First Choice Assets LLC or FCA is a debt collection agency, which receives a lot of consumer complaints to our law firm for debt harassment. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
First Choice Assets LLC or FCA is a third-party collection agency based in New York state. FCA has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including failure to verify debts and improper contact or sharing of information.If you have been contacted by First Choice Assets, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), First Choice Assets, LLC is a legitimate collection agency incorporated in Delaware in 2006 and started locally in New York in 2010. The BBB established a profile page for FCA in 2007. FCA is listed as a collection agency.
According to its website, FCA“is a premier asset verification and recovery company focused on the receivable needs of our clients.” First Choice Assets “specializes in a variety of result-oriented solutions that help boost recovery rates and allow us to exceed client expectations.”
The First Choice Assets website does not provide a lot of detailed information about its business practices or client base. Its Services page states that FCA’s “philosophy to debt-recovery is…that most consumers want to voluntarily satisfy their obligations and, more often than not, some unanticipated life-event, such as a job-loss or a divorce, leads to… default.” As a result, FCA offers “traditional recovery services with above average recovery rates” by utilizing a strategy that combines their “ability to locate more individuals than other traditional strategies” with effective collection techniques.
The First Choice Assets website does not provide any information about the types of debts its collection staff services. As for compliance, FCA states that its “management team has over 20 years of combined experience in the receivables recovery business, …which leads our knowledgeable and professional agents to achieve impressive results while working within the framework of FDCPA and FCRA guidelines.”
First Choice Assets does not provide any additional links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
The BBB has closed 15 complaints against First Choice Assets in the preceding 3 years, with 3 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections.Since July 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 10 complaints against FCA . Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving First Choice Assets.
First Choice Assets, LLC
7954 Transit Rd., Ste. 304
Buffalo, NY 14221-4117
Telephone:(888) 362-2477
Website: http://www.1stchoiceassets.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely FCA would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Cases
Complaints against First Choice Assets commonly cite problems resulting from aggressive skip tracing tactics and misleading communication tactics. In May 2017, a complainant indicated she had been contacted by FCA while driving home. The FCA representative offered the complainant a settlement on a delinquent debt. The complainant asked the First Choice Assets representative to send her a settlement offer in writing, and the FCA representative allegedly replied by asking the complainant if she intended to pay the bill. The complainant indicated that it was her intention to pay the bill, but that she also wanted to see the settlement offer in writing. Instead of complying with the request, the FCA representative transferred the call “to someone else who informed the complainant that he… was told she couldn’t pay the debt.” The complainant corrected the misunderstanding and stated that she viewed the transaction as “a scam because instead of sending… the bill…she was transferred” to someone who continued to harass her. She requested that a manager review the call and call her back. She then terminated the call.
During the return call, the manager indicated First Choice Assets wanted to settle the debt and the complainant again requested a written offer. The manager sent an email message, but the complainant insisted that the message she received was “not a settlement offer and… that she wanted all communication in writing… due to poor communication.” The manager replied that the complainant could arrange a settlement by calling in.” The complainant indicated that these communication tactics constituted “bad business practices,” and that if she had stated her wish to receive communication in writing only, FCA should not request that she call in to arrange a settlement. She restated that she was willing to pay the debt; that she was willing to negotiate a settlement; and that she worked in collections herself, so she knows that her request should have been respected. She also stated that she did not understand FCA’s refusal to cooperate.
In response,FCA indicated that they closed her account and returned it to the original creditor. The complainant rejected the attempted resolution, stating that she had posted her settlement offer but still did not have access to the account. She accused First Choice Assets of obstructing her ability to pay the balance to increase interest charges. FCA did not provide any further response.
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
But here’s the rub: If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. These laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
Your debt harassment checklist:
“We realize that ours is just one small case among many – and many more serious – but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it and represented us with a professionalism that belied the small dollar amount.”
“If you are unsure about this company…DONT BE!!! They are for real when they say they are here to help you. It only takes a few short minutes of your time to talk to a rep. I was a skeptic, but you did everything you said you would! I can’t say thank you enough!”
”Lemberg Law has saved me from the endless calls, and harassing voicemails. They really do go to bat for you. I didn’t know that debt collection agencies can end up paying your legal bill. What a surprise, to receive free legal help. I’m very grateful for all the hard work they did to finally give me my life back.”
“I would recommend your company to anyone. You have the debt collectors off my back, and I will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the entire procedure your employees were courteous and professional. I was blown away by their efficacy also.
We can absolutely help. Call us today.
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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