American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) is a debt collection agency which appears to have received a large amount of complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) is a debt collections agency based in Alexandria, Virginia. It appears as though there are a variety of different complaints against American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) including failure to remove paid off credit, and incessant harassment of consumers. If you have been contacted by this debt collector, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) has been in the collections business for 28 years, which awards the collections company experience and legitimacy. Therefore, it is important that you do not ignore the need to resolve your alleged debt with American Collections Enterprise (ACEI), as this would be very unwise and harm your credit and ability to take out future loans. In respect to the company’s timeline, American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) was started on March 1st, 1993 and was incorporated 1 month later on April 1st, 1993. The collections business has still not been accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and has received a mediocre “C+” rating from the BBB. The American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) collections website provides only a place for consumers to pay off their alleged debt. However, the company has a secondary website which provides information for potential clients. American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) allocates space for a mission statement on their website, writing, “To provide a balance between the employment of integrity, ethics, and dignity in debt recovery for our clients and the enjoyment of our tradition of excellence while enhancing an educational atmosphere for our committed staff of professionals”. Many complainants across the website feel as though American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) has not been actively working towards completing this mission.
In regard to the collection company’s size, according to dnb.com the company has an employee base of 55 people and a revenue of $4.61 million. The company also claims they are in full compliance with all laws which pertain to their area of expertise, explaining that the company is, “bonded and insured, compliant with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and compliant with any and all state and local laws that are more restrictive than federal law”. Lastly, according to the American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) website, the founder of the company was Michael J Sutherland, and the rest of the leadership of the company consists of W. Patrick McNemar, P. R. Leonhart, Shari L. Staggs, Karen A. Kennedy, Angela C. Hartman, Allan M. Oberstein, Robert J. Anderson, John C. Smith, and Virginia M. Eskridge.
American Collections Enterprise writes on their website that the business has experience within the following areas of collections: Medical (Anesthesia, Cardiology, Critical & Trauma Care, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Hospitalists, Neurology, Orthopedic, Pathology, Physical Therapy, Primary Care, Radiology & Surgeons), Dental (General, Cosmetic, Pediatric, Orthodontics & Surgery), Hospital (In-Patient, Out-Patient & Self Pay) & Out-Patient Surgical Centers, Commercial (Business to Business), Banking (Credit Card, Secured / Unsecured Loans, Deficiency Balances etc.), Dishonored Checks, Utilities (City & County), Landlord/Tenant/Real Estate, Rental Cars / Schools / Tuition, Personal Services such as child care and HVAC repair”.
The types of services that American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) provides include: collections, skip-tracing and data acquisition, credit reporting, and pre-collect. According to the company’s LinkedIn page, American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) provides “risk free service”, meaning that they are a no collection, no fee company. With a diversified background in collections, American Collections Enterprise becomes a force in the collections industry. While this may be beneficial for the company, it is important that as a consumer you confirm with the collections company about what debt is specifically owed and to whom. Inquiring as soon as possible is the smartest move to make, and if you feel as though this company has breached their FDCPA rights be sure to contact an attorney to help you file a lawsuit. American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) considers themselves to be a company that will always treat the consumer with dignity and maintain the highest level of integrity and professionalism within the workplace. If you find that this is not the same quality of service that you have been provided, be sure to read up on your FDCPA rights after being contacted by this collections agency.
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.
American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) has received a number of complaints across the internet, including the well established, BBB.org. Because the company has received a “C+” rating from the BBB and has not been accredited, it is no surprise that there are a multitude of complaints on the BBB page for American Collections Enterprise (ACEI). American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) has received a whopping 40 complaints closed in last 3 years and 13 complaints closed in last 12 months on the BBB website. When taking a look at these complaints, one may note that American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) frequently responds to these complaints, however the sheer magnitude of these complaints and the similarity in issues between complainants sheds a poor light on American Collections Enterprise (ACEI). On top of these negative reviews and complaints on the BBB, there were additional reviews of American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) on Google Reviews. The 76 reviews on Google Reviews awarded American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) a 1.3 out of 5 star review overall. More seriously, American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) could have also been a part of a variety of lawsuits, sanctions, and penalties. Take a look at the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (“PACER”) which reports all federal complaints within the U.S. federal system’s docket to find out.
It is illegal for a collections company to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) would most likely choose not to sue if they cannot verify your debt or you may not owe said debt. In other circumstances where this is not the case, it is not uncommon for debt collection agencies to summon debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. If you find yourself in a similar situation, the wisest option would be to contact an attorney preemptively to ensure the safety of your assets and rights. Lemberg Law has helped thousands of consumers fight back against these cases of fraudulent collection practices. Call us today to find out how we can help you resolve this issue.
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a sample complaint:
A complainant contacted American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) to resolve a collection that was on their credit report. The representative on the phone was incredibly rude, but the complainant ignored the issue because they simply wanted the collection removed off of their credit report. After discussing the credit due, the complainant paid the settlement amount in full over the phone and proceeded to ask how long it would take for the charge to be removed from the complainant’s credit report. The employee responded that they would send a request for removal and update the complainant in 7 days. The complainant called much later to request an update and the company decided they did not feel “justified” about removing the account. The complainant is incredibly confused as to why they would need to make a payment on outstanding debt for it to not even get removed from their credit report. The company then informed the complainant that they had actually paid on the services years ago, but that they would still not remove the account from the complainant’s credit report. The complainant chose to dispute this charge with their bank, and was aggressively met by an employee demanding that this not happen. The complainant feels as though their money was taken from them under false pretenses and will pursue legal action if necessary.
You can protect yourself from unethical collections practices by reading up on your rights when it comes to collections companies. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects citizen like you from the abuses and misconduct of collection agencies. You can find these rights listed on the Federal Trade Commission’s website under, “Debt Collection FAQs”. Do not forget that you also have additional rights other than those listed under the FDCPA. These supplementary rights include those enumerated in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes, you can sue American Collections Enterprise (ACEI) if you feel as though your FDCPA rights have been breached. Ideally, if you would like to be able to recover your damages and protect yourself as an individual, you should sue. Utilize the Federal laws that protect citizens like you from these fraudulent practices. Suing gives individuals the power to defend their rights and protect their assets. Individuals like you can recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“They were quick and responsive. I had a debt collector harassing me over a debt that wasn’t mine. They threatened me with ruining my credit. But these guys got it taken care of!! The debt was removed and I received $750 from the collectors. Thank you!!”
“The associates at Lemberg Law took amazing care of me and my situation involving the collection agency. They walked through the steps of process thoroughly and the rest is history. I can’t thank them enough. Thank you!!”
“This firm is outstanding and they really work for the people! The process was smooth and now I know where to go if I ever have another issue with any other debt collector!!! Thank you so much Jodie!!!”
“Lemberg law represented my privacy rights in relation to misconduct on the part of a collections agency. The Lemberg staff was very professional and thorough and did an excellent job with my case. I give them a 5 star rating.”
Yes, we would love to assist you with your case. 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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ACEI is pure scum. Angela Hartman hangs up on people
I received a phone call from ACEI for an attempt to collect. The agent on the phone had an exceptionally thick Indian/Bengali accent. I told them that I would not provide them any personal information over the phone due to the overwhelming number of fraudulent scam calls and my right to protect PII data. I had to shout over her expletive-filled rant to explain that any legitimate business dealings must be handled in writing.
I have been trying to handle a bill that was supposed to be paid by my insurance company. I have placed numerous calls to this agency telling them what the insurance company needs in order to pay! Today I get a notice in my credit report that ACEI has reported me!
Of course I call again this time asking for a supervisor to explain in the hopes of someone hearing me out and doing their job! I get transferred to Angel Hartman! In the middle of exposing the situation, she starts to talk over me. I say can I finish talking please? She hangs up on me!
Yea… a supervisor who is truly unprofessional. So I call again and this time I ask to speak to someone higher up than her. They transfer me to her again! I ask why she hung up on me and in a nasty loud voice, she says “you don’t let me speak, I will hang up on you again!” And of course hangs up!
I called back 10 times and every time I got the dial tone!!
What is this lady getting paid for? To resolve a situation or hang up on people? May have to get my lawyer to give them a call!