When the phone rang, the message on the caller ID display was a surprise. Sometimes it said, “Flower Shop.” Or “Pizza Delivery.” Or the name or number of a family member. Or “Repossession Services.” When consumers answered the phone, the ruse continued. An operator gave the impression that flowers or [Keep reading]
A nationwide firm that promised consumers legal help with debt relief has been temporarily shut down by federal authorities. The firm, which goes by the name World Law, took $67 million in illegal upfront fees from at least 21,000 people, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleges, while misleading consumers with [Keep reading]
JPMorgan Chase will pay $166 million to settle charges that it engaged in illegal debt collection activities for years, and must adhere to strict new debt collection rules, state and federal authorities announced Wednesday. The bank will also refund at least $50 million to consumers and agree to permanently end [Keep reading]
You might not be surprised to hear that Time Warner Cable mistreated a consumer; you might delight in hearing that a New York judge is making TWC pay $230,000 to an aggrieved consumer. But Judge Alvin Hellerstein’s ruling is particularly stern, and offers enough schadenfreude that it’s worth a quick scan. It’s also [Keep reading]
Debt collectors reportedly have a new strategy to get consumers’ attention: text messages. “YOUR PAYMENT DECLINED WITH CARD ****-****-****-5463 . . . CALL 866.256.2117 IMMEDIATELY,” reads one such text, according to the Federal Trade Commission. (This story was first published on Credit.com. Read it there.) The agency has temporarily halted three [Keep reading]
A Georgia firm called millions of consumers attempting to
It’s lovely that the now-famous British couple who made the mistake of having their preemie baby born in the U.S. won’t have to pay their potential $200,000 in medical bills. If they were in Europe though, having a European Health Insurance Card for their baby could have made such a difference. [Keep reading]
Are you getting collection calls and wish there was an easier way to handle the problem? Here’s a guide to dealing with a debt collector … using the least effort possible. DON’T ignore bills, letters and threats thinking that collectors will just forget about the money, or that the firm [Keep reading]
It’s a tricky practice from inside an industry that often mystifies consumers. Consumer groups have called it “debt laundering.” Debt collectors call it “withdrawal.” The strategy is simple, but troubling: If at first you don’t succeed at collecting on a debt, try, try again – by sending it to [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan