Complaint Review: Asset Recovery Associates - Villa Park, IL Arkansas

 On April 27th, 2016 I was contacted by ARA who told me they were attempting to make one last attempt to settle a debt I owed before garnishing my pay checks at 40%. They instructed me that a judgement had already been won against me and that I owed $5,819.86 for an account with Harris Bank Trust. Initially I was very scared and wanted to get more information in an effort to resolve the matter. I had previously cleaned up my credit many years before and had searched all debts I could find and paid them all off. I've never seen anything from Harris Bank Trust on my credit reports and didn't know who they were or what this debt was about as I've never received anything in the mail or had any previous knowledge of what this was. ARA operator transferred me to a Tammy Bloomberg who called herself a Collection Manager. Although the phone call was over an hour long and despite many requests to Tammy and a man calling himself the floor supervisor, I was never given any details about the debt other than the Harris Bank name. I asked if they could give me some kind of proof the debt was mine, date the account was opened, anything and all she would say is Harris Bank, call off my social security number, the amount owed, and that "she could care less what I do, she's just informing me a judgement was won against me and she was moving forward with the garnishment of my income if I didn't make payment that day". She made it very clear that I had to pay right then or my income would be garnished for the full amount of debt plus thousands of extra dollars in collection fees and legal fees.

Out of extreme fear and after Tammy threatening my credit would be destroyed I made a payment on my credit union account which she told me the exact balance of my accounts and told me I had money to pay it. Tammy offered me a $2,500 settlement and said I had to pay $1,500 minimum that day, another $400 by check and then had to mail in another $600 by check. I gave her my credit card number and then a check by phone for the $400. At the end of the conversation I again told Tammy and supervisor who took my payments that I am requesting they send me information about the debt to proof it's mine and what it was for because I was afraid I had been a victim of credit card fraud. After that conversation I then started thinking about the situation and how incredibly stupid I had been and begin researching the company and debt. I contacted the Arguss Law Firm in the same state as ARA and they told me there was a good chance they could assist me and informed me of the many laws ARA had broken. I was so happy to think there may be something I could do and that they would help me demand the proof of debt that ARA has never sent me. I was instructed not to pay the final payment.

On April 29th my bank contacted me and told me that a $600 check had been run through my account by ARA. What ARA did after realizing I wasn't going to mail in the final payment and after they realized I had gotten an attorney was they fraudulantly used the next check number from the one I gave them and tried to run the last payment through my bank although I had never authorized it. In fact when I provided ARA my payment details they put me on a recording and asked me to speak the payment I was authorizing and on that recording I specifically stated the amount and that it was a one time payment and they had no authorization to take anything more. Basically this is a company who might be a legitimate collection agency or they may be a complete fraud. I just don't know because I've never been given any details.

One thing is for sure, they lie, they break the law, they absolutely don't play by the rules and NEVER GIVE THEM ANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION cause they will use it in the same manner as scam artists and fraudsters. Tammy Bloomberg told me she was a Christian woman trying to help me out of this situation. What Tammy did was to violate the elementary teachings of Christianity and in those actions and decisions Tammy emptied monies from savings that I had been saving for several years to go towards a surgery for a family member who has cerebral palsy. It was a horrible setback and I'm still struggling with the guilt that I was so stupid to allow this company and woman to hurt me and my family as they did. I'm hoping that I find an attorney who can help me fight back against this company who prey on people like this. Any person or company like ARA that knowingly and continuously violate the laws of this great nation are CRIMINALS. There are laws for collection agencies and this is a company that has thrown those laws out the window and appears to seek out employees who have a knack for psychological manipulation and who are experienced in the art of the hustle.

ARA is a group of thugs that prey and scavenge on decent, hard working people!! If the Arguss Law Firm is actually able to assist me then I will update this post with the overall outcome of this pending matter. Considering ARA responded to the Arguss Law Firm by upping their criminal activity by forging an electronic check, lying to my bank, continues to call me which I was told would stop after seeking legal representation, they seem to show little regard for the Arguss Law Firm and little concern for the law which makes me question if the Arguss Law Firm can really help me. In fairness it's only been a few weeks and I need to give them time to work. Ryan, Fort Smith, AR