Are You Being Called By MQC Collection Services, Inc.?*

Are you being called by MQC Collection Services, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

If you run into financial trouble, you may eventually default on one or all of your monthly obligations. After a certain number of missed payments your creditors may assign the accounts to a collection agency or sell them to a ‘junk’ debt buyer. This can make a stressful situation even worse, but never forget that no matter how much you owe, you still have rights.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is a consumer protection law that makes it illegal for collectors to use abusive or deceptive means to collect a debt. If the agency you’re dealing with uses tactics like those below, they are breaking the law.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Contacting you outside approved hours (generally 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.)
• Discussing the debt with your neighbors, friends and co-workers
• Contacting you when you are being represented by an attorney in the matter
• Telling you that you will go to jail, lose your kids,etc., if you don’t pay
• Demanding amounts that exceed the original debt

Company Profile: MQC Collection Services, Inc.

MQC Collection Services, Inc. is a collection agency located in Toledo, Ohio. It was founded in 1995, has less than 10 employees and is managed by owner Harold Rickard. Civil litigation records viewable at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that consumers who believed they were being harassed by MQC Collection Services, Inc. hired attorneys to help them demand compensation.

Alleged Violations against MQC Collection Services, Inc.

Jack Hitsman vs. MQC Collection Services, Inc.

According to PACER, in September 2010, MQC Collection Services, Inc. began trying to collect a medical debt from Michigan resident Jack Hitsman, who contended that it should already have paid. One message left on his voicemail appeared to be left by an automated caller that did not identify the company as a debt collector, but the number was subsequently traced to MQC Collection Services, Inc.

Feeling harassed by MQC Collection Services, Inc., Mr. Hinson hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using harassing and oppressive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later resolved.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for MQC Collection Services, Inc. are as follows:

• 1-419-866-6131
• 1-800-866-6228
• 1-866-764-9879

If any of them appear on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by MQC Collection Services, Inc.. If they leave pre-recorded voice messages that do not identify the caller as a debt collector, hire a consumer attorney and file a claim against MQC Collection Services, Inc.. You could end up being awarded awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Owing a debt does not entitle collectors to deceive or mistreat you, and if they do, consequences can result.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:10-cv-00962-RJJ from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern 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 MQC Collection Services, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.