Are You Being Called By Columbia Recovery Services Group?*

Are you being called by Columbia Recovery Services Group?* Here’s what you need to know.

Debt collectors have a reputation for being rude, obnoxious, and even terrifying when they’re out to get your money. Although the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act specifically prohibits abusive behaviors, some debt collectors flagrantly disregard the law. If you find yourself dealing with such a collector, you have the right to sue them.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed in 1977 to stop an epidemic of consumer abuse by third-party debt collectors. It dictates that collection agency may not use bullying or deceptive methods like those below to convince you to pay.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Pretending to be lawyers or members of law enforcement
• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Reporting false information to the credit bureaus
• Threatening to call your payroll department and tell them you owe a debt
• Refusing to provide proof that a debt even exists and that they are authorized to collect it

Company Profile: Columbia Recovery Services Group

If you are being called by Columbia Recovery Services Group, information about the company is below.

Columbia Recovery Services Group is a debt collection company located in Bellevue, Washington. It was established in 2005, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Julie Newton. It has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau due to a high volume of unresolved consumer complaints. According to records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website, some consumers who believed they were being harassed by Columbia Recovery Services Group fought back by challenging the company’s claims in court.

Alleged Violations against Columbia Recovery Services Group

According to PACER, sometime around 2007, Columbia Recovery Services Group began trying to collect a consumer debt from a Washington resident. On January 9, 2008, her attorney sent a notice to the collection agency that the debt was disputed and requested verification. Despite receipt of this letter, Columbia Recovery Services Group sent her another letter on or about April 11, 2008, demanding payment “no later than the 21st of this Calendar month” and, on May 6, a collector who identified himself as Dustin Thompson called her at her workplace to demand immediate payment.

Feeling harassed by Columbia Recovery Services Group, the Washington resident hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Contacting her directly when she was represented by an attorney
• Calling her at a place and time known to be inconvenient
• Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debt
• Using unfair or unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-425-646-1132. If you see it on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by Columbia Recovery Services Group. If they persist in harassing you after you have retained legal counsel regarding the debt, hire a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against Columbia Recovery Services Group. If you prevail in court, you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation. No matter how much they want your money, debt collectors must obey federal law when trying to collect it, or risk owing you instead.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:08-cv-00882-MJP from the United States District Court for the Western District of Seattle.

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 Columbia Recovery Services Group, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.