Debt collectors are notorious for using unethical practices to make people pay a debt. In a lot of cases, the tactics they use violate federal law. When they are hammering you relentlessly with calls and letters, it can be difficult for you to clearly weigh your options, but be aware that you have ways of protecting yourself from debt collector harassment.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is a consumer protection law that bars all types of deceptive, unfair, and abusive debt collection practices. It was passed in 1977 to curb outrageous collection conduct, but debt collectors still abuse tactics like those below to pressure consumers into paying debts:
- Continuing repeated calls after you ask for the calls to stop
- Yelling or screaming on the phone
- Threatening to ruin your credit
- Failing to warn you that the communication is from a debt collector and that any information obtained will be used to collect a debt
- Calling repeatedly throughout the day
- Contacting anyone who is represented by an attorney
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Company Profile: Fair Collections and Outsourcing
If you are being called by Fair Collections and Outsourcing, information about the company and its operations are below.
Fair Collections and Outsourcing is a debt collection agency located in Belleville, Maryland. It was founded in 2005, has around 20 employees, and is managed by Shannon Lebel.
It currently has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, which also references a court judgment that the District of Columbia obtained against the company on June 20, 2016 for unethical collection practices.
Records retained at the PACER website confirms that consumers who felt that they were being harassed by Fair Collections and Outsourcing took the company to task.
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Alleged Violations against Fair Collections and Outsourcing
According to PACER, in or around May 2016, Fair Collections and Outsourcing sent a collection letter to an Illinois consumer. This one was followed by another letter in June, which stated in part, “Your account has already been reported or is scheduled to be reported to one or all of the following national credit bureaus.”
This message appeared even though the 30-day dispute period had not yet passed. Feeling harassed by Fair Collections and Outsourcing, the consumer sued the company for violating their rights by threatening to collect during the dispute period.
The matter was later dismissed.
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Hire a Consumer Lawyer
The phone numbers for Fair Collections and Outsourcing are:
When either one of these numbers appears on your caller ID, be aware that Fair Collections and Outsourcing is on the line. If they threaten to inflict nonpayment consequences during the dispute period, hire a consumer lawyer who can protect your rights.
If you file a claim against Fair Collections and Outsourcing and succeed, the company could be ordered to pay you $1000 per FDCPA violation plus damages and court fees. Don’t passively accept abuse when the law protects you.
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Additional Resources
Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case: 1:16-cv-06960 from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
*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 Fair Collections and Outsourcing, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.