Is Select Financial calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
If financial problems have overwhelmed you and caused you to fall behind on your credit obligations, you are not the only one. Nearly one-third of all Americans have unpaid debts that have gone to collections. This is not always a comfort, however, when aggressive calls and letters when debt collectors are stressing you out. If this happens, know that you have the ability -and the right- to tell them to stop.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
As a consumer you have legal protection from debt collector harassment under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, which limits what third-party collection agencies may say and do during the process of collecting a debt. Below is a sample of some behaviors that are illegal under the FDCPA.
- Swearing and calling you names like loser or deadbeat
- Ignoring a cease communications request
- Calling at all hours of the day and night
- Calling you at work after you’ve told them you’re not allowed to talk to them there
- Threatening to sue you and garnish your wages if you don’t pay
- Talking to uninvolved parties such as your friends, family, and co-workers about the debt
Company Profile: Select Financial
Select Financial is a collection agency located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1995, has fewer than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Howard Savage. Records archived by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website contain instances of Select Financial being sued by consumers who felt that their rights had been violated by company debt collectors.
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Alleged Violations against Select Financial
On July 9, 2013, a Minnesota resident received a voicemail from a Select Financial collector who identified himself as ‘Bruce’. Bruce allegedly stated he was the “litigations manager” for Select Financial and indicated he was calling regarding a debt she owed to Applied Bank. She was working with a debt settlement company at the time, and Bruce said that there had been numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact this company. When the firm, Robert A. Christopher & Associates, checked its phone records there was no evidence of a call from Select Financial.
On July 9, 2013, the Minnesota resident’s stepmother received a call from Bruce, who asked to speak to her. When the stepmother replied that she did not live there, Bruce indicated he was calling with regard to a “financial civil matter” and that his client had a “very good offer” to extend to her.
The Minnesota resident had had enough. She hired a consumer attorney and sued Select Financial for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:
- Failing to advise her in the first voicemail that any information obtained from her would be used for the purpose of collecting her debt
- Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
- Discussing the debt with uninvolved third parties
- Using abusive and harassing means to collect a debt
The matter was later dismissed.
Hire an Attorney
The phone number for Select Financial is 1-215-881-7757. If this number appears on your caller ID, it means that a debt collector is trying to reach you. If the collector discusses your debt with uninvolved third parties or uses deceptive means to pressure you into paying, see a consumer attorney. They can deal with Select Financial on your behalf and help you pursue the matter in court, where you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. If a debt collector tries to trick or money out of you, they could end owing it to you instead.
*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is0:13-cv-01969-PAM-FLN from United States District Court, District of Minnesota
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 Select Financial, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.