legally take or have no intention of taking
• Telling your friends, neighbors and co-workers that you owe money and they are trying to collect it from you
• Using abusive or obscene language

Company Profile: First Federal Credit Control, Inc

First Federal Credit Control, Inc is a debt collection company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1970, has 50 to 99 employees, and is managed by Bill Evans. This particular agency has been the subject of 72 complaints to the BBB in last three years.

Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirms that First Federal Credit Control, Inc has been sued for alleged FDCPA violations over the years.

Alleged Violations against First Federal Credit Control, Inc

According to PACER, on or about September 7, 2012, First Federal Credit Control, Inc mailed a debt collection letter to a Wisconsin resident regarding a debt allegedly owed to Time-Warner cable.

This letter, which appeared to be computer-generated, was allegedly the first communication sent to the plaintiff. It contained the following text:

Unless you notify this office within 30 days after receiving this notice that you dispute the validity of the debt or any portion thereof, this office will assume this debt is valid. If you notify this office in writing within 30 days from receiving this notice, this office will: obtain verification of the debt or obtain a copy of a judgment and mail you a copy of such judgment or verification.

The plaintiff believed that the language in the letter required the consumer to request verification of the debt, when the statute actually requires a consumer to dispute the debt in order to trigger the validation process.

He hired a consumer attorney and filed a class action lawsuit accusing First Federal Credit Control, Inc of the following alleged FDCPA violations:

• Failing to comply with debt validation notice requirements
• Using false and deceptive means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for First Federal Credit Control, Inc are:

• 1-216-360-2000
• 1-800-486-5500

If the phone rings and either number appears on your caller ID, it means that a debt collector may be trying to communicate with you about a delinquent debt you allegedly owe. If they send letters that misrepresent your rights under the FDCPA, hire a consumer attorney.

If the matter goes to court and you win, a judge could order First Federal Credit Control, Inc to pay you $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Standing up to a debt collector can literally pay off.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:13-cv-00136-LA from the United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Division

*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 First Federal Credit Control, Inc or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.