The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed in 1977 by the Fair Trade Commission to protect consumers’ rights. Many collection agencies have a long history of taking advantage of and abusing consumers who have fallen behind on their payments. When you’re contacted by a collection agency, they must tell you the name of the original creditor, explain your right to dispute, and mail you written verification of the debt in the form of a collection letter within five days.
Unlawful abuses include:
- calling early in the morning or late at night
- calling while you’re at work if your employer doesn’t allow personal calls
- calling at times you said were inconvenient
- harassing friends, family members, or coworkers
- using rude or obscene language
![]()
Additionally, debt collectors are forbidden from lying to you about their identity or the identity of their company, lying about the amount of money you owe, or threaten legal action they aren’t going to take.
American Agencies is a small subsidiary of the National Recovery Agency, also located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1969, American Agencies specializes in collections for the medical, telecommunications, banking, education, and high technology industries.
According to their website, American Agencies offers phone calls, letter services, credit bureau reporting to “follow debtors wherever they go,” and expertise in litigation, fraud, identity theft and bankruptcy. Their website also says the company complies with all federal regulations, including FDCPA, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
What to Do if American Agencies is Trying to Collect a Debt from You*
Hiring an experienced debt collection lawyer will give you the best chance of getting the money and the relief that you deserve. Your lawyer will go through your evidence to figure out if you have a case, and you could be entitled to receive up to $1,000 per FDCPA violation from American Agencies.
If you have been called by the number 1-800-521-4973, this could be American Agencies. You have the right to stop contact with debt collection agencies. If you have been harassed by American Agencies, the cease contact request needs to be submitted in writing to American Agencies and you need to ensure they received it. Keep in mind that a stop contact request will not remove debt if you do in fact owe money, it will only stop the pestering from collectors.
The only exceptions allowed by the FDCPA are for American Agencies to inform you they won’t contact you again or to take action against you. You should be keeping track of every communication with American Agencies, especially the ones that happen after you’ve requested they stop contacting you.
If you are summoned to court, you should never ignore it. Collection lawsuits that consumers don’t show up to are automatically defaulted and you may be forced to pay, whether or not the debt is yours or the agency followed legal guidelines. If you are sued, a lawyer can represent you in court and protect your rights.
*Disclaimer:
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Allied National, Inc or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.