Is Bass & Associates Calling You?*

Is Bass & Associates calling you? Stand up to the abuse!

If you have an account in collections, you can expect to be contacted frequently about paying it. Debt collectors use tactics that ‘encourage’ you to pay quickly and in full. Unfortunately, sometimes this approach can escalate into harassment, which is against the law.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, protects indebted consumers from harassment by third-party collection agencies. These companies are prohibited from using unethical tricks and tactics like the following to make you pay.

• Swearing, raising their voice, and calling you names
• Calling at all hours of the day and night
• Claiming that you can be sent to jail for not paying your debts
• Demanding an amount that’s not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Discussing your debt with anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney

Company Profile: Bass & Associates

Bass & Associates is a debt collection law office located in Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1990, has over 50 employees and is managed by its President, Patti H. Bass.

Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that Bass & Associates has been accused of violating consumer rights during the debt collection process.

Alleged Violations against Bass & Associates

According to PACER records** a California resident began getting calls from Bass & Associates in 2012. Allegedly, they were trying to collect an old debt that she no longer believed she owed.

She told the collectors that she could not afford to pay it, believed it was no longer enforceable, and to stop calling her. Despite her request and refusal to pay, the resident allegedly continued to get calls from Bass & Associates, sometimes at the rate of three per day.

During several conversations, collectors allegedly spoke with the resident in a loud and aggressive tone in an effort to intimidate her into making an immediate payment. She finally hired a consumer attorney and sued Bass & Associates for the following alleged FDCPA violations:

• Engaging in harassing and oppressive behavior to collect a debt
• Causing her phone to ring continuously with the intention of annoying her
• Misrepresenting the legal status of the debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for Bass & Associates are:

• 1-520-577-1544
• 1-888-283-4624

If you see either of these numbers on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that a debt collector may be attempting to contact you. If they persist in using intimidating tactics to make you settle an out-of-statute debt, hire a consumer attorney.

If the matter proceeds to court, you could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages.

When a debt collector stomps on your rights, the law provides you with the resources necessary for fighting back.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). Case 2:13-cv-00002-KJM-AC from United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division.

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 Bass And Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.