People rarely fall into debt on purpose, but if you lose your job or experience a financial setback, arrears can pile up quickly. Eventually, third-party debt collectors will be calling you and sending demand letters.
If they attempt to harass you into paying, be aware that the law is on your side and you have rights that collection agencies violate at their own professional risk.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
In 1977, Congress passed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which outlawed abusive conduct on the part of third-party collection agencies. This consumer protection law made it illegal to use methods like the following to collect a debt:
- Demanding amounts not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
- Calling at inconvenient times, usually before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m.
- Calling someone at work after they’ve been advised that such calls are not allowed
- Ignoring a formal request to cease communications
- Using profane or obscene language
- Contacting a consumer directly even after the consumer has hired an attorney for representation
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Company Profile: RPS Worldwide
If you are being called by RPS Worldwide, information about the company is below.
RPS Worldwide, which now does business as DRI Dynamic Recovery Inc., is a collection agency located in Orlando, Florida. It was established in 2010, has less than 10 employees, and is operated by its President, Tina Kendrick.
According to litigation records that are viewable at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website, consumers who believed they were being harassed by RPS Worldwide filed lawsuits that sometimes resulted in substantial damage awards.
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Alleged Violations Against RPS Worldwide
According to PACER, in or around early 2012, RPS Worldwide began trying to collect a debt from a Michigan resident. During one call, the collector allegedly declared, “We’ll take legal action against you.”
She also complained that the agency demanded payment within 30 days at a time when such a payment would have overshadowed her dispute rights, and members of the agency left voice messages that did not always identify the caller as a debt collector.
Feeling harassed by RPS Worldwide, she hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA by:
- Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt
- Threatening legal action it was not in a position to take
- Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
- Failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications
- Using abusive language
A judge subsequently awarded him $3,715.85 in statutory damages, costs, and attorney fees.
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Hire an Attorney
The phone numbers for this collection agency are:
If you see either one on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by RPS Worldwide. If they have been calling and harassing you, you should consider filing a claim.
It sounds scary, but there’s no reason to be afraid of filing an FDCPA lawsuit. Having an attorney on your side can make the whole process less daunting.
If you file a claim against RPS Worldwide with your attorney’s help and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus any court costs and statutory damages, which would put RPS Worldwide in debt to you.
*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 RPS Worldwide, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case: 2:12-cv-11595-NGE-DRG from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.