;
  • Report:  #756360

Complaint Review: ARAInc - Villa Park Illinois

Reported By:
kimupdy - niagara falls, New York, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:

ARAInc
PO box 5002 Villa Park, 60181 Illinois, United States of America
Phone:
1-888-409-5060
Web:
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
I received a letter from ARA,Inc stating that i owed a debt that I cosigned for my boyfriend 13 years ago, that was repossed .  It too was from credit acceptance corp.I called them up because  a year and a half ago i filed for bancruptcy and have been trying to reastblish my credit
again.                                                                                                                                                                                       I was so upset abpout this letter because this is the first time ive heard anything about this.  they said i qualified for a hardship program and they would settle for $1,500 instead of the $8,000 plus i owed. i askede if i could have a day to think about it, but they told me i had to act now . i also asked hoew they could come after me 13 years later and they told me that they try to go after the main person on the loan  and if they cant then they go after the cosigner.i felt so pressered and was trying to do the right thing, so i gave them my checking account info and made arrangements of 2 payments of $250.00 for the month of june then starting july 8 th they would take $50.00 out and every   2 weeks there after until the $1,500 was paid off.                                                                                                                                                                                               They also stated i would receive an confirmation e-mail regarding this , which i never did.well they took the $250.00 out on the days that were stated and then on july 8th was the next payment. I happened to check my bank account sunday night and discovered they took out $250.00 instead of the agreed  upon $50.00. i calles that night immediately and left a message because they took part of my mortgage payment which i was going to pay monday morning. Im glad i checked because it would have bounced .     I ftried calling monday morning in which the phone just kept ringing .no answering messages came up like it did the night before when i called.so i went to my bank thinking maybe i was being scammed and put a stop to that check .i even had the lady at the bank try calling the number and she got the same thing i did. i called for several more hours and finally the answereing thing came on and no one was at their desks. i left several messages with different people also now i closed my account and the bank is going to investigate this for fraud and hopefully i can recoupe the$750.00 im out.I called my bankruptcy lawyer and told him what was happening and he told me i shouldnt have given them any money beacuse of the statue of limitations.I feel like a fool for not investingating this more and checking with my lawyer,but i thought i was doing the right thing and trying to get my credit back

  Finally a week and ahalf someone called me back on friday and left me a message that i needed to call them back.im also scarred cause what if this is a legita company and they come after my house or garnish my wages.does any one have any suggestions about this and what i should do .i really dont know if this place is really a scam or if they really can come after me 13 years later.please let me knoe yout feedback.I t would be very helpful.


2 Updates & Rebuttals

Robert

Irvine,
California,
U.S.A.
You made a mistake

#2Consumer Comment

Tue, July 26, 2011

Your lawyer was right.  You should not have given them a single penny.  Because not only was this way beyond the Statute of Limitations but even if it wasn't it would have been included in the Bankruptcy and you wouldn't owe it anyways.

However,  since you did you may have put things back in motion to where you are liable for the debt.  The best thing you can do is go back to your Bankruptcy Lawyer and see what they think you should do next.  Hopefully you didn't sign anything such as a reaffirmation agreement that would effectively say that you owe the debt even though it would have been included in the Bankruptcy.

For future reference if you ever get a call from a Debt Collector..HANG UP.  You never talk to them over the phone because as you found out nothing good can come of that.  You NEVER agree to any thing unless it is in writing.  IF a debt was included in the Bankruptcy paying it now won't do anything to improve your credit, and you do not legally owe it.  A lot of Collections Agencies will often tell you anything to get you to pay right then and there, and often these things are outright lies.  Familarize  yourself with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act(FDCPA) and the Bankruptcy Laws that forbid a creditor from coming after a discharged debt.  Your Lawyer should be able to point you in the correct direction for both of these things.


Jim

Millbrook,
Alabama,
U.S.A.
Contact your Bankruptcy Lawyer and turn this over to him, it looks like an end run around the Law.

#3Consumer Comment

Tue, July 26, 2011

That should tale care of it.

Reports & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
Also a victim?
Repair Your Reputation!
//