Jeff's Blog 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for Pennsylvania Consumers
- Jeff Suher represents Pittsburgh consumer whose credit card was stolen by Buffalo Debt Collector
- A Debt Collection Company that "May" Train and Encourage Employees to Violate the FDCPA - sued in Pennsylvania
- What to do if a Debt Collector Sues You.
- A Need to Know Debt Collection Tactic to Harass and Threaten you into paying an Old Debt
- National Action Financial Services, NAFS - Typical debt collection company and numerous consumer complaints!
- What can I do to stop debt collection calls about OLD DEBT
- Harassing Debt Collection Calls from India to the U.S.
- Debt Collection Complaints going UP; what to do if you get a telephone call in Pittsburgh. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE
- 10 Ways to Curb Sleazy Debt Collectors In Pittsburgh
- Haunted and harassed by old debts?
Fair Credit Reporting Act for Consumers Rights
General
- The Tale of a Dead Man Walking....
- Credit Card Companies vs. College Student - Who is responsible for the financial future of college students?
- Does your credit card debt die with you, or can it come back to to haunt those you left behind???
- VIDEO - Outrageous Debt Collection Calls, and how a debt collector becomes "Mr. Mean"
- The Bureau of Collection Recovery Inc. - Calls a Pittsburgh Consumer a deadbeat and a liar!
- Fast Cash - Payday Loans, The Facts
- Tina's Personal Credit Story!
- Credit Card Debt, Read this article for a few tips on how to handle it.
- Debt Collectors are SOOO Sleazy, Watch This Video!
- The Vicious Cycle of Debt Collection: The Universal Default Clause, is it in your Credit Card Agreement?
News
- Debt Collector Accused of Stealing Pittsburgh Customer's Debit Card and Goes on a Shopping Spree!!!!
- Pittsburgh Study: College Students Pile on Credit Card Debt
- Consumer Complaints! What Consumers are the Globe Complaint About the Most!!
- Man sets himself on FIRE after receiving so many debt collection calls
- Indian Call Center Workers Demand Money
- UPDATE: IRS REFUSES TO STOP USING PRIVATE DEBT COLLECTORS
- Debt Collectors on a Rampage, Pittsburgh Attorney Jeff Suher Can Help
- Debt Collectors Pushing to Get Their Day In Court
- Banks vs. Consumers
- IRS Faulted for Lax Identity Theft Protection Efforts
Library
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for Pennsylvania Consumers
- 10 THINGS DEBT COLLECTORS DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW!!
- The Six Taboos of Debt Collectors!
- Consumer Advocate Bud HIbbs' Worst Debt Collector List
- FTC Annual Report Summary of Debt Collection Violations
- RipOff Reports Article: National Enterprise Systems Intimidation at work
- RipOff Report Articles: National Action Financial Services, Inc. (NAFS)
- Debt Collector Accuses Pittsburgh Consumer of Committing a Crime and Threatens Jail Time
- Debt Collector Harasses Pittsburgh Consumer and Threatens Physical Harm
Do you Know What's on Your Credit Report? How to obtain a free report and file disputes...
- Fair Credit Report Act - Workshop to Help Pennsylvania Consumers Understand and Dispute Information on Their Credit Reports!
- Facts for Pittsburgh Consumers About Your Credit Report
Fair Credit Reporting Act for Consumers Rights
- Debt Reduction Defendant Settles FTC Charges
- 5 Ways to DESTROY your credit score
- How Does the Fair Credit Reporting Act Affect You and Your Credit Score?
BLOG
General
- Fast-Cash Predatory Lending - what you need to know
- Prohibited Debt Collection Practices
- Debt Collector Directory
- Games Credit Card Companies Play
- One Month With The Credit Card Companies
- Debt Collection Agencies: Big Money in Bad Debt
- "Rehabilitation:" What Debt Collectors Don't Want You To Know
- JEFF SUHER TO PRESENT SEMINAR ON “MAXED OUT”
- Attend a Free Viewing of the Film MAXED OUT and Win a $250 Gift Certificate
- Tips for Consumers against Credit Card Fraud
What's New
Maxed Out shows how the modern financial industry really works, explains the true definition of "preferred customer" and tells us why the poor are getting poorer and the rich getting richer. By turns hilarious and profoundly disturbing, Maxed Out paints a picture of a national nightmare which is all too real for most of us!!
Debt Collector Accuses Pittsburgh Consumer of Committing a Crime and Threatens Jail Time
A debt collector contacts a consumer by telephone and demands payment of an old debt. The consumer explains to the debt collector that she would try to come up with the money through monthly payments. The debt collector refused to accept monthly payments without getting a lump sum payment first.
Again, the consumer tries to explain to the debt collector that she was unable to afford a lump sum payment, but would see if she could get a loan from a bank or borrow the money for the initial payment. Can you believe this was still not good enough! The debt collector agreed to generously (ha ha) give the consumer time to come up with an initial lump sum on the condition that she could hold a credit card number or a bank account number for the amount. The consumer did not have a credit card and didn’t have any funds in her checking account. Th debt collector said “Don’t worry about it, just make up an account. I just need something to put into the system.” “The check will not be cashed.”
Unfortunately the consumer was talked into giving an old bank account number. The account number of which the consumer believed had been closed. Again, the debt collector said that the check would be held until she came up with her money, and the check would then be returned.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, the debt collector contacted the consumer to see if she was able to secure a loan or borrow the money. Unfortunately, it turns out that the consumer could not get any money to give to the debt collector. The consumer offered again to begin making small monthly payments, but again her offer was declined.
The next phone call from debt collector was a gentleman yelling at the consumer, telling her that she gave them a bad check and that if she couldn’t come up with the money in two weeks, that this would be turned over to the District Attorney’s office and she would be going to jail. It appeared that the debt collector put the check through (after explaining to the consumer that they would not do that), and the check bounced. The account was opened but did not contain any funds.
The debt collector kept harassing the consumer for a few weeks, saying “We will have an officer arrest you at your work, give you a fine, and two years in jail.” This consumer spent weeks and weeks worrying that someone was going to show up at her place of employment to arrest her. Of course, that never happened. Because, IT CAN’T HAPPEN.
According to the FDCPA, debt collectors cannot arrest you and can certainly not just show up at your place of employment. The story above is true and all names are kept out for confidentiality purposes. This story is also one of many times that a debt collection company will con you into submitting a bad check just to then turn it around (if you can’t come up with their money) to blackmail you into coming up with the money so they don’t send you to jail for writing a bad check. How disgraceful!
Become aware of your FDCPA rights, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jeff.
Jeffrey L. Suher, PC
4328 Old William Penn Highway, Suite 2J
Monroeville, PA 15146
Phone: (412) 374-9005
Fax: (412) 374-0799
Videos
General:
FAQs
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for Pennsylvania Consumers
- What debts are covered?
- Who is a debt collector?
- How may a debt collector contact me?
- Can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
- What if I'm represented by an attorney?
Fair Credit Reporting Act for Consumers Rights
- What happens if I dispute the debt?
- Can a debt collector take me to Court?
- How long does a delinquent debt stay on your credit report?