Are You Being Called By Ace Cash Express, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Ace Cash Express, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

Being chased and hounded by debt collectors can be distressing, but never forget that you have rights, even if you do owe the debt they are pursuing. The law limits what collection agencies may say and do when attempting to settle a debt, but many of them would prefer that you not know this.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Debt collectors can be persistent when trying to collect your money, but you don’t have to tolerate abuse. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, prohibits third-party collection agencies from using pressure tactics like those below when dealing with you.

• Using profane or obscene language
• Calling you at work when your employer does not allow such calls
• Telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money
• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Threatening to garnish your wages or send you to jail if you don’t pay
• Failing to report to the credit bureaus that a debt is in dispute

Company Profile: Ace Cash Express, Inc.

Ace Cash Express, Inc. is a payday lender and collection agency located in Irving, Texas, with multiple storefronts throughout the state. It originally opened for business in 1968, has hundreds of employees spread across different locations, and is managed by its President, Jay B. Shipowitz. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Ace Cash Express, Inc. chose to fight back instead of pay.

Alleged Violations against Ace Cash Express, Inc.

Delores Simmons vs. Ace Cash Express, Inc.

According to PACER, on or about March 31, 2011, Ace Cash Express, Inc. sent a collection letter to Texas resident Delores Simmons. The letter demanded payment of $682.95 as payment in full and allegedly failed to notify of her of her right to make a written request for the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor.

This letter was followed by a call from a representative named “Ashley,” who allegedly demanded payment of $677.00 as payment in full and refused to accept a payment plan. Ms. Simmons also complained that on April 4, she received three calls in a row from Ace Cash Express, Inc. She demanded that the contact cease, but the calls allegedly continued.

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

• Harassing her by phone
• Continuing to contact her after receiving a cease and desist request

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Ace Cash Express, Inc. are as follows:

• 1-972-550-5000
• 1-866-355-6815
• 1-877-876-2274
• 1-877-769-2172

If you ever see any of them on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by Ace Cash Express, Inc.. If they harass you by phone when you cannot pay the debt in full, don’t tolerate it. Instead, you can hire a consumer attorney and file a claim against Ace Cash Express, Inc.. If you win your case, you could be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation. You may owe money, but it has to collected legally, and any collector who forgets that can get a costly reminder.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 4:12-cv-00839 from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston 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 Ace Cash Express, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.