Called By Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc.*?

Are You Being Called By Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc.*? Here’s What You Need to Know

When you fall behind in your credit card, medical debt, or student loan payments and the accounts are turned over to a collection agency, your situation can become even more stressful, especially if the debt collectors pursuing are abusive. At such a difficult time, it’s easy to forget that you have rights and protections under federal law.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, requires third-party collection agencies to conduct themselves professionally when collecting debts. Strategies like those below are illegal, and can result in revocation of the agency’s license.

• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m.
• Calling you at work after you tell them that you can’t take personal calls there
• Using profane or obscene language
• Claiming that you can be arrested, have your assets seized, or have your wages garnished if you do not pay
• Telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money
• Leaving voice messages that do not identify the collector and the purpose of their call

Company Profile: Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc.

If you are being called by Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc., here is a general company background.

Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. is a debt collection agency in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1984, has 17 employees, and is managed by owner Michael C. Klaar. Civil litigation records at the PACER website confirm that consumers who believed that they were being harassed by Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. refused to pay.

Alleged Violations against Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc.**

According to information on the PACER website, in or around late 2018, a representative of Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. sent a Writ of Garnishment to the New York employer of a former Oregon resident to collect a medical debt. She alleged that she had been unaware of the default judgment against her and that the company did not comply with New York law by using a New York lawyer to take whatever steps were necessary to domesticate the Oregon judgment in New York.

The consumer also complained that every call she had with Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc., collectors told her that they could garnish her wages based on the Oregon Writ that had been served on her employer and that she could avoid garnishment by working something out.
Feeling harassed by Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc., the consumer sued the agency for:

• Illegally enforcing an Oregon judgment in New York
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter is still ongoing.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are:

• 1-503-255-8210
• 1-800-308-8588

Any time you see either number on your caller ID, it means Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. is on the line and probably trying to collect a debt from you. If they use illegal collection methods to compel payment, hire a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. You could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus any costs associated with pursuing the claim. The law gives you rights that you should always be prepared to act upon.

**Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:18-cv-11879-KPF from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

*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 Western Credit & Collection Service, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.

Additional Resources

• Can a Debt Collector Try to Make You Pay More Than What I Owe?
• Did The Debt Collectors Ignore Your Lawyer’s Letter?