Are You Being Called By Chapman Financial Services?*

Are you being called by Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc.? You have rights!

If you’ve fallen behind on your monthly debts, you’ve probably heard from a collection agency. These communications are not pleasant to deal with, but for some consumers, the experience can be traumatic.

This is because many debt collectors use intimidation tactics to obtain payments, not caring that they are breaking the law.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) has strict guidelines in place regarding how third-party debt collectors can approach you about paying an account. Actions like those below are illegal when used to collect a debt.

• Calling at inconvenient times, such as before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Calling you at work if they know or have reason to know what such calls are not allowed
• Threatening to call your payroll department and tell them you owe a debt
• Using profane or obscene language
• Threatening legal actions that they have no intention of taking
• Contacting your friends, family and co-workers and discussing the debt with them

Company Profile: Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc.

Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Spokane Valley, Washington. It was established in 1930, has 20 to 49 employees, and is managed by Todd Chapman.

The company currently has a C- rating with the Better Business Bureau. Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc. refused to back down and pay.

Instead, they filed lawsuits.

Alleged Violations by Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc.

According to PACER, Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc. sent a Utah resident a collection letter dated February 5, 2010.

The letter stated that the debt had been “assigned” to Chapman Financial Services and that the original creditor, Mountain Star PAML, was their client.

The Utah resident was confused because saying that the debt had been “assigned” to the company did, to her, adequately convey that it owned the debt.

Feeling harassed by Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc., she hired a consumer attorney and sued attorney’s office for allegedly violating the FDCPA by using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt.

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this collection agency are as follows:

• 1-509-922-4334
• 1-800-594-9866
• 1-208-667-4671
• 1-208-664-8171
• 1-208-746-9486
• 1-208-263-2155
• 1-800-876-2328

If you see any of these numbers on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc.. If they send collection letters that are confusing in content and make your rights unclear, hire a consumer attorney.

If you ultimately file a claim against Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc. and the outcome is in your favor, you could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation, as well as court costs and any applicable damages, making the company’s mistreatment of you an expensive mistake.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:10-cv-01051-DAK from the United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central 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 Chapman Financial Services of WA, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.