Are You Being Called By Harris, Klein Associates, Inc.?* Here’s What You Need to Know

Research suggests that many Americans are in debt and a good percentage of them have at least one account in collections. Collection agencies are legally mandated to treat you with respect when discussing your debt, but too many companies prefer to expedite payment via intimidation and abuse. If this happens to you, learn what your options are

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Debt collector misconduct is so well-known that people are surprised to learn that harassing debtors is against the law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, regulates the actions of third-party collection agencies and prohibits them from using practices like those below:

• Pretending to be members of law enforcement
• Failing or refusing to identify themselves as debt collectors in every communication
• Talking about the debt to anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney
• Reporting inaccurate information to the credit bureaus
• Chasing you for a time-barred debt
• Ignoring a cease communication notice

Company Profile: Harris, Klein Associates, Inc.

If you are being called by Harris, Klein Associates, Inc., company overview is below.

Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. is a debt collection agency in Woodstock, Georgia. It was founded in 1992, has 14 employees, and is managed by its President, Karl Harris. The PACER website holdings include records revealing that consumers who believed that they were being harassed by Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. took a stand in court.

Alleged Violations against Harris, Klein Associates, Inc.*

According to information on the PACER website, in or around August 2009, Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. allegedly tried to collect a debt from a Georgia consumer by calling him regularly. He alleged that the company did not always identify itself as a debt collector seeking to collect a debt and never sent him a validation package after first contact.

Feeling harassed by Harris, Klein Associates, Inc., the consumer took legal action against the company for:

• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Failing to identify itself a debt collector in all communications
• Failing to send a debt validation letter

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are:

• 1-954-781-1503
• 1-800-440-1452

Seeing them on your caller ID is confirmation that you are being called by Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. If they fail to send you a debt validation letter and leave voice messages that does not properly identify them as debt collectors, hire a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. When you act on your rights, it could result in a damage award of $1,000 and coverage of your legal bills. You have more power than debt collectors want you to realize.

Additional Resources

• Did Debt Collectors Ignore Written Request?
• Hiring an Attorney

*Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:09-cv-02426-CC from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta 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 Harris, Klein Associates, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.