In most cases, people who receive collection calls accrued the debt themselves and have fallen behind on their payments. In some instances, however, these charges are a result of identity theft. Because people rely on technology to pay bills and make banking transactions, it is important to stay protected against hackers and Internet fraud. The…
It is important to understand why collection calls feel like harassment in order to deal with the stress they create. Many Americans have fallen behind on their credit card, mortgage, and/or car payments because they have experienced some form of financial difficulty. This causes stress on the individual, as well as family and friends that…
While millions of Americans must grapple in this difficult and topsy-turvy economy, some businesses continue to thrive. In fact, Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc., a company that purchases, collects, and manages consumer debt, are reporting record-breaking profits. Portfolio Recovery Associates, like other debt collectors, makes money by purchasing consumer debts from creditors, banks and other financial…
Are you experiencing debt harassment? Collection agencies often prey on consumers. Why? Because it is in their best interest to scare consumers into paying. Creditors often use collection agencies to recover funds on delinquent accounts. The collection agencies are handsomely paid for their services, which often involve nagging collection calls and a barrage of written…
Unmanageable debt has become a way of life for a majority of Americans. Even as our government struggles to survive its own massive deficits, it is not surprising that we as individuals often have difficulty meeting our credit card payments, mortgages and car loans, especially when interest rates and bank fees are designed to keep…
In 2008, Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc. was sued for fraud after affidavits were submitted bearing the name of Martha Kunkle, who died in 1995. It appears that Martha Kunkle has come back to life. Last July, lawyers for Portfolio Recovery Associates sought judgment in a lawsuit against a Seattle woman for $2,892.10 in credit-card debt…
The allegations charge JPMorgan with robo-signing, which is the automatic generation of documents such as foreclosure notices without a notary or following the legal process, among other illegal practices.
Perry’s troubles started in May 2009, when Capital One began trying to collect an alleged credit-card debt from her, according to the suit. The company not only called her at home and at work repeatedly, it also called her family and co-workers, the suit said.
Capital One first demanded Perry pay $3,845 for purchases on a credit card. Perry disputed the debt and turned the letter over to her family lawyer, who wrote Capital One to cease and desist contacting Perry directly. Disregarding the letter, Capital One allegedly stepped up collection efforts, placing more calls to Perry and claiming that it was doing so because the lawyer did not make a substantial settlement offer to resolve the account. Telephone calls were made to her home and workplace, where she alleges, her employer does not allow personal calls.
Regardless of what kind of medium debt collectors use to reach consumers, they are prohibited from revealing information to third parties and cannot make false, deceptive, misleading or harassing representations.
