Is Vital Solutions Calling You?*

Is Vital Solutions Calling You? Here’s what you need to know.

It’s difficult to do much today without access to credit. While credit enables us to buy larger items like homes and vehicles and pay it back according to an affordable schedule, there’s a downside: if we lose our jobs or are otherwise unable to work, we’re saddled with massive debts we may not be able to pay. When debt collectors start hounding you for payment, things get even worse. We owe the money, so we have to tolerate the harassment, don’t we?

Not quite.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits third-party debt collectors from using deception and harassment to collect money from indebted consumers. This means that tactics like the following are prohibited and can result in expensive fines:

• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Raising their voice and making threats
• Using profane and obscene language
• Directly contacting someone who has retained an attorney with regards to the debt
• Calling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers and telling them that you owe money
• Pretending to be police officers or federal agents

Company Profile: Vital Solutions Inc.

Vital Solutions Inc, a subsidiary of Vital Solutions, is a collection agency headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. It was founded in 2002 and is managed by Christopher Shuler. According to files retained by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website, Vital Recovery Services Inc has been accused of debt collection practices that are illegal under the FDCPA.

Alleged Violations against Vital Solutions

Ann Burnham vs. Vital Recovery Services Inc

In 2009 Vital Solutions Inc began contacting Maine resident Ann Burnham by telephone in an attempt to collect an alleged debt owed on a personal auto loan. She later complained that collectors called daily, often two to three times per day, through January 15, 2010. Feeling harassed, Ms. Burnham retained an attorney, who contacted Vital Solutions. The representative he spoke to allegedly acknowledged that they were calling “just about daily” and expressed their suspicion that Ms. Burnham was occasionally connecting and immediately hanging up to stop the phone from ringing.

Ms. Burnham filed a lawsuit against Vital Solutions for allegedly violating the FDCPA by calling her continuously with the intention of harassing, oppressing or abusing her.

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an FDCPA Attorney

The phone number for Vital Solutions is 1-678-578-1020. If your phone rings and this number pops up on your caller ID, be aware that a debt collector is on the line. If they call you several times a day and refuse to stop, hire a consumer attorney who can help you assert your rights in court. Such behavior violates the FDCPA, and a judge could order Vital Recovery Services Inc to pay you $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. When debt collectors push, let the law help you push back. Hard.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 2:12-cv-00008-GZS from United States District Court for the District of Maine

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 Vital Solutions, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.