Are You Being Called By Professional Collection Consultants?*

Since July 2011, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection has received over 400,000 complaints about collection agency misconduct, accounting for 27% of its total complaint volume.

Despite the presence of consumer protection laws, debt collectors are continuing to threaten, harass, and abuse debtors. If it happens to you, learn more about your rights.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed in 1977 and became law in 1978. By that point, it was a necessity, as consumers were declaring bankruptcy in higher volumes to escape harassment.

Today, if a collection agency uses these types of methods to get you to pay a debt, you can sue them for significant damages.

• Yelling, swearing, and using threatening language
• Refusing to report to the credit bureaus that a debt is in dispute
• Calling you at work after they’ve been advised that such calls are not allowed
• Pretending to be government agents or police officers planning to arrest you
• Threatening legal action they cannot take or have no intention of taking
• Calling you outside of the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in your time zone

Company Profile: Professional Collection Consultants

If you are being called by Professional Collection Consultants, company details are below.

Professional Collection Consultants is a debt collection agency headquartered in Culver City, California. It opened for business in 1983, has approximately 20 employees, and is managed by its President, Donald Hopp.

According to the company website, it guarantees the “lowest collection fees in the business.” Records viewable online at the PACER website confirm that people who felt that they were being harassed by Professional Collection Consultants chose to litigate instead of pay.

Alleged Violations against Professional Collection Consultants

According to PACER, in or around June 2010 a California consumer learned that her credit report had caused her to lose a job opportunity. Informed that it contained a tradeline for Professional Collection Consultants regarding a cell phone debt, she had her attorney contact the company to request validation of the debt.

Professional Collection Consultants sent copies of phone bills that she was certain she had paid to the original creditor. Feeling harassed by Professional Collection Consultants, she hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly:

• Communicating incorrect information to the credit bureaus
• Collecting an amount not permitted by law or the original creditor agreement
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone numbers for Professional Collection Consultants are:

• 1-800-632-4001
• 1-310-636-1001
• 1-310-677-1010
• 1-800-355-5727
• 1-310-671-4900

If you ever see any of them on your ID, it is confirmation that Professional Collection Consultants is trying to collect a debt from you. If they report inaccurate information to the credit bureaus and cause you to lose a job opportunity, hire a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Professional Collection Consultants.

Being careless with your livelihood in this manner could result in the company being ordered to pay you $1000 per FDCPA violation plus legal fees and associated damages. Taking action to protect your rights can indeed be in your best interests.

Additional Resources

• Can a Debt Collector Try to Make You Pay More Than What I Owe?
• Has a Debt Collector Used Profane Language?

Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:10-cv-07341-SVW-RZ from the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

*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 Collection Consultants or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.