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Consumer Law

: Alabama Consumer Blog

Bizarre Debt Collectors' Tactics

By M. Stan Herring

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The Michigan Collection Law Blog has posted an article about "outrageous debt collectors' actions." It gives two examples of creditor harassment that violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

A man was delinquent on his Mercedes payments and the collection agency Universal Tracing Services, Inc tracked down his daughter on Myspace and sent her the following message:

We have been retained by, JPMorgan Chase Bank, to locate and repossess their missing collateral a 2007 Mercedes GL 450. Please contact our office immediately so we can discuss the peaceful recovery of the collateral. Failure to contact me will result in further action against your father James Ricobene. Legal options range from having a replevin order served on you or even worse reporting the collateral as stolen to local authorities in Illinois under the A.R.S. act 18-5-504. Failure to comply with this notice of surrender is a class 5 felony and carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for two years plus all applicable surcharges. You must contact the writer within 5 days to prevent this action from taking place. You can contact me directly at 800-667-7704 ext 222 or directly at 604-267-1581 ext. 222

Awaiting your immediate response.

Chris Flanagan
Senior investigator

The second example involves a woman who was also behind on car payments. Her car was repossessed and then she was told there was a hidden GPS in the car to track it. She got the car back, but fell behind on payments again. This time Auto Financing Network bought a URL with the name "Jennifer Dicks isn't paying for her Cavalier." They also sent her inappropriate and harassing text messages:

April 10:

Can you quit playing games and give me the car?

April 11:

I'm 2 miles away coming to your house...are you home? Neeee the car.

April 15:

You need to call me...This isn't fair to me. Do you have no soul?

April 18:

All you do is lie. It isn't registered to you so call again. I wish you died when you fell off the roof. If ur not married good. He can do soooo much better.

If you have had problems with debt collector harassment that violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, feel free to contact us.

Full post as published by Alabama Consumer Blog on May 11, 2009 (boomark / email).