Account Control Bureau Inc or ACB 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 Account Control Bureau – ACB?Account Control Bureau or ACB is a third-party collection agency based in Louisiana. ACB has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including making false or misleading statements in an effort to collect a debt and failing to verify debts. If you have been contacted by Account Control Bureau, 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), Account Control Bureau, Inc. was founded in 1994. The BBB established a profile page for ACB in 1996. ACB is listed as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates ACB’s annual revenue at $1.3 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 20 employees.
According to its website, Account Control Bureau “specializes in professional debt collection services…by helping medical and business professions…retrieve… bad debt…and stem rising costs to… paying customers.” ACB “combines the expertise of a large agency with the dogged determination of a small agency.”
Account Control Bureau collection services include bad debt collections and early-out collections. Their bad debt collection service utilizes tactics such as account placement “on all three of the major international credit reporting agencies”; sending “letters in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws”; making telephone calls to “every account to negotiate immediate collection of the debt”; and, “if necessary, when qualified, and with our client’s consent, … taking the debt to the appropriate court and filing legal action to receive judgment.”
Account Control Bureau early-out collection services are provided as “Account Adjustment Associates, a registered trade name owned by ACB.” These services are intended for “accounts that are not past-due or bad-debt.” ACB’s early-out collectors “take control of the follow-up to notify the customers of the debt, the balance, and then set up satisfactory payment arrangements until the debt is paid in full.”
Account Control Bureau states that its collection staff operates in full compliance with all state and federal laws. They also provide an Ethics page that displays ACB’s mandatory collector’s pledge. However, their website does not provide any 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 28 complaints against Account Control Bureau in the preceding 3 years, with 11 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections.Since September 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 9 complaints against ACB. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving Account Control Bureau.
Account Control Bureau, Inc.
850 Olive St., Ste. A
Shreveport, LA 71104-2162
Telephone: (318) 865-1851
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Account Control Bureau 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 Account Control Bureau Inc
Complaints against Account Control Bureau cite problems resulting from failure to verify debts and disputes about the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In June 2017, a complainant indicated that he had sent a dispute letter requesting debt validation to ACB. He received verification that ACB had received his letter the previous April; however, the complainant stated that he had never received a response from ACB. The complainant stated that according to the state laws where he resided, Account Control Bureau had 30 days to send the requested information, and that they must provide “specific information concerning the… debt, including but not limited to: the name of the original creditor; the original date of default or non-payment of the debt; the date the debt was transferred from the original creditor to the third-party debt collector; the original balance; the current balance; and surety bond information.” The complainant stated that ACB failed to respond in time. As a result, the complainant alleged that ACB’s default constituted an admission that the debt was not valid and that “all collection efforts on the debt must cease and any derogatory listing should be… removed from… consumer credit reports.” At the time of the complaint, the complainant still had not received a response and stated his intention to pursue litigation if ACB failed to resolve the dispute. The complainant’s desired resolution was that Account Control Bureau “delete the account and cease reporting to the” credit reporting agencies.
In response, Account Control Bureau stated that they needed more information to identify the account, such as a Social Security number. The complaint’s rebuttal indicated that he had provided the account number ACB had used to report the item, which should have been sufficient information for them to have located the account. ACB replied that they had received the complainant’s request for debt verification and had sent the debt verification information required by the FDCPA. Because their letters had not been returned, ACB stated that they had the right to assume they had been received. In his final response, the complainant reiterated that he had not received the requested information; that Account Control Bureau had offered no evidence to support their claim that they had sent verification of the debt; and that he had done everything he could have done to have resolved the dispute amicably without resorting to litigation.
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:
“I can not praise your service enough. I was lost and only really wanted my credit report cleaned up. You’ve gone beyond my expectations. Thanks again!”
“Thanks to the staff at Lemberg Law, I have peace of mind again. They worked quickly to find the harassing calls were super considerate when I talked with them. I love the hard work”
“Thank you so much! With your help the nagging collection calls have ceased! I was thrilled I was also able to get damages from the collection agency. I am unable to adequately express my joy. I am so thankful I made the call.”
”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.”
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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