Vengroff, Williams & Associates, Inc.
Vengroff, Williams & Associates, Inc. (Vengroff) is a third party debt collection agency that specializes in bad debt recovery, legal claims processing, worldwide litigation, medical collection, and subrogation. Vengroff serves clients in health care, transportation, manufacturing, technology, and service sectors. The company was founded in 1963 and is based in Anaheim, California with a satellite office located in Sarasota, Florida.
On its website, Vengroff touts that the company will take risks for its clients to obtain rewards. These risks appear to include violating federal and state consumer laws. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB), which is a government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collection practices, Vengroff has been reported by numerous consumers for unsavory debt collection practices. Consumers complain that Vengroff engages in the following unlawful practices:.
- Attempting to collect a debt that is not owed by the consumer;
- Improperly discussing the consumer’s debt with a third party;
- Making false or misleading statements; and
- Refusing to validate or provide proof of a debt.
A complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau describes one consumers’ nightmarish encounter with Vengroff. The consumer reported that Vengroff called dozens of times attempting to collect a debt owed that resulted from a car accident. The consumer, however, had never been in a car accident. The consumer requested more information regarding the accident. At first Vengroff stated that the accident occurred in Sarasota, Florida, but each time the consumer spoke to Vengroff, Vengroff provided a different location for the accident. Because Vengroff could not provide consistent information regarding the location of the accident, the consumer made a formal request for Vengroff to provide proof of the debt in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Vengroff refused.
The FDCPA expressly allows consumers to request a creditor or debt collector to send proof of the debt. Within five (5) days after its initial communication, the creditor or debt collector must send a notice, referred to as the G-Notice. A consumer then has thirty (30) days to dispute a debt and to request proof of the debt. Failure to respond to the request for proof of a debt is a direct violation of the law.
In this situation, the consumer took it upon himself to track down the police report for the accident only to find that the consumer had a similar name to the actual responsible party. Only after filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, Vengroff closed the account and ceased communication with the consumer.
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 Vengroff accountable. Please contact our office for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-219-3577.