Progressive Financial Services is a national debt collection agency that mainly works with student loan companies, such as Sallie Mae. With a couple hundred employees, the company has a head office in Tempe, Arizona, and other offices in South Dakota and Pennsylvania. According to Progressive Financial Services’ website, they offer a number of services to their clients, including initial and regular account reviews, detailed letters, phone calls, and more.
By federal law, Progressive Financial Services must comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA was passed in 1977 to stop collection agencies from taking advantage of consumers. It outlaws the use of rude or obscene language, harassment, telling third parties, and lying when recovering debt.
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If a debt collector has ever called you before 8 a.m., after 9 p.m., at work, or other times you told them not to, verbally abused you, harassed friends and family, or threatened you with action that wasn’t legal, he or she violated the FDCPA.
When you are first contacted by Progressive Financial Services, collectors must identify themselves and the company and inform you they are attempting to collect a debt and who the original owner of the debt was. After this conversation, they must send you notice in writing with information about the debt as well as your options for disputing. You also have the right to request validation of the debt, and if they can’t provide it, they aren’t allowed to contact you.
What to do if Progressive Financial Services is Trying to Collect a Debt from You*
If you are contacted by Progressive Financial Services, you should never ignore them, whether it’s a phone call or a court summons. If you don’t want to be contacted by the company, you have to send a request in writing. After they’ve received your request, they are only allowed to talk to you again to tell you they won’t call you again or to take legal action against you.
If you’re unable to settle payments with them or they are unjustly harassing you or others about a debt, you should contact a qualified FDCPA lawyer immediately. You could be entitled to $1,000, plus additional damages. Sending a stop contact request will not resolve the issue, even if the debt doesn’t belong to you.
If you hire a lawyer, not only will they be able to settle with Progressive Financial Services or represent you in court if you sue or are sued, but they will the only legal point of contact for the company. Any phone calls to you after you get a lawyer are against the FDCPA and should be recorded, along with any communications or practices that violate the FDCPA.
*Complaint information taken from Better Business Bureau (BBB).
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 Progressive Financial Services, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.