Contacted by Sunrise Credit Services?*

Is Sunrise Credit Services calling you? Protect your rights!

Getting calls and letters from debt collectors is a stressful experience. In most instances they demand amounts that you can’t afford to pay.

In addition, debt collectors can be pushy and insulting when trying to collect money. Most collection agencies are paid according to what they succeed in collecting, so they have a tendency of crossing the line between persistence and abuse.

If this happens to you, the law is on your side.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), third-party debt collectors have to refrain from unethical and unprofessional conduct when trying to collect a debt from consumers.

This means that actions like those below are illegal and can result in heavy fines:

• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in the consumer’s time zone
• Calling someone at work if they know that the employer does not permit such calls
• Using profane or obscene language
• Telling the person’s friends, neighbors, and co-workers that they owe money
• Telling someone that they will be arrested or lose their home if they don’t pay
• Demanding amounts not supported by the law or the original creditor agreement

Company Profile: Sunrise Credit Services

Sunrise Credit Services is a collection agency located in Farmingdale, New York. It was established in 1975, has 250-499 employees, and is managed by CEO Diane Doane.

Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that the agency has been accused of disregarding consumer rights during certain debt collection activities.

Alleged Violations against Sunrise Credit Services

On or about October 17, 2014, a Michigan consumer allegedly received a call from a Sunrise Credit Services collector.

During that phone conversation, the collector allegedly failed to disclose that he was a debt collector seeking to settle a debt.

The consumer later claimed that five days later, on or about October 22, the collectorleft a voice message implying that he would be at the consumer’s home later that day to break the consumer’s jaw and legs.

Alarmed, the consumer hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit accusing Sunrise Credit Services of violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Failing to identify itself as a debt collector in voice messages
• Issuing threats of bodily harm

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Sunrise Credit Services are 1-800-208-8565 and 1-800-645-9824. If you see either one on your caller ID, it means that a debt collector may be looking for you.

If they leave messages that fail to identify themselves or their company and threaten physical violence if you don’t pay, hire a consumer attorney.

Bullying and deception as debt collection tools are illegal under the FDCPA, and you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages

No matter how much they want your money, debt collectors must obey the law when trying to collect it, or risk owing you instead.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 2:15-cv-11005-AC-MJH from United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

*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 Sunrise Credit Services, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.