Atlas Financial Services, Inc. (AFS) is a third-party collection agency based in Washington that specializes in collecting delinquent medical bills. AFS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to provide written verification of debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If AFS has contacted you about past due collection items, make sure you know your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Atlas Financial Services , Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1997.The BBB established a profile page for AFS in 2000. The BBB lists AFS as a collection agency that uses the alternate business name, We Collect, Inc. Buzzfile estimates Atlas Financial Services’ annual revenue at $196,705 and the size of its headquarters staff at 2 employees.
According to its website, AFS’s “mission is to provide the highest level of customer service, professionalism, and recovery for …receivables accounts.” AFS operates…in partnership with…clients and works towards reaching a common goal of optimizing… accounts receivable recovery through extraordinary service and responsible management of delinquent account collections.”
Atlas Financial Services provides consumer collection services for a variety of industries, but their main focus is on healthcare and medical service providers, as well as collection services for physical therapy providers; athletic clubs; chiropractic offices; and hearing aid dispensers. AFS also provides consumer collection services for legal services providers and automotive lenders. In addition, AFS provides commercial business-to-business collections.
AFS is a full-service collection agency that focuses on “re-establishing a sense of urgency with debtors as the first step towards …taking the guess work out of collecting money that is owed.” AFS also employs a legal team who will file suit after they have “exhausted all efforts to collect with no result in payment.” AFS offers EFT (electronic funds transfer) so clients can receive immediate reimbursement form collection accounts.
AFS states that it conducts all collection activities in compliance with the FDCPA and other federal, state, and local laws.AFS cites affiliation with several professional associations, including the International Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International); the Washington Collectors Association (WCA); and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. However, their website does not include any links or references to consumer protection resources 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.
As of October 2019, the BBB has closed 5 complaints against Atlas Financial Services in the preceding 3 years, with 2 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. As of November 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 36 complaints involving AFS. Justia does not list any cases of civil litigation involving AFS.
Atlas Financial Services, Inc.
PO Box 1180
Vancouver, WA 98666
Telephone:(800) 758-6109
Website: http://www.afscollect.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely AFS 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. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Case Complaint:
Complaints against Atlas Financial Services cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In July 2019, a complainant stated that she had made several visits to a local medical clinic for treatment. She said she had “paid the invoices in installments and believed she had paid in full.” Regardless, she received a notice from AFS advising her that her account had been assigned to them for collection of over $250.00.She disputed the debt within the 30-day timeframe mandated by the FDCPA, stating that according to her accounting, she had paid the clinic in full. She requested documentation verifying the debt. Subsequently, she “received a letter from AFS indicating that she had to sign a form waiving her HIPAA privacy rights to give AFS access to her medical records.” The complainant “refused to do so and could not see any reason why she would have to provide access to her private medical records in order for them to provide evidence she owed the debt.” Allegedly, the complainant did not hear back from AFS for 4 months, and then she was served…with a lawsuit attempting to collect the $250.00 debt plus $100.00 in fees. She said she was willing to “pay the full amount to make this all go away; however, AFS did not provide…any documentation validating the debt and therefore violated the” FDCPA.
In March 2019, a complainant stated that he had been “notified by a credit monitoring service…that Atlas Financial Services had placed a derogatory collection on his credit bureau report.” According to the complainant, he contacted AFS, and the representative told him what the debt was for, but the complainant explained that the account in question had been “closed in 2010 and was included in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which was discharged in 2013.” He also explained that this was “not the first time AFS had notified” him. He was told previously that the delinquency “was transferred to them in error” and “would be removed from their system.” Allegedly, the AFS representative repeated the same explanation, stating “that that there was an error, and that she would correct his credit report and update his account.” The complainant stated that he “was never notified of this debt in writing…and never received a phone call regarding this debt prior to Atlas Financial Services reporting it to his credit report.” He also said that the “only correspondence he had received was when he had notified them back in 2013 that this debt was included in his bankruptcy and was told it would be removed, which clearly it was not.” The complainant stated that his “credit score has gone down dramatically because of this erroneous reporting.”
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).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal 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.
You may have a case, if…
“I used to get up to 15 calls a week from several collection agencies. It got so bad I felt like I should just get a new phone number to make it quit. Happily, I discovered Lemberg Law. They immediately put an end to the calls. Now, when my phone rings I do not dread it.”
“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.
“Prior to contacting you, we had tried repeatedly to handle this matter without threatening litigation. In the end, not only were they unapologetic, but they were dismissive – even of an attorney friend who called on our behalf. Sincerest thanks for resolving this matter for us!”
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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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