Spears, DeWitt & Hall Inc or SDH 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.
What is Spears, DeWitt & Hall – SDH?Spears, DeWitt & Hall Inc or SDH is a third-party collection agency based in Texas. SDH has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including attempting to collect debts not owed and failure to verify debts. If you have been contacted by Spears, DeWitt & Hall, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Spears, DeWitt & Hall, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 2002. The BBB established a profile page for SDH in 2003. SDHis listed as a collection agency that uses the alternate business name, Talbott, Adams, & Moore, Inc. Buzzfile estimates SDH’s annual revenue at $1.2 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 15 employees.
According to its website Spears, DeWitt & Hall “is fast becoming the recognized leader and provider of quality debt collection services and products.” SDH is “passionate about their jobs and diligent in servicing their clients.” SDH mission “is to be the premier collection agency as measured by superior financial performance and sustainable, profitable growth.” Their vision is to be their “business partners’ greatest competitive advantage in collection services, by focusing on their values and continuously striving to improve.”
Spears, DeWitt & Hall provides collection services in four main areas—debt collection, consulting, skip tracing, and litigation. The pages for the legal and debt collection services on the SDH website do not provide any additional information about their business practices in these areas. Spears, DeWitt & Hall’s Skip Tracing page states that they have outsourced their skip tracing operation “to a near-shore facility in Montego Bay, Jamaica… and benefit from the lower labor costs of… performing…more detailed… efforts in the location of skips.” Their Legal page indicates that SDH “has an in-house attorney on staff…that allows SDH the flexibility to place accounts into litigation when needed and to immediately file suit.”
Spears, DeWitt & Hall has links to pages labeled Products, Industries, and Consulting, but these links are inoperable and do not provide additional information about these areas of SDH’s business practices. SDH’s Knowledge page states that their collection staff must undergo training at SDH University and “obtain a minimum score of 90% on the exit exam.” Training includes “coursework in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and… applicable state and local regulations and guidelines…. Additional areas of instruction include general sales training, leadership, and collection skills and techniques.”
SDH’s Corporate Responsibility page indicates affiliation with a large number of professional associations. However, the SDH website does not provide a consumer resources page with links and references to consumer protection laws and 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 17 complaints against Spears, DeWitt & Hall in the preceding 3 years, with 6 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since May 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 6 complaints against SDH. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving Spears, DeWitt & Hall.
Spears, DeWitt & Hall, Inc.
4115 Medical Dr., Ste. 410
San Antonio, TX 78229-5637
Telephone: (210) 892-2221
Website: http://www.sdhglobal.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Spears, DeWitt & Hall 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 against Spears, DeWitt & Hall Inc
Complaints against Spears, DeWitt & Hall commonly cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies.In January 2017, a complainant indicated that she had contacted SDH about a delinquent debt and was told by an SDH representative that they would accept a reduced amount as a settlement of the full balance. According to the complainant, Spears, DeWitt & Hall initially indicated the settlement amount was $1,500.00. The complainant indicated that the original balance was $2,052.00, so the SDH representative adjusted the settlement offer downward to $1,051.00. The complainant indicated that SDH stated the settlement offer was only valid for 24 hours, then hung up before completing the call. The complainant called back to solidify the agreement, but when she attempted to make the payment for the settlement amount, the SDH representative she spoke with stated she had to pay $1,500.00. The complainant also stated that SDH refused to review the earlier phone calls, and that the “manager even had the audacity to yell at” her. In response, SDH indicated they had reviewed the complaint and “found that there was a miscommunication between the agent and the manager as to the amount offered.” Spears, DeWitt & Hall also stated that the “day after this complaint was submitted, their account records showed that the original amount of $1,051.00 was honored and that the debtor had already paid the… agreed upon balance prior to the response of this complaint.”
In June 2016, a complainant indicated that he had paid “a delinquent account in full…for which… he had co-signed, and that the check… for $299.00… had been received and was paid by…his bank.” He had requested a paid-in-full receipt and an update to his credit reports, but he had not received anything. He allegedly spoke with several representatives of SDH, and they had told him that they had mailed the receipt and notified the credit reporting agencies. However, after a year, he had not received anything and the negative information on his credit report was continuing to prevent him from buying real estate. In response, Spears, DeWitt & Hall indicated that an account review showed that the complainant’s delinquency had been reported to the credit reporting agencies as paid-in-full with a $0 balance, and that the complainant should contact the credit reporting agencies directly to correct any discrepancies. They claimed that their actions were entirely within the law but agreed to mail the complainant “another Paid-in-Full letter (free of charge) to the address provided.”
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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