Robert
Buffalo,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, February 08, 2012
I'm rather surprised by your remarks Steve. Oh, I agree that the best course of action for a consumer is to sue these scum in District Court, but you are the one who posted a ROR rebuttal about Asset Acceptance being SUED BY THE FTC and reaching a settlement of over $2 million bucks-part of which is going to be used to reimburse consumers!
After reading your ROR rebuttal about the FTC going after AA, I'm rather surprised that you are continuing with your so called "not much gonna happen with the FTC complaints" mantra (face it-you are a legend on ROR.) I actually READ the court documents about the AA case and the majority of the funds are going to be paid out to consumers who were shafted by those bozos.
I'm just surprised. I guess I expected your attitude had changed towards the FTC and FDCPA compliance issues because you're the person who educated me about the Asset Acceptance case.
IMO folks should do BOTH, file their own lawsuit in district court AND make a formal complaint to the FTC. This way, the consumer gets a payday for the violations, and if the FTC receives enough complaints then the FTC (government) goes after the scumbags as well. Additionally, consumers (at least in NY) should make a formal complaint with the State attorney general office as the AG will go after these scumbags as well! There are several cases where the NYS AG has shut down FDCPA violators and recouped funds to compensate victims.
This 3 pronged pitchfork approach is what I recommend. The scum loose in DC for the FDCPA violations and the consumer gets some cash. The scum lose more when they have to defend a case in District court or State court.
Finally, the last thing I recommend to folks is to write to their government representatives to have the FDCPA UPDATED to reflect today's economic situation. The FDCPA was written in 1977 and went into effect in 1978-the penalties, by today's dollars, are a pittance. The FDCPA should be amended to allow for statutory damages up to $5000 (minimum level although I prefer a $10,000 statutory limit) to be an effective deterrent to debt collectors who consider violating the act.
Southern Chemical and Equipment LLC
Sarasota,#3Consumer Comment
Wed, February 08, 2012
Ted,
The reason debt collectors pull the crap that they do, is they know there is absolutely no compliance enforcement of the FCRA, or the FDCPA, or any FTC regulation for that matter.
The FTC is a "toothless tiger".
You can file all of the FTC complaints you want, but it would be a very rare occurence if a real person ever saw any complaint sent to the FTC.
When you file a complaint with the FTC, it simply gets filed in a database for POSSIBLE future action in support of a State AG, etc. but really does nothing for you except the generation of a form letter that explains your rights and informs you that you must sue the offender at your own time and expense as there is no one at the FTC to actually represent you.
The bottom line.
You must actually sue a third party debt collector yourself if you want justice.
No one else will do anything at all for you.
FTC=Toothless Tiger.