Is Thunderbird Collection Specialists Calling You?*

Is Thunderbird Collection Specialists calling you? Here’s what you need to know.

Dealing with a debt collector can be an exhausting challenge, especially if they are hostile and demand payment on the spot instead of agreeing to a payment plan you can afford. They don’t care that job loss or illness has left you in a precarious financial position: it’s their job to make you pay quickly and in full, and many of them use pressure tactics that border on abuse. If this happens to you, be aware that such collectors are breaking the law and you can sue them.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed in 1977 to protect consumers from harassment and abuse by third-party debt collectors. Since then, it has been illegal to use methods like the following to ‘encourage’ debt payments:

• Use profane or obscene language
• Threaten legal actions that they have no intention of taking
• Use an autodialer to leave a series of pre-recorded messages
• Refuse to validate the debt and prove that they are authorized to collect it
• Call you at work when your employer does not allow such calls
• Tell your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money

Company Profile: Thunderbird Collection Specialists

Thunderbird Collection Specialists is a collection agency located in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was established in 1964 has 10 to 19 employees and is managed by owner Steve Kay. According to the Better Business Bureau, the company has an F rating. A search of court files at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website reveals that Thunderbird Collection Specialists has been accused of violating the FDCPA during certain debt collection attempts.

Alleged Violations against Thunderbird Collection Specialists

Gina Davis vs. Thunderbird Collection Specialists

On or about January 29, 2016, Arizona resident Gina Davis began getting calls from Thunderbird Collection Specialists about an alleged debt. During one conversation she explained that she was unable to pay the debt immediately, but offered to pay at a later time upon receipt of her tax refund. The collector allegedly replied that if she failed to make an immediate payment, she would be sued.

When no debt validation letter followed the first communication, Ms. Davis hired an attorney and sued Thunderbird Collection Specialists for the following alleged FDCPA violations:

• Failing to send a debt validation letter
• Engaging in conduct, the natural consequence of which was to harass, oppress, or abuse her
• Making false representations and utilizing deceptive means in an attempt to collect a debt
• Threatening legal action it did not intend to take

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Thunderbird Collection Specialists are 1-480-946-3299 and 1-877-488-1829. If your phone rings and one of these numbers appears, a debt collector is looking for you. If you cannot pay the debt immediately and they threaten legal action they have no intention of taking, hire a consumer attorney. Making this type of threat is illegal, and your attorney will help you file a lawsuit. You could potentially be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages, so never hesitate to act on the rights that the law gives you.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 2:16-cv-01636-MHB from United States District Court, District of Arizona

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 Thunderbird Collection Specialists, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.