Debt Collectors Will Pay More Than $1 Million to Settle FTC Charges

For Release: 03/03/2010
Federal Trade commission

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/03/creditcollect.shtm

Credit Bureau Collection Services, and two of its officers, Larry Ebert and Brian Striker violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

They continually ignored rules to update the Credit Reporting Agency to update their account listings as being under dispute by the consumer.

Even when the consumers notified them that a debt was paid off, or that the debt did not belong to them in the first place.

The Collection Agency would continue to insist that the debt was owed, and insist that they still had to pay the debt.

FTC has Barred the defendants from any further violations.

When a consumer disputes, the Collection Agency is obligated to investigate or close the account, and to cease collection efforts.

They can not sell the debt, they have to return it back to the original creditor.
If the account did not belong to the consumer, the Collection Agency is obligated to delete it from the consumer credit report.

If the debt is paid already then the Collection Agency is obligated to update the Credit Reporting Agency to show the account paid/zero balance.

Tags: Collection Agency, credit report, Credit Reports, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act