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

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

Thousands of consumers across the country are being chased by collection agencies for unpaid credit card bills, medical debt, and student loans. It’s a difficult situation that feels even worse when the debt collector is determined to bully or humiliate you into paying. If this happens to be the case with you, see a consumer attorney who can help you protect your rights.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

In 1977 Congress passed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, which made it illegal for third-party debt collectors to use methods like those below to collect a debt. Any collection agency that ignores the law can be fined or shut down.

• Using profane or obscene language
• Making threats they cannot legally follow up on, such as having you arrested
• Refusing or failing the validate the debt
• Calling you at work after you’ve already told them that your employer doesn’t let you take personal calls
• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money

Company Profile: OSI Collection Services, Inc.

If you are being called by OSI Collection Services, Inc., information about the company is below.

OSI Collection Services, Inc. is a debt collection company headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin. It was formerly known as Payco General American Credits, Inc. and changed its name in 1999. It was established in 1978, has 20 to 49 employees, and is managed by CEO Michael J. Barrist. Records digitized at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that people who felt they were being harassed by OSI Collection Services, Inc. did not passively accept abusive behavior. Instead, they fought back.

Alleged Violations against OSI Collection Services, Inc.

According to PACER, on or about July 19, 2007, OSI Collection Services, Inc. sent an Arizona resident a collection letter demanding payment for a debt allegedly owed to MTA Bridges & Tunnels EZ Pass. Angry, the plaintiff retained an attorney to represent him to dispute the validity of the alleged debt before sending OSI a letter stating that he was represented by counsel and did not owe any debt to MTA. He also demanded verification of the alleged debt be provided to his attorney, and not to contact him again, but on or about August 11, 2007, OSI sent the plaintiff another collection letter.

Later that week, a collector from OSI Collection Services, Inc. allegedly called him at work and demanded payment. This caller allegedly confirmed their knowledge that he was represented by an attorney but persisted in demanding payment. On or about August 21, 2007, another call was made to his home using an autodialer.

Feeling harassed by OSI Collection Services, Inc., the plaintiff hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Contacting him directly although he was represented by an attorney
• Using harassing means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Failing to send a debt validation letter

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-262-784-9035. If you ever see it on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by OSI Collection Services, Inc.. If they harass you by phone and ignore the fact that you have legal counsel, contact a consumer attorney. If you file a claim against OSI Collection Services, Inc., you may be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation. When a collection agency tries to take advantage of you, a lawsuit can give them an expensive reality check.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:07-cv-01794-SMM from the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.

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 OSI Collection Services, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.