Consumer Law

DSG Services Group Inc.

Posted on December 29, 2012
DSG Services Group Inc. is a debt collector operating out of Chicago, Illinois. The Indiana Consumer Law Group/The Law Office of Robert E. Duff is preparing to file a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) lawsuit against DSG Services Group Inc. for sending our client a letter which we believe violates the FDCPA...

Debt Collector Put An Account On Your Credit Report That Is Not Yours?

Posted on December 01, 2012
Indiana Consumer Law Group/The Law Office of Robert E. Duff occasionally is contacted by a consumer who has just found a debt collection account on their credit report that is not theirs. We can help. There are many ways these situations can be handled, but in my experience the best way to handle them, as long as you are sure the debt is not yours, is to file an FDCPA lawsuit against the debt collector...

NCO Financial Systems, Inc.

Posted on November 26, 2012
The biggest debt collector in the U.S., measured by income, is NCO Financial Systems, Inc. In 2010, their parent company, NCO Group, Inc., reported total revenues of $1.6 billion. They don't have a very good reputation either, having been ranked as one of America's Worst Collection Agencies by budhibbs...

Sallie Mae Allegedly Violates Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Posted on November 22, 2012
Indiana Consumer Law Group/The Law Office of Robert E. Duff has recently filed a lawsuit against Sallie Mae, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana alleging that Sallie Mae violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA")...

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Advanced Debt Collection, Inc./CSL Community Association, Inc.

Posted on November 20, 2012
Indiana Consumer Law Group/The Law Office of Robert E. Duff has recently filed an FDCPA lawsuit against Advanced Debt Collection, Inc. Advanced Debt Collection, Inc. was collecting a debt that was allegedly originally incurred to CSL Community Association, Inc...

Default Judgments in Indiana

Posted on November 19, 2012
The vast majority of judgments obtained by debt collectors are by default. That means the alleged debtor didn't show up to court to contest the case. Unfortunately, I believe that debtors often don't show up to contest a case because they feel that there is no use since the debt was once a legitimate debt...

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Posted on November 17, 2012
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA for short, is a great consumer protection statute for Indiana consumers. Its application is pretty specific, however. The primary goal of the TCPA is to prevent unauthorized telephone calls to your cell phone made by an autodialer...

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Posted on November 13, 2012
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA for short, provides very broad protections for consumers. It is a great statute, and today I want to go over some of the most common violations. 1. ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT, OR AN AMOUNT, THAT YOU DO NOT OWE If a debt collector attempts to collect a debt from you that you don't owe, the debt collector has violated the FDCPA...

Collection Calls

Posted on November 12, 2012
This post is primarily aimed at assisting consumers who are dealing with debt collectors, but it can also be of benefit to consumers dealing with other issues such as automobile dealership fraud or the lemon law. The minute you sense something might be wrong with a consumer transaction or interaction (and it probably won't take long when certain debt collectors call you), immediately go out and equip yourself with the means to record telephone and/or in-person communications...

Debt Collector Lawsuit

Posted on November 11, 2012
If you've been sued by a debt collector or creditor in Indiana, the first thing you probably wondered while reviewing the summons and complaint is: "what am I going to do?" I can't emphasize how important it is at this stage to be proactive and take immediate action...

Called by a Debt Collector

Posted on November 09, 2012
You just received a telephone call from a debt collector. The debt collector was mean and nasty and threatening and you don't know what to do. First, relax. Then wait. The debt collector has five days (from the initial communication) to send you a letter with this information: (1) the amount of the debt; (2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed; (3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector; (4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and (5) a statement that, upon the consumer's written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor...

Indiana Statute of Limitations on Credit Card Debt

Posted on November 08, 2012
Q: I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I recently received a phone call from a debt collector about an old credit card debt that my former spouse and I had a long time ago. We have been divorced for over seven years, and this delinquent credit card debt was his per the divorce decree...

Debt Collection Agency Trying to Collect an Amount You Don't Owe?

Posted on March 17, 2011
In the world of debt collection, as in the world of sports, sometimes the best defense is a good offense. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a powerful consumer protection tool that can be used to stop a debt collector from trying to collect a debt that you don't owe or an amount that you don't owe...

Debt Collection Agency Trying to Collect an Amount You Don't Owe?

Posted on March 17, 2011
In the world of debt collection, as in the world of sports, sometimes the best defense is a good offense. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a powerful consumer protection tool that can be used to stop a debt collector from trying to collect a debt that you don't owe or an amount that you don't owe...

Carfax Doesn't Advertise This

Posted on July 28, 2010
I have previously posted about how I believe Carfax misleadingly promotes their product. Their recent "Carfox" commercials certainly lead you to believe a clean Carfax report virtually guarantees a good car. It just isn't so. In fact, here's what a Carfax Consumer Affairs Analyst said recently in an e-mail about their product: The reporting of accident events through our service is based primarily on three main aspects: 1) Whether the event in question was reported to any data source capable of collecting electronic records (government agencies, etc...

Carfax Doesn't Advertise This

Posted on July 28, 2010
I have previously posted about how I believe Carfax misleadingly promotes their product. Their recent "Carfox" commercials certainly lead you to believe a clean Carfax report virtually guarantees a good car. It just isn't so. In fact, here's what a Carfax Consumer Affairs Analyst said recently in an e-mail about their product: The reporting of accident events through our service is based primarily on three main aspects: 1) Whether the event in question was reported to any data source capable of collecting electronic records (government agencies, etc...

How To Be A Good Consumer Lawyer

Posted on July 24, 2010
I have a personal story to tell. Recently I had a serious neck injury. I lost much of the use of my right arm because the nerve that controls the deltoid muscle coming from my spinal cord had been pinched where it passes through my cervical vertebrae...

How To Be A Good Consumer Lawyer

Posted on July 24, 2010
I have a personal story to tell. Recently I had a serious neck injury. I lost much of the use of my right arm because the nerve that controls the deltoid muscle coming from my spinal cord had been pinched where it passes through my cervical vertebrae...

Indiana Car Dealers Need Oversight

Posted on May 21, 2010
As you may be aware, the so-called Wall Street reform bill has now passed in the House and the Senate. The House version exempts automobile dealers from financial regulatory oversight, while the Senate version does not. I strongly believe that Indiana car dealers need the supervision that could, and hopefully would, come with their inclusion in this law...

Indiana Car Dealers Need Oversight

Posted on May 21, 2010
As you may be aware, the so-called Wall Street reform bill has now passed in the House and the Senate. The House version exempts automobile dealers from financial regulatory oversight, while the Senate version does not. I strongly believe that Indiana car dealers need the supervision that could, and hopefully would, come with their inclusion in this law...

How to Stop Debt Collector Harassment

Posted on February 20, 2010
Is a debt collector calling you all the time, to the point that it is harassing and you just don't want to deal with it anymore? I have a remedy for you, but before I tell you about it I want to point out that I usually recommend to Indiana consumers that they be PROACTIVE in handling their debt...

How to Stop Debt Collector Harassment

Posted on February 20, 2010
Is a debt collector calling you all the time, to the point that it is harassing and you just don't want to deal with it anymore? I have a remedy for you, but before I tell you about it I want to point out that I usually recommend to Indiana consumers that they be PROACTIVE in handling their debt...

Reliant Capital Solutions

Posted on December 19, 2009
Reliant Capital Solutions is a debt collection agency headquartered in the State of Ohio. They use a lot of different telephone numbers, but some of the numbers they use are: 866-547-5413, 866-738-3181, 866-837-5096, 614-452-6097, 614-328-0518, 614-328-0514, 614-452-6101, and 614-452-6093...

Reliant Capital Solutions

Posted on December 19, 2009
Reliant Capital Solutions is a debt collection agency headquartered in the State of Ohio. They use a lot of different telephone numbers, but some of the numbers they use are: 866-547-5413, 866-738-3181, 866-837-5096, 614-452-6097, 614-328-0518, 614-328-0514, 614-452-6101, and 614-452-6093...

Cash for Clunkers VINs on Carfax

Posted on November 27, 2009
My last blog entry, way too long ago, concerned Carfax and the unreliability of their reports. Well, Carfax has put themselves in the news again and I just couldn't help but comment. I just read on a local news agency's internet page that Carfax has put all the Cash for Clunker cars' vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on its website and has set it up so those VINs can be searched for free...

Cash for Clunkers VINs on Carfax

Posted on November 27, 2009
My last blog entry, way too long ago, concerned Carfax and the unreliability of their reports. Well, Carfax has put themselves in the news again and I just couldn't help but comment. I just read on a local news agency's internet page that Carfax has put all the Cash for Clunker cars' vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on its website and has set it up so those VINs can be searched for free...

A Clean Carfax Report Means Nothing

Posted on June 21, 2009
I was working today on one of my car dealership fraud cases when I came across a Carfax Vehicle History Report. Having seen Carfax's recent television commercials, some of which are pretty funny (check this one out: Carfax Commercial), I thought another brief blog entry might be in order because I'm really bothered by how unreliable I have found Carfax reports to be...

A Clean Carfax Report Means Nothing

Posted on June 21, 2009
I was working today on one of my car dealership fraud cases when I came across a Carfax Vehicle History Report. Having seen Carfax's recent television commercials, some of which are pretty funny (check this one out: Carfax Commercial), I thought another brief blog entry might be in order because I'm really bothered by how unreliable I have found Carfax reports to be...

Sued Over Credit Card Debt? Don't Represent Yourself

Posted on May 30, 2009
I want to discuss a couple decisions from the Indiana Court of Appeals that will likely have a profound impact on Indiana consumers for years. The decisions are noteworthy because they are both a significant departure from and/or addition to prior Indiana law and they make it much easier for credit card companies and debt collectors to obtain judgments against Indiana consumers...

Sued Over Credit Card Debt? Don't Represent Yourself

Posted on May 30, 2009
I want to discuss a couple decisions from the Indiana Court of Appeals that will likely have a profound impact on Indiana consumers for years. The decisions are noteworthy because they are both a significant departure from and/or addition to prior Indiana law and they make it much easier for credit card companies and debt collectors to obtain judgments against Indiana consumers...

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