Called By Bridgestone & Associates? Here’s What to Know

Money problems can happen to anyone, but debt collectors rarely care. When they’ve been hired to collect from you, they can and will use extreme measures to make it happen. You don’t have to tolerate it, however: get a free case review from a consumer lawyer and fight back.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was enacted in 1977 to halt the abuses attributed to consumer debt collectors. For over 40 years, collection methods like the following have been illegal under federal law:

• Using an autodialer to call you
• Harassing you by phone (calling and hanging up)
• Adding illegal service fees to the original debt
• Reporting incorrect information to the credit bureaus
• Shouting at you over the phone
• Persisting in trying to collect a disputed debt

Company Profile: Bridgestone & Associates

Bridgestone & Associates is a debt collection office located in Plymouth, Minnesota, with an additional office in Golden Valley, Minnesota. It was established in 2009, employs fewer than 10 people, and is overseen by Mark Roering. An inspection of the records maintained at the PACER legal archive confirms that those who believed Bridgestone & Associates was harassing them took their case to court.

Alleged Violations against Bridgestone & Associates

According to PACER, on or around November 3, 2009, Bridgestone & Associates called a Minnesota consumer to collect a debt. During the conversation, a collector who identified himself as “Justin” allegedly told the consumer that he knew where his parents, daughter and son-in-law lived, and that he knew his deceased nephew, Chris, who passed away in 2003. The caller also allegedly stated that he was calling to give the consumer a chance to settle the alleged debt before calling his employer and garnishing his wages.

On November 17, 2009, the consumer received several calls at his home number over a five-minute period. Because he did not recognize the numbers, the consumer did not answer at first. When he finally picked up, the Bridgestone & Associates agent allegedly became very belligerent, demanded immediate payment, and again threatened to contact his employer. According to the consumer, the agent specifically stated that “I will be contacting your employer tomorrow,” “let’s meet and settle this like men,” and also stated “you are a loser, I pay my bills.”

The consumer ordered Bridgestone & Associates to never contact him again, but on or about November 24, 2009, he allegedly received several calls on his work cell phone. On November 20, a collector named ‘Brad’ allegedly contacted the consumer’s father and discussed the debt with him.

Feeling harassed by Bridgestone & Associates, the consumer sued the agency for:

• Using hostile language
• Harassing him by phone
• Calling an uninvolved third party.

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 763-432-2400. If you see it on your caller ID, it means that Bridgestone & Associates is trying to reach you. If they use belittling language and contact your relatives, get a free case review from a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Bridgestone & Associates. The company could be ordered to pay you $1,000 per FDCPA violation. You have rights as a consumer under the FDCPA, and sometimes collection agencies need to be reminded of that.

Additional Resources

• Has A Debt Collector Used Abusive Language?
• Has A Debt Collector Contacted Third Parties Regarding Your Debt?

*Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is CASE 0:10-cv-00531-PAM-FLN from the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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