Are You Being Called By CBF Business Solutions, Inc.?*

Are you being called by CBF Business Solutions, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know

Collecting debts in a billion-dollar business in the U.S.. That’s why so many collection agencies are persistent and inventive when it comes to making you pay. Some may even push the boundaries of the law by using deceit, intimidation, and pressure. If it happens to you, it’s important to know that you don’t have to tolerate such treatment. Federal law states otherwise.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed in 1977 to protect indebted consumers from being bullied into bankruptcy by over-zealous collection agencies. Four decades later, it remains illegal for a third party debt collector to use tactics like the following to expedite payment.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Pretending to be attorneys or police officers
• Raising their voice and making threats
• Calling you several times a day
• Demanding amounts inflated by ‘service fees’ and other suspicious charges
• Refusing to prove that a debt is valid and they are authorized to collect it

Company Profile: CBF Business Solutions, Inc.

If you are being called by CBF Business Solutions, Inc., information about the company is below.

CBF Business Solutions, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Frederick, Maryland. It was established in 1931, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Nancy Thraser. According to its website, the company (which was originally called the Frederick Retail Credit Association) was one of the first credit bureaus in the country. Litigation files retained at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website suggests that some consumers who believed they were being harassed by CBF Business Solutions, Inc. sued the company for infringing on their rights.

Alleged Violations against CBF Business Solutions, Inc.

According to PACER, in February 2003 a Pennsylvania resident eceived a collection letter from CBF Business Solutions, Inc. with regards to an alleged debt owed to Verizon-PA. Tucked in with the letter was a return envelope for him to use for sending payment. This envelope had a transparent window which clearly showed the return address for CBF Business Solutions, Inc.
and included the notation “COLLECTION DEPARTMENT”, enabling anyone who handled the envelope to know that he was being pursued by debt collectors.

Feeling harassed by CBF Business Solutions, Inc., he hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using any language or symbol, other than the debt collector’s address, on an envelope when communicating with a consumer
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are:

• 1-301-663-3175
• 1-800-666-0655

If you spot either of these numbers on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by CBF Business Solutions, Inc.. If they send you written communications that make it easy to tell that a debt collector is contacting you, hire a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against CBF Business Solutions, Inc. If you win your case, you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation in addition to court costs and attorney fees. These awards are intended to remind collection agencies that no matter how much they want your money, they must obey the law when collecting it.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number 2:03-cv-05855-PBT from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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 CBF Business Solutions, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.