Are You Being Called By Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.?*

Debt can be a huge burden that affects your quality of life, especially if debt collectors are determined to make you pay it. Your phone may ring off the hook, with collectors threatening legal action if you don’t settle the debt. Hostile demand letters may fill your mailbox.

Perhaps a collection agency has harassed you at work. The good news is that you can make it stop.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act – commonly referred to as the FDCPA – requires third-party collection agencies to treat debtors with respect and refrain from tricking or bullying them into paying a debt. Harassing or threatening collection activities like those listed below can get a recalcitrant agency shut down.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Using the telephone to harass you with constant calls
• Telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money and they are trying to collect it from you
• Claiming to be police officers or federal agents
• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Threatening legal actions that they have no intention of taking

Company Profile: Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

If you are being called by Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., information about the agency is below.

Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Garden City, New York. It was established in 1964, is a mid-sized agency with 50 to 99 employees, and is managed by its President, Ken Marcus.

It specializes in healthcare collections in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Records viewable at the PACER website suggests that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. hired legal counsel to help them file lawsuits.

Alleged Violations against Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

According to PACER, on or around December 27, 2012, Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.. sent a collection letter to a New York consumer. She claimed that the full name of the original creditor did not appear in the letter: it only identified the creditor as ‘Nslij heath Sys-Lij Med Cntr.’

It also listed a ‘monthly payment amount’ of $100 and a ‘balance due’ of $2,703 along with a request for payment in full.

Feeling harassed by Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., the consumer hired a consumer lawyer and filed an FDCPA lawsuit against the company for:

• Failing to provide her with clear information about the creditor
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone numbers for Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. are:

• 1-516-681-1122
• 1-877-247-4650

If either number appears on your caller ID, it’s an indication that Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. is trying to contact you. If they send collection letters that don’t clarify the name of the creditor and terms of repayment, contact a consumer lawyer for the proper guidance.

When a debt collector violates your rights, the FDCPA allows you to recover statutory damages of up to $1,000, attorney’s fees and costs, and even actual damages due to job loss or emotional distress. Don’t hesitate to file a claim against Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. when they take things too far.

Additional Resources

• Has a Debt Collector Used Profane Language?
• Did a Debt Collector Notify a Third Party Regarding Your Debt?

Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:13-cv-01515-LDW-AKT from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

*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 Claims Bureau, Inc.. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.