Sequoia Concepts, Inc. D/B/A Sequoia Financial Services
Sequoia Concepts, Inc. is a debt collection agency that does business as Sequoia Financial Services (Sequoia). It provides services to utility, government, medical, educational and retail companies. It was founded in 1991 and is based in Glendale, California.
According to its website, Sequoia prides itself on its integrity and professionalism, and claims to comply with all state and federal consumer laws. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), however, has received numerous complaints against Sequoia from consumers. The CFPB is a government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collection practices. The most common complaints leveled against Sequoia include:
- Attempting to collect a debt that is not owed by the consumer;
- Making false or misleading statements; and
- Refusing to validate or provide proof of a debt.
A complaint was filed against Sequoia for threatening to harm a consumer’s credit. The consumer had received a letter from Sequoia informing the consumer that a debt was owed. The consumer ignored the letter because he believed that the letter was a scam. The consumer received several more letters from Sequoia stating that interest on the debt was accruing and that if the consumer did not make a payment, then Sequoia would report the debt to a credit bureau. The consumer reviewed his credit report and found that Sequoia had not reported any debt to any credit bureaus.
While it is lawful for a debt collector to report a debt that is less than seven (7) years old to a credit bureau, it is unlawful for the debt collector to threaten to report. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (RFDCPA) prohibit debt collectors and creditors from threatening to report a debt to a credit bureau when the debt collector has no intention to do so. This is considered a false and misleading representation that is designed to intimidate or force the consumer to make a payment.
Sequoia’s actions clearly violated both the FDCPA and RDCPA. Therefore, after filing his complaint with the CFPB, Sequoia settled the matter to the consumer’s satisfaction.
Creditors and debt collectors should be held accountable for these unethical and unlawful practices. If you are being harassed or subjected to any of these, deceptive, or abusive debt collection practices, it is time to hold Sequoia accountable. Please contact our office for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-219-3577.