Posts tagged as:

harassment

NY AG shuts down a particularly abusive debt collector

June 24, 2009

How would you like to get a call like this, just because you are behind on your credit cards?
“Hello, this is Investigator Brook Carlson from the Warrant Division. This is the last time I am going to attempt to contact you,” the caller said in one message. “We have left this message numerous times, and [...]

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Rebalancing justice scales: New attention to old law helps consumers fight unfair debt-collection practices

May 14, 2009

Rebalancing justice scales: New attention to old law helps consumers fight unfair debt-collection practices | MinnPost

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Mann Bracken under fire in Atlanta

April 30, 2009

Mann Bracken has been sued over 100 times in the last five years, giving the lie to partner William Bracken III’s claims that they do not tolerate harassing conduct.
Click the picture above for Atlanta news station WSBTV’s investigative report into Mann Bracken’s collection practices.
Consumers Accuse Law Firm Of Harassment, Abuse | WSBTV (via Five Million [...]

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Debt collector sued for hounding sick child

March 4, 2009

Debt collector sued for hounding sick child | Reading Tea Leaves

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I’m going to collect the money from you dead or alive, says debt collector

March 4, 2009

I’m going to collect the money from you dead or alive, says debt collector | Examiner

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New York Couple Harassed by Creditors Trying to Collect Debt Their Dead Son Owed

January 16, 2009

N.B., this would not be a “small claim” by any stretch of the imagination. New York Couple Harassed by Creditors Trying to Collect Debt Their Dead Son Owed | Fox News (via Consumerist)

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Nationwide Debt Collector Will Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Charges

November 21, 2008

“Academy Collection Service, Inc. and its owner, Keith Dickstein, have agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Academy and its collectors misled, threatened, and harassed consumers; disclosed their debts to third parties; and deposited postdated checks early, in violation of federal law.” Nationwide Debt Collector Will Pay $2.25 Million to [...]

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Debt Collector Charged as Fake Cop

November 19, 2008

Debt Collector Charged as Fake Cop | WSB Radio

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US National Bank trying to collect paid-off payday loans

October 16, 2008

According to Consumerist, based on a thread at the DebtConsolidationCare forums, US National Bank somehow acquired a bunch of paid-off payday loan accounts and is trying to collect on them. And their threats are apparently working. The poster on DCC paid them $300 to avoid trouble—including the three felony counts he was threatened with.
If you [...]

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Stop debt collection harassment

September 18, 2008

This blog has a lot of great information for consumers dealing with debt collection harassment. Here is a roundup of some of the best posts for consumers coping with debt collection:

What to do when a debt collector calls
Stop debt collector calls with the TeleZapper
Debt collection complaints going up; what to do if you get a [...]

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Debt collection harassment in the news

September 8, 2008

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Featuring Buffalo, NY, consumer lawyer Ken Hiller.

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What to do when a debt collector calls

August 15, 2008

Getting a phone call from a debt collector can be very upsetting. Often, they ask for more money than you think you owe or call about a debt you may not remember. But whether or not you owe the debt, there are a few important steps you need to take to make sure you protect [...]

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Stop debt collector calls with the TeleZapper

August 14, 2008

If you are getting phone calls from a debt collector, you should tell them, in writing, that you do not want them calling you. If that does not work, and just want them to stop, the TeleZapper should do the trick.
Most collection agencies use automatic—also called predictive—dialers. In other words, the collector sits at a [...]

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Medical debts are covered by the FDCPA, too

August 12, 2008

Although we spend a lot of time on debt collection and credit cards, more consumers are experiencing problems with medical debt than anything else. In fact, some consumers’ credit card debt may be linked to medical bills, as well. The fact that so many Americans cannot afford healthcare is a political problem, but debt collectors [...]

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Man Sets Himself On Fire At Rent-A-Center After Receiving Too Many Late Payment Notices

July 30, 2008

Man Sets Himself On Fire At Rent-A-Center After Receiving Too Many Late Payment Notices | Consumerist

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Olympus phone recording device makes it easy to record phone calls

July 25, 2008

The Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device (clever name, eh?) is probably the easiest way to record phone calls (from an abusive debt collector, for example) that I have seen. You stick it in your ear, plug it into a recorder, hold your phone normally up against your ear with the earbud in it, and it [...]

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Your landlord could be worse

July 9, 2008

The Macys, a San Francisco couple, bought a million-dollar, six-unit apartment building in San Francisco, and decided to move out all the tenants and raise the rents (this is, of course, illegal in SF, but the Macys are not the sort of people who worry about legalities).
When the tenants fought the eviction notices, the Macys [...]

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Debt collectors on the rampage

July 7, 2008

“More consumers are finding themselves the target of aggressive agents who don’t always play by the rules. Here’s what you need to know.” Debt collectors on the rampage | CNN

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Caveat Emptor playlist: Pete Barry on Fox Morning Show

July 3, 2008
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Pete Barry makes dirty debt collectors pay

June 3, 2008

The CityPages just did a feature on my colleague and friend, Pete Barry. Choice quote:
“Why did you call my client a lowlife piece of shit?” Barry asked.
He was in California, deposing a debt collector who wore a Sean John T-shirt and a look of disdain.
“In my opinion, why was he a lowlife piece of shit?” [...]

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