Is Professional Placement Services, LLC calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
Thousands of Americans are so deep in debt that they stress out when the phone rings, wondering if it is a debt collector again. Especially a debt collector who swears at them, embarrasses them at home and work, and threatens to have them arrested. Many of them would be surprised to know that laws exist to protect them from this type of predatory behavior.
Your rights under the FDCPA
Many indebted consumers assume that because they owe money, debt collectors are entitled to harass them until they pay or declare bankruptcy. The reality is that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you from this type of abuse. Since 1977, when the Act was passed, it has been illegal for third-party debt collectors to use methods like the following to pressure consumers into paying their debts.
- Calling you at all hours of the day and night
- Swearing, yelling, and making threats they have no intention of carrying out
- Discussing the debt with your family, friends, and co-workers
- Pretending to be attorneys, police officers, or federal agents
- Leaving voice messages that do not identify the collector and the purpose of their call
- Refusing to prove that the debt exists and they are authorized to collect it
Company Profile: Professional Placement Services, LLC
Professional Placement Services, LLC is a collection agency located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was established in 1998, has an employee count of 20 to 49, and is operated by its president, Craig Johnson. Records archived by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website, confirms that Professional Placement Services, LLC has been frequently accused of violating the FDCPA when collecting consumer debts.
Alleged Violations against Professional Placement Services, LLC
According to PACER, in August 2015, an Illinois resident received a demand letter from Professional Placement Services, LLC regarding a debt for $90.34. He later complained that his account number appeared on the envelope and the letter itself, which he later submitted as an exhibit, stated, “Payment is expected to avoid increased collection activities.”
He had received another, almost identical demand letter in November 2014, but no legal action had followed his failure to pay. He responded to this new threat by hiring a consumer attorney and suing Professional Placement Services, LLC for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:
- Threatening legal action it had no intention of taking
- Placing his account number on the outside of the envelope
- Sending letters that overshadowed his right to dispute the debt
The matter was later dismissed.
Hire an attorney
The phone numbers for Professional Placement Services, LLC are 1-414-220-4110 and 1-414-273-1979. If either of these numbers appear on your caller ID, be aware that a debt collector is trying to contact you. If they advertise the debt in any way, such as putting your account number on the exterior of an envelope, or threaten legal action that never transpires, hire an attorney who specializes in consumer protection cases. These collection methods violate the FDCPA and you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Even if you owe money, the law grants you rights that an experienced attorney will help you safeguard.
*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 1:15-cv-05810 from United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division
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 Placement Services, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.