LHDR Alerts Clients to Rising Complaints Against Debt Collection Industry

Posted on 20. Apr, 2011 by Collections Recon in Press Releases

Consumer law firm informs clients about rising consumer complaints against debt collectors as reported in the FTC’s annual FDCPA report.

North Huntingdon, PA — (SBWIRE) — 04/18/2011 — Legal Helper Debt Resolution, LLC, the country’s first truly national consumer law firm, is alerting clients and the general public to an 18 percent increase in complaints against debt collectors.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tracks all consumer complaints “in an effort to curtail deceptive, unfair, and abusive debt collection practices in the marketplace.” It does this by providing an annual report on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the law that prohibits third-party debt collectors from deceptive and abusive debt collection practices.

In 2010, the FTC received more complaints against the debt collection industry than every other industry it monitors. Moreover, “many consumers never file complaints with anyone other than the debt collector itself,” according to the report, which means many consumer complaints remain uncounted.

Jeffrey Hyslip, a member at Legal Helpers Debt Resolution (also known as Macey, Hyslip, Aleman and Searns) said he expects these types of complaints to increase in tough economic times.

“Third-party collectors are under pressure to collect as much as they can as quickly as they can,” said Hyslip. “That is their job.”

The 18 percent jump in complaints from 2009 to 2010 is due primarily to complaints about debt collectors calling repeatedly or continuously, falsely representing the amount or status of a debt, failing to send written notice of a debt, and falsely threatening suit—all violations of the FDCPA.

Hyslip explained that while the vast majority of collectors do abide by the FDCPA, there always will be companies that push the envelope.

“That is why we provide every client who retains our law firm access to our firm’s FDCPA attorneys,” he said. “As the largest debt relief law firm in the country, LHDR handles thousands of these cases each year for our clients.”

In addition to helping consumers with FDCPA violations, LHDR and their related firms provide a wide range of debt relief options for consumers including debt resolution, debt management, bankruptcy, mortgage loan modification, and foreclosure defense.

To read the FTC’s 2011 Annual FDCPA Report in full visit http://ftc.gov/os/2011/03/110321fairdebtcollectreport.pdf.

About LHDR, LLC
Legal Helpers Debt Resolution, based in Chicago, is a national law firm with offices in 50 states. Through their offices and the offices of related firms they offer their clients a full spectrum of debt relief options, including debt resolution, bankruptcy, debt management, tax settlement, foreclosure defense and mortgage loan modification. For more information contact David Leuthold of Legal Services Support Group, LLC dleuthold@lssupportgroup.com, or call 724-978-7099.

Tags: debt collection, FDCPA, federal trade commission, FTC, Legal Helper Debt Resolution, LHDR, National Consumer Law Firm