1st Credit of America, LLC is a debt collection agency that has recently had many complaints lodged against them. In this article, your will learn who they are, how to deal with their harassing and persistent calls, and become educated on legal options surrounding harassment from credit card companies.
Who are they?
1st Credit of America, LLC is a debt collection agency based out of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2004, the company is still relatively small. It is said to have approximately 10 to 20 employees within their business. Because they are relatively small in comparison to other debt collection agencies, their private ownership shields them from many prying eyes, allowing them to fly under the radar on their debt collection practices.
Is 1st Credit of America, LLC a scam?
They are a legit company. 1st Credit of America, LLC is a legit and grounded debt collection agency. According to the Better Business Bureau, 1st Credit of America LLC is located on 330 N Elizabeth St, Chicago, IL 60607. With 15 years under their belts, you are able to contact them through a variety of different numbers. The three phone numbers listed for their business are:
- 1 (866) 505-2632
- 1 (800) 293-1486
- 1 (800) 852-9465
If you are in need of getting in contact with their management head, Ms. Addie Watkins is the manager of the establishment, as well as the Customer Support Contact.
What kind of complaints have they had?
Since their inception in 2004, 1st Credit of America, LLC has not had any formal complaints lodged against them. The database of the Better Business Bureau shows that they have an A+ BBB Rating. However, they are not BBB accredited, and customer reviews are not used in the calculation of the BBB rating. This does not mean, however, that they have not attempted to harass debtors such as yourself through such means like phone calls from debt collectors, or using underhanded methods such as wrong number harassment.
Although they have had no formal complaints lodged against them previously, there were rumors of a case that had them on the radar. In July of 2006, 1st Credit of America, LLC allegedly demanded an amount from a New York consumer in the collection amount of $37.00. The consumer believed that the collection fee was not authorized or valid under law or the original creditor agreement. As such, the consumer retained an attorney to sue 1st Credit of America, LLC for attempting to collect an illegal amount not permitted by the law or the original agreement, using unfair means to collect the debt, and misrepresenting the amount, character, and legal status of the debt.
The case was later dismissed by the courts.
Can 1st Credit of America, LLC sue me?
Under the formal law, it is illegal for a debt collector to attempt to make empty threats to sue you or attempt to garnish your wages to pay back your debt. It is also unlikely that a small company such as 1st Credit of America will attempt to sue you for a debt that you may not owe them, and that they are not able to validate through proper means.
However, this does not mean they will not attempt to extort you through other methods. Many debt collection agencies have been known to summon you to court and attempt to garnish your wages through a default judgement of the courts.
Can you help Protect me from 1st Credit of America?
We absolutely are able to help you. Protecting debtors from illegal harassment, such as the email claim from 1st Credit of America, LLC, is something that is necessary and needed. Depending on how they attempt to harass you, you are not only eligible for protection through certain means, but you may also be entitled to a No Fee Lawsuit depending on the level of harassment.
In many ways, many of the practices attempted by debt collectors can be illegal and against the FDCPA. For instance, in the case mentioned above, if 1st Credit of America attempted to continue the sustained harassment through a series of emails and phone calls, they would be going against federal laws that specifically prohibit the usage of harassment and threatening language when collecting on debts. Not only that, but since the collection in the above case may have been deemed false or misleading, if you run into this situation as well, you may have a larger case against the company for improper practices.
However, if you wish to enforce your rights and stand for yourself, you need to make sure you sue. Debt collector harassment can only be combated through vigilant and aggressive means by you, the debtor, calling them out and making it known that you are being harassed by debt collectors.
Although it may seem scary and intimidating attempting to sue a debt collector, it is very possible. Look to hire a specialized debt collector harassment lawyer or attorney. These attorneys specialize in debt collector harassment. They will also be able to guide you on how to report debt collector harassment, and ensure that you are not left exposed to their tactics.
If you are being harassed by the collection agency 1st Credit of America, LLC, please give us a call at 1-800-219-3577 for a free no obligation case evaluation. We are experienced debt collection harassment attorneys.