Are You Being Called By Medical Business Bureau?*

Are you being called by Medical Business Bureau?* Here’s what you need to know.

Debt collectors often cross the line to settle a debt. Every year the Federal Trade Commission receives complaints about collection agents swearing at people, pretending to be police officers or government agents to compel payment, and threatening to destroy their credit.They count on you not being aware of your rights which legally protect you from such treatment.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) makes it illegal for debt collectors to harass consumers into paying a debt. If you are being pursued by a collection agency that uses tactics like the following, they are breaking the law.

• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Pretending to be police officers or federal agents
• Using profane and obscene language
• Demanding amounts not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Showing up at your house to intimidate you
• Discussing the debt with anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney

Company Profile: Medical Business Bureau

If you are being called by Medical Business Bureau, information about the company is below.

Medical Business Bureau is a collection agency located in Park Ridge, Illinois. It was established in 1932, has approximately 20 employees, and is managed by its President, Eric Mock. A quick review of civil litigation records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirms that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Medical Business Bureau demanded compensation in court.

Alleged Violations against Medical Business Bureau

J. Thomas Fowler vs. Medical Business Bureau*

According to PACER, in or around early 2014 Medical Business Bureau started trying to collect a medical debt from Georgia resident J. Thomas Fowler. Mr. Fowler did not pay, insisting that the original creditor should have billed his insurance company. As a result, the company allegedly furnished negative information to the credit reporting agency Experian, causing Mr. Fowler to be denied credit.

Feeling harassed by Medical Business Bureau, he hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Furnishing the credit bureaus with inaccurate information

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this collection agency include:

• 1-847-227-4770
• 1-847-954-4230
• 1-888- 751-0481

If any of them appear on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Medical Business Bureau. If they fail to properly report a disputed debt to the credit bureaus and you are denied credit as a result, hire a consumer attorney. If you file a claim against Medical Business Bureau and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation. You have rights no matter how much money you owe, and should not hesitate to act on them.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:12-cv-04600-BMC from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Gainesville 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 Medical Business Bureau, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.