Are You Being Called By Retail Merchants Association, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Retail Merchants Association, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

Once you miss a certain number of payments on your student loans or credit card debt, you will likely hear from a collection agency. They are allowed to contact you about the debt and request payment or a payment arrangement, but if any of these communications become abusive, however, the collection agency is violating federal law.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Although the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires debt collectors to behave professionally, actions like those below happen often enough to send distressed consumers to the Federal Trade Commission every year.

• Swearing and calling you names
• Trying to collect an amount that is not authorized by law or the original creditor agreement
• Calling you at work if they know what such calls are not allowed
• Ignoring a formal cease communications request
• Refusing or failing the validate the debt
• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone

Company Profile: Retail Merchants Association, Inc.

If you are being called by Retail Merchants Association, Inc., information about the company is below.

Retail Merchants Association, Inc., which also does business as Credit Bureau of Greater Shreveport, Credit Bureau of Shreveport and Credit Bureau of Louisiana, is a debt collection company located in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was founded in 1898, has a small staff of less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Charles Thompson. A check of litigation files at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicates that many people who felt they were being harassed by Retail Merchants Association, Inc. sued the company for infringing on their rights.

Alleged Violations against Retail Merchants Association, Inc.

According to PACER, on or about December 28, 2015 a Louisiana woman obtained a copy of her Experian Credit Report and noticed a trade line from the Credit Bureau of Shreveport appearing twice on her Experian Credit Report. Upon investigation, it was determined that this business name, which belonged to Retail Merchants Association, Inc., had expired in August 2009.

Feeling harassed by Retail Merchants Association, Inc., the plaintiff hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA by using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt.

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

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

• 1-318-222-4641
• 1-318-227-3214

If they appear on your caller ID at any time, you are being called by Retail Merchants Association, Inc.. If they report tradelines on your credit report under an inactive business name, hire a consumer attorney to help you protect your rights. If you decide to file a claim against Retail Merchants Association, Inc. you could receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation, so standing up for yourself can be the best way to get even.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 3:16-cv-00334-BAJ-RLB from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

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 Retail Merchants Association, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.