Accredited Collection Service , Inc. (ACS) is a third-party collection agency based in Nebraska. ACS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If ACS has contacted you about past due collection items, make you understand your rights before you respond.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Accredited Collection Service was founded in 1984. The BBB established a profile page for ACS in 1997, and ACS has been a BBB-accredited business since 1998.The BBB lists ACS as a collection agency that uses the alternate business name, Fast Track Outsourcing, Inc. (FTO).
According to its website, ACS is “recognized as the agency of choice by… clients.” ACS “constantly strives to raise their quality and service standards.” In addition, ACS “recognizes that they… represent their clients in the community…and are very aware of the importance of maintaining…professionalism and treating the debtor with respect.”
The ACS website does not provide any information about the types of businesses or industries for whom they collect debts. Their Services page states that the “techniques used in their recovery efforts are as important to…clients as the dollar amount received.” ACS “communicates with a debtor…to sell the debtor on paying the debt” by using“some of the same attitudes and techniques salespeople would use to sell a product.” ACS employs “collectors who are professional, assertive, and persistent but…also aware that each debtor is to be treated with respect and dignity.”
For Accredited Collection Service collectors, the “goal is to collect the balance in full,” but collectors will also offer “suggestions in finding possible alternative sources of financing or negotiate a payment arrangement that would result in the debt being paid in a timely manner.”Through its associate FTO, ACS also offers “early out service to… medical clients.” ACS also has the capacity to employ its legal services team “as a last resort” after exhausting “all collection efforts prior to the account being reviewed for possible litigation.”
ACS states that it employs “diligence to comply with all state and federal regulations.” They also state that they “have no FDCPA violations and are recognized by the Better Business Bureau as an ‘Outstanding Member.’” However, their client-facing website has no 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 5 complaints against Accredited Collection Service in the past three years, none of them closed in the previous 12 months. Almost all of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. As of August 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 9 complaints against ACS. Justia lists at least 1caseof civil litigation involving ACS.
Accredited Collection Service , Inc.
P.O. Box 27238
Omaha, NE 68127
Telephone:(402) 331-0103
Website: http://www.acsomaha.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely ACS 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 Complaints
Complaints against Accredited Collection Service cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and potentially illegal communication tactics. In March 2017, a complainant stated that ACS had failed “to follow up on validation of a debt.” According to the complainant, ACS’s first violation occurred when he received “a call from ACS at his employer, which he had told this company several times before not to contact.” The complainant stated that he had “mailed them certified letters and faxed them advising them not to contact him at his employer,” but ACS continued to do so. He also said he had “provided them with a valid phone number, which also has a voicemail” message with contact information, but ACS allegedly continued “to ignore his demands to stop contacting him at work and never called his cell phone.” The complainant stated that the second violation occurred when he “received the phone call at work and… advised the ACS representative to send… detailed bills of the charges, which she did.” However, he subsequently contacted ACS “to have these charges investigated to verify” the debt. He “felt the deductible and coinsurance were already satisfied,” and he “called ACS and left a voice message advising them that … they would have to investigate the charges and… send… a new explanation of benefits.” He alleged that “ACS ignored that” request, refusing him the opportunity to verify this debt. Instead, ACS submitted paperwork to the county court to garnish his wages without ever having followed up with the complainant. The complainant stated his belief that these practices were “unfair and crooked.”
In August 2016, a complainant alleged that ACS had “not sent proof of the alleged debt owed, nor had they even sent…anything stating that they are collecting” a bill. According to the complainant, Accredited Collection Service failed to send proof of the alleged debt, although he had “asked…numerous times,” including requests made to “a previous company that had this alleged debt.” In addition, the complainant had not received a collection letter from ACS to “give the complainant a chance to disagree with them, which is his right by law.” He stated that ACS had “called his wife’s employer to verify employment,” which involved misrepresenting their identity as a collection agency by “saying that they were verifying employment,” rather than gathering information to collect a debt. He also said that when he attempted to contact ACS, they did not identify themselves accurately, which is also “against the law according to the FDCPA.”
Accredited Collection Service uses a fairly standard response for complaints. They begin by acknowledging the complaint, then stating that they take complaints “very seriously and… do their best to conduct themselves in a manner which would not create a complaint.” For both of these complaints, ACS stated that the complainants “believed that the situation wasn’t handled appropriately,” and encouraged them to call an ACS representative to attempt further resolution. However, no resolution of either of these complaints was achieved in the complaint forum.
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.
You may have a case, if…
“I have to admit, I was not sure of y’all initially but you proved me wrong. You not only got the calls to stop but you have the company to dismiss the accounts once and for all! It had been more than I anticipated.”
“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!”
“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.”
“Thank you and your team at Lemberg Law for the exceptional work you did on my behalf. I have never experienced the level of care, professionalism, timeliness in follow-through, and monetary compensation obtained through your firm.”
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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