Are You Being Called By AAA Collectors, Inc.?*

Are you being called by AAA Collectors, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

When job loss, illness, or disability hinder your ability to pay your credit card bills, student loans, and medical debt, the accounts will usually be turned over to third-party debt collectors, who will call, send letters, and demand payment in ways that are not always civil or professional. If this happens to you, understanding your rights is an essential first step in fighting back.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits third-party collection agencies from using deception and harassment to collect money from indebted consumers. This means that tactics like the following are illegal and can result in expensive fines:

• Using profane or obscene language
• Failing or refusing to identify themselves as debt collectors
• Calling you at work when your employer does not allow such calls
• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Calling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers and telling them that you owe money
• Pretending to be police officers or federal agents

Company Profile: AAA Collectors, Inc.

AAA Collectors, Inc., which also does business as Triplecheck, Inc., is a collection agency located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1977, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Tom Barrett. Digitized litigation records viewable at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicates that consumers who believed they were being harassed by AAA Collectors, Inc. filed lawsuits demanding compensation.

Alleged Violations against AAA Collectors, Inc.

Maria A. Arenas vs. AAA Collectors, Inc.

According to PACER, on January 26, 2004, AAA Collectors, Inc. sent California resident Maria Arenas a demand letter for a medical debt she had already paid to the original creditor. It included warnings that her credit could be affected and her account turned over to a local attorney if she didn’t pay. Another, practically identical letter was sent on October 27, 2004.

Feeling harassed by AAA Collectors, Inc., she hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debt
• Misrepresenting the character, amount, or legal status of the debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Threatening legal actions it had no intention of taking

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for AAA Collectors, Inc. are:

• 1-719-550-0330
• 1-800-469-9086

If either of these numbers appear on your caller ID when the phone rings, be aware that you are being called by AAA Collectors, Inc.. If they demand payment for a debt you have already taken care of, hire a consumer attorney, because harassing consumers in this manner is illegal. If you file a claim against AAA Collectors, Inc. and win, you could be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation in addition to court costs and attorney fees. When debt collectors abuse your rights, the decision to fight back can pay off.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 5:05-cv-00433-JW from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose 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 AAA Collectors, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.