Is Northwest Collectors calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
When you fall behind in your monthly financial obligations and debt collectors start calling you everyday, it is an incredibly stressful experience. If they are rude and demanding, the pressure may become so intense that personal bankruptcy becomes an attractive option. Don’t let yourself reach that point.
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), it is illegal for debt collectors to be deceptive, abusive, and otherwise unethical when trying to collect money from consumers. Actions like the following are prohibited:
- Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in the consumer’s time zone
- Using profane or obscene language
- Telling someone that they will be arrested if they don’t pay
- Demanding amounts not supported by the law or the original creditor agreement
- Telling the person’s friends, neighbors, and co-workers that they owe money
- Calling someone at work if they know that the employer does not permit such calls
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Alleged Violations against Northwest Collectors, Inc.*
Unfortunately, many debt collectors violate the FDCPA because their aggressive tactics work: too many consumers are either unaware of their rights or simply pay to make the calls and letters stop.
Northwest Collectors, Inc. is a debt collector located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. It was established in 1970, has a small staff of less than 10 employees, and collects all types of consumer debt. Complaints submitted to the Better Business Bureau and records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website suggest that Northwest Collectors, Inc. has been accused of violating the FDCPA on several occasions.
In February 2013, an Illinois resident allegedly started receiving calls from Northwest Collectors, Inc about a medical debt. He ordered them to stop contacting him, adding that he disputed owing the debt as he was a disabled veteran and the debt was covered by the Department of Veteran Affairs insurance.
In response, Northwest Collectors, Inc allegedly replied that he should pay the debt and seek reimbursement from the Department of Veteran Affairs. The representative also allegedly threatened to report the debt to the credit bureaus if it remained unpaid.
The plaintiff later complained that one collector, Eileen Rogers, told him that the claim with the Department of Veteran Affairs was denied, but when he contacted the hospital he learned that the claim had not been denied.
Frustrated by the continued calls, he requested the office address of Northwest Collectors, Inc so he could send them a cease communications letter. However, the agent allegedly retorted that even if he sent a letter requesting they cease, they intended to continue calling him.
The plaintiff responded by hiring a consumer attorney and filed a lawsuit accusing Northwest Collectors, Inc of violating the FDCPA in the following ways:
- Harassing and abusing him while attempting to collect a debt
- Using false and deceptive means to collect a debt
- Causing his telephone to ring continuously with the intention of harassing him
The matter was later dismissed.
The phone numbers associated with Northwest Collectors, Inc. include:
If any of these numbers appear on your caller ID, be aware that a debt collector is calling. If they attempt to collect a debt already covered by insurance and lie to you about its legal status, contact a consumer attorney immediately.
Such collection tactics are illegal under the FDCPA and if you sue Northwest Collectors, Inc. for violating your rights, you could possibly receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Never assume that you have to put up with deception and abuse because you owe money.
*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 1:14-cv-00260, from United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois.
Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Northwest Collectors, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.