Is American Coradius International LLC calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
When your bill payments are in appears and you’re struggling to make ends meet, it’s going to be hard to think positively. Even worse is when your creditors turn the accounts over to third-party debt collectors, who start calling you and pestering you with the tenacity and determination of a dog after a bone. Is personal bankruptcy the only way to make the harassment stop?
No. There’s also the FDCPA.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed in 1977 to protect consumers from unethical and overzealous debt collectors. This law strictly regulates the manner and content of communications between these collectors and consumers, making activities like the ones below illegal when used to collect a debt.
- Cursing, yelling, and name calling
- Threatening to have you arrested if you don’t pay
- Claiming to be law enforcement officers to intimidate you into paying
- Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
- Talking to anyone except you, your spouse, and your attorney about the debt
- Threatening legal action they have no intention of taking or cannot legally take
- Calling you at your place of employment after being told that you are not permitted to talk to them there
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Although illegal, these tactics remain in evidence today, decades after the FDCPA was passed. Too many consumers fail to bring such harassment to the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, opting instead to pay whatever the collector is demanding, whether they really owe it or not.
American Coradius International LLC is a collection agency headquartered in Amherst, New York. It was established in 2005, collects all varieties of consumer debt, and employs a staff of approximately 200. The Public Access to Court Electronic Records website (pacer.gov), contains records of several different court actions brought against American Coradius International LLC for allegedly violating the FDCPA during its communications with consumers.
Kevin Elvin v. American Coradius International LLC et al
According to PACER**, in September 2014 New Jersey resident Kevin Elvin received a collection letter from American Coradius International LLC about a debt he allegedly owed to USAA Federal Savings Bank. The alleged debt was for $951.63, but the agency stated that it would be willing to accept $428.24 to settle the account” and added that if the offer was not accepted, the balance could be periodically increased due to the addition of accrued interest or other charges.
The letter also stated that the original creditor might be required by law to report the settlement to the IRS.
Mr. Elvin did not believe that American Coradius International LLC would add these charges to the debt if he refused to settle, and knew that since the settlement was under $600.00, the USAA Federal Savings Bank would not report it to the IRS. He hired a consumer attorney and launched a class action suit that accused the agency of using false and misleading representations or means to collect the debt, in violation of 15 U.S.C. §1692e.
The matter was later dismissed.
The phone numbers for American Coradius International LLC are 1-800-759-2241 and 1-716-418-7200. If you see either number on your caller ID, someone from the company is trying to collect a debt from you. If they appear to misrepresent the amount you allegedly owe and threaten consequences that are not likely to happen, see a consumer attorney.
Both actions are illegal under the FDCPA, and your attorney will help you assert your rights in court. You could win statutory damages of $1,000 per FDCPA violation, plus court costs and attorney fees, all of which represent an expensive penalty to an overzealous debt collector.
**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is (Case 3:14-cv-07503-FLW-TJB from United States District Court, District of New Jersey)
*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 American Coradius International LLC or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
Helpful Resources
How Can an Attorney Help Me with an FDCPA Claim?
Going to Court Against American Coradius International, LLC*