With so many debt collection agencies currently in business, it’s hard not to be terrified of the harassing collection calls that you may receive. Being called and having to deal with debt collector harassment about a credit card company hounding you for money can be extremely stressful, as well as mentally taxing.

The same can be said if you have been contacted by American Recovery Service. If they have attempted to contact you, here is what you need to know, and how to protect yourself from possibly being caught in their trap.

What is American Recovery Service?

There are multiple companies and businesses that are listed with the name of American Recovery Service in the Better Business Bureau’s database. However, there is one that is currently listed as a collections agency. This ARS is known as a Patrick K. Willis Company, and is located within Northeast California, serving the Northeastern part of California, and the surrounding areas.

Is American Recovery Service a legit Debt Collection Agency?

They are considered to be a legitimate debt collection agency. With multiple locations, they have been in business for close to 35 years, and have been accredited by the BBB since 2017. They currently hold an A+ rating with the BBB, but hold a 1 star out of 5 stars in average customer reviews.

American Recovery Service Contact Information

Address: 5118 Robert J Mathews Pkwy El Dorado Hls, CA 95762-5703

Other Address: PO Box 4917 El Dorado Hls, CA 95762-0026

Website: http://americanrecoveryservice.com/

Phone Number: 1-800-398-6480

Fax Number: 1-855-657-3613

Does American Recovery Service have Complaints against them?

American Recovery Service has quite a few complaints lodged against them. On the BBB database, they currently have 1 complaint lodged against them, which was within the last 12 months since the publication of this article. They also have 3 complaints that all rate the ARS company at 1 star or below.

On the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Consumer Complaint Database, there is no listing for American Recovery Service, only American Recovery Service Inc. which is considered to be a different entity. However, a search of an alternate name for ARS, Patrick K Willis Company Inc, provides 75 matches to complaints against the company, with as many as 20 within the year 2019.

What kind of Complaints have been made?

The complaints are primarily dealing with debt collection, as well as credit reporting and credit card debts. Of the 75 complaints made against American Recovery Service, there were 70 tagged as debt collection problems, with the other 5 spanning a variety of issues.

Through the BBB, there have been complaints against the company for mismanaging information, as well as poor customer service. One complaint made note that they had attempted to contact ARS about a debt, and they took over 2 weeks to get back in contact.

Are the Practices of American Recovery Service Legal?

Although it may not seem like it, many of these practices are quite illegal and improper. The most notable issue and complaint can be traced to the usage of information, or the illegal usage of information. As stated in multiple complaints, ARS attempted to use improper information in an attempt to elicit payments through shallow and veiled threats.

Not only that, many of the complaints state that the representatives had been verbally abusive to the consumers, as well as their family members. In the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) rules and laws, it specifically states that a debt collection agency may not verbally harass and/or abuse the consumer, or contact their relatives, in an attempt to collect on the debt. As such, this clearly shows that ARS are conducting illegal collections, and using illegal methods and practices.

How can I protect myself and fight back against American Recovery Service?

If you or a loved one have been contacted about a debt pertaining to American Recovery Service, or a Patrick K Willis Company Inc, then it may be time to protect yourself. The first step to protecting yourself is to ask for authorization and verification of the debt. This can be done in a multitude of ways, such as asking for a written letter of verification, or asking for the original debt holder’s information so that you can get in contact with them. Either way, if the company is unable to verify the debt for you, you are not required to pay the debt at all.

Another great step is to hire yourself a well experienced debt collection harassment attorney. We here at the Law Office of Paul Mankin, APC have a strong team of experienced and talented attorneys and lawyers that have all had experience dealing with debt collectors, and their crud tactics. We are able to help assist you in identifying debt collector harassment, as well as stop the harassment, and reporting the harassment to the proper authorities.

Not only can we help you to defend against harassment, we can also help to build a case, and assist you in understanding where the illegal collection patterns are for debt collectors. We are also able to help facilitate any communications or discussions between the parties, ensuring that nothing you say can be used against you.

The most important bit of information in your fight is to always remain vigilant. No matter who you have at your side, it can seem like a daunting battle against such a large company and agency. If you have ever been the subject of:

• Multiple calls per week from a third party collection agency
• Multiple calls in the early morning or late night from debt collectors.
• Violent and belligerent language and harassment from debt collectors.
• Threats of arrests or poor credit due to outstanding debts.
• Having your friends, family, and coworkers harassed from debt collectors.
• Automated robocalls from third party collection agencies.

Then you may have a case available. So do not wait, make sure to give us a call, and get started fighting back against the debt collection harassment.