Are You Being Called By Professional Choice Recovery, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Professional Choice Recovery, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

What can you do when you’re at your wit’s end with a collection agency? The same one that insists you took out a payday loan (when you never did) and failed to repay it? If the debt collector keeps calling and refuses to give you an address where you can send a dispute, a consumer protection attorney can help you protect your rights.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed by Congress in 1977 to protect consumers that were being harassed into bankruptcy by predatory debt collectors. Since then, it has been illegal to use collection tactics like those listed below.

• Using abusive and / or obscene language
• Claiming to be police officers or federal agents
• Leaving voice messages that do not identify the collector and the purpose of their call
• Calling you at work when they know that your employer prohibits such calls
• Calling at unreasonable and inconvenient times, such as before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Threatening legal actions that they have no intention of taking

Company Profile: Professional Choice Recovery, Inc.

If you are being called by Professional Choice Recovery, Inc., information about the company is below.

Professional Choice Recovery, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was established in 1999, employs 20 to 49 staff, and is managed by its President, Shiela Cain.

According to the company website, it is a member of the American Collectors Association International and the Nebraska Collector’s Association. Records retained by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website reveals that consumers who felt that they were being harassed by Professional Choice Recovery, Inc. refused to pay what they did not believe they owed.

Alleged Violations against Professional Choice Recovery, Inc.

According to PACER, on or about April 27, 2015, Professional Choice Recovery, Inc. contacted a Nebraska resident by phone. The collector left the following message:

Hey, this is Sarah just trying to get a current number for [name]. If you could give me a call back at (402) 476-8016 and let me know if this is or isn’t a good number for [him] I’d appreciate it. Thanks.

It was followed by another call on or about April 30. This voicemail message was equally obscure and gave no information about the caller or the reason for the call.

Feeling harassed by Professional Choice Recovery, Inc., he hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following way, failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications.

The judge later ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are as follows:

• 1-402-476-3535
• 1-402-476-8016

If you see either number on your caller ID at any time, be aware that you are being called by Professional Choice Recovery, Inc. If they leave vague voice messages that do not identify them as debt collectors, hire a consumer attorney who can file a claim against Professional Choice Recovery, Inc. on your behalf. If you win your case, you could be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus reasonable legal costs and attorney fees. Debt collectors who forget that you have rights can be compelled to pay you for their mistake.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 8:16-cv-00184-JMG-CRZ from the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.

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 Professional Choice Recovery, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.