American Adjustment Bureau AAB Collections Complaints? Calling, Harassing You?

Is American Adjustment Bureau legit? Are they a scam?

American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. (AAB) is a legitimate third-party debt collection agency based in Connecticut. American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including attempting to collect debts not owed and failing to verify debts. If American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. has contacted you about past due financial obligations, make sure you know your rights before you respond.

According to its website, American Adjustment Bureau, Inc.is dedicated to providing superior and professional debt collection services through the use of its over 80 years of combined collection industry experience. In support of these efforts, American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. utilizes auto-dialer technology to robo-call debtors from its call center with maximum efficiency. Specifically, AAB.uses the Mercury Predictive Dialer (MPD), “an integrated, real-time, online predictive dialing system” that works seamlessly with American Adjustment Bureau, Inc.’s internal account system. Once contact is made with a debtor, the MPD searches the internal system for account information and immediately displays it on-screen for the collector. Each collector is equipped to perform social security number searches, residential and business searches, bankruptcy and judgment lien searches, property owner verifications, new address and telephone number searches, and insurance eligibility verification.

Who does American Adjustment Bureau collect for?

American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which issued American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. an “A+” rating, despite the presence of 22 complaints against American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. in the past three years, only five of which have been resolved. 20 of these complaints against American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. alleged problems with billing and collections services, while the remaining two complaints alleged problems with services provided by American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. Since November 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received 94 complaints against American Adjustment Bureau, Inc. 91 of these complaints contained allegations related to American Adjustment Bureau, Inc.’s debt collection practices, while the remaining complaints alleged problems with credit reporting. In addition, Justia, one of the largest online legal databases in the United States, lists at least three federal cases of civil litigation involving American Adjustment Bureau, Inc.

Reviews: How many complaints have been filed against American Adjustment Bureau?

American Adjustment Bureau is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), though the BBB issued a “C-” rating to American Adjustment Bureau. As of October 2019, the BBB lists three complaints against American Adjustment Bureau in the past three years, all of which have been closed in the past 12 months. One of these complaints alleged problems with billing and collections; the other two complaints alleged problems with services provided by American Adjustment Bureau. Since July 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received two complaints against American Adjustment Bureau, both of which contain allegations related to American Adjustment Bureau’s debt collection practices. Justia, one of the largest online legal databases in the United States, does not list any cases of civil litigation involving AAB or The Debt Mediators.

 Are you asking yourself…

Why is American Adjustment Bureau calling me?

American Adjustment Bureau could be calling for a number of reasons, all of them related to debt collection:

• They could be collecting a debt on behalf of a creditor. For example, your dentist may have hired the agency to collect on a past due dental bill.
• They may be calling about a debt incurred by someone you don’t know. For example, it could be a wrong number call or your phone number could have been previously owned by the person who actually owes the debt.
• They could be calling to ask the whereabouts of someone you know. For example, they may believe that a family member of yours owes a debt and they’re trying to get a hold of his or her phone number or find out where he/she works.
• They may be trying to get you to make a small payment on a time-barred debt in order to restart the clock on the statute of limitations. For example, they could have purchased a very old bundle of uncollected cell phone bills that are legally unenforceable; convincing a consumer to pay even a dollar makes the debt current again.

If you’ve been contacted by AAB it’s important to know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If they’ve violated your rights, you can take the agency to court and sue for statutory damages of up to $1,000 – along with court costs and attorney fees.

American Adjustment Bureau harassing you?

If you’ve been contacted by AAB, you have the right to sue them in federal court if the debt collection agency has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Signs that you may be on solid legal footing are:

• The debt collection agency called you several times in a single week
• A debt collector calls you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
• You’ve told the debt collection agency that you can’t receive calls at work, but they call anyway
• The debt collection agency is threatening to sue you
• A debt collector has disclosed information about your debt to family members, coworkers, or friends
• The debt collection agency is asking you to pay collection fees
• A debt collector insults, swears at you or calls you names

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was put into law in order to protect consumers like you, but there’s a catch. While the government sues debt collection agencies that egregiously violate the law, it doesn’t sue agencies on behalf of individual consumers. Instead, the FDCPA has what’s called a fee-shifting provision. This means that, if you sue and win, then the debt collection agency has to pay your court costs and attorney fees. Fee-shifting levels the playing field so that you can assert your rights.

Can American Adjustment Bureau sue me?

Yes. American Adjustment Bureau can sue you if you owe the debt, however, threatening to sue or serve you with papers if they don’t intend to do so is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Additionally, after receiving the first collection notice, you have 30 days to dispute the debt. If you dispute the debt, then AAB is required by the FDCPA to prove that you do, in fact, owe the money. A debt collection agency isn’t allowed to sue you if, for example, the debt is past the statute of limitations or if you do not legally owe the debt. It’s a good idea to speak with a fair debt attorney if you’ve been served with a summons or legal complaint.

Can American Adjustment Bureau garnish my wages?

Yes. However, American Adjustment Bureau cannot threaten you to garnish your wages and garnishment can only only occur if AAB files a lawsuit and obtains a judgment against you. It’s common for consumers to ignore notice of a lawsuit; if you don’t appear in court, the judge may automatically rule against you. Debt collection agencies have been known to avoid serving consumers with notice to increase the odds of obtaining a judgment. This is called “sewer service” or “gutter service.” The bottom line? If wage garnishment takes you by surprise, talk to a consumer attorney who can fight for your rights.

Can American Adjustment Bureau report my debt to the Credit Bureaus?

Yes. American Adjustment Bureau can report debts in collection to the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Once a debt is reported to the credit bureaus, it will appear on your credit report and will impact your credit score.

Can American Adjustment Bureau put a lien on my house or property?

Yes. However, as with wage garnishment, a property lien can only arise out of a court judgment against you. If AAB files a lawsuit against you and the judge rules in their favor, then the debt collection agency has a right to collect that money. One way of doing that is by putting a lien on your house or property. That’s why it’s imperative to respond to legal papers and to have an attorney by your side who will fight on your behalf.

Can American Adjustment Bureau arrest me?

No. American Adjustment Bureau – or any other debt collection agency like AAB for that matter – has no authority whatsoever to arrest you. In fact, threatening you with arrest or jail is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. While so-called “debtors prisons” are illegal, only non-payment of things like traffic tickets can lead a judge to issue a bench warrant, which in turn can lead to arrest.

Can I sue American Adjustment Bureau?

Yes. You can sue American Adjustment Bureau if you believe AAB violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The FDCPA says that debt collection agencies that violate the law must pay consumers up to $1,000 in statutory damages, as well as court costs and attorney fees. That’s why engaging a fair debt attorney to represent you in an FDCPA lawsuit typically doesn’t cost you anything out of pocket. The attorney that agrees to take on your case knows that the debt collection agency will be forced to pay their fees.

Ready to fight for your rights?

If American Adjustment Bureau – or any other debt collection agency – is calling you to the point of harassment, using abusive or profane language, or violating the FDCPA in some other way, it’s time to fight back. Under the law, you may be entitled to up to $1,000. At Lemberg Law, we won’t charge you a dime out of pocket, and we only get paid when you win. Call us today for a free, no-obligation, case evaluation. We’ll get the justice that you deserve.