American Education Services is a debt collection firm 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 Education Services is a debt collection business based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It appears as though there are a variety of different complaints against American Education Services alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) such as illegitimately reporting debt and miscalculating loan payments. 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 Education Services has been in the collections business for 57 years. There is not currently additional information provided on the BBB about the company’s establishment date. In fact, American Education Services is not BBB accredited and is also currently not rated by the BBB. However, due to the company’s years in service it is clear that this business is not a scam. Therefore, the debt which you may have been contacted about is real, and needs to be dealt with. Though it is necessary to resolve this discrepancy, it is still possible that American Education Services may be in violation of the FDCPA. While it is important that you do not ignore the need to resolve your alleged debt with American Education Services, as this could potentially harm your credit and ability to take out future loans, be wary of any suspicious activity where the company could potentially be violating the FDCPA.
According to the collection company’s website, American Education Services boasts that, “AES is a national leader in providing quality customer service to millions of student loan borrowers through its highly trained and experienced customer service representatives”. Allegedly for many debtors, this “quality customer service” was not provided. American Education Services was created in 1963 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The company additionally outlines their mission, explaining, “American Education Services (AES) was established by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to guarantee and service a variety of Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and private (alternative) student loan products for our lending partners through out the nation”.
There is no information currently provided by dnb.com or zoominfo.com about the size or revenue of the company. However, according to the collections company’s website, the leadership of American Education Services consists of CEO and President James H. Steeley, and Senior Vice President of Internal Audit Judith S. Bines, Senior Vice President of Human Resources Michael A. Garman, and more.
American Education Services collects on student loan debt, through the PHEAA. However, it is still very 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.
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.
There are a few reviews and complaints currently posted about American Education Services. On the BBB, American Education Services has received only 1 star from 5 different customer reviews. There are currently no complaints posted about American Education Services on the BBB. American Education Services has not responded to any of these reviews. With that being said, the frequency of said complaints and the similarity between issues still awards American Education Services a less than glowing review.
In addition to theses reviews on the BBB, American Education Services has also received 478 ratings on Consumer Affairs, amounting to a 2 star review and a 1.5 star review from 47 reviews on Yelp. The collections company could have also been a part of more 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.
Remember that it is illegal for American Education Services to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. However, collections companies can still summon debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement, though the collections company will likely choose not to sue if they cannot verify your debt or you may not owe said debt. If you find that American Education Services may have violated the FDCPA, the wisest course of action would be to hire legal aid. 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 explains that American Education Services told the complainant that they would charge a given amount of interest, but ended up charging the complainant three times that amount. The complainant also explains that they are upset that the collections company also does not give an option to pay towards the principal. The complainant explains that their original loan amount was $41,987.43 and their current amount is $31,741.88, with more still needing to be paid. The complainant explains that they have paid over 45 thousand already, and feel as though this collections company is taking advantage of them.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects citizens like you against the abuses and misconduct of collection agencies. If you find that you have become a victim of illegal collections practices, read up on your FDCPA 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 are able to sue American Education Services and if you feel as though your FDCPA rights have been breached, suing is the best course of resolution. In order to recover your damages and protect yourself as an individual, you should sue and utilize the Federal laws that protect citizens like you from these fraudulent practices. Award yourself the power to defend your rights and protect your assets. Individuals like you can recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
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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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I have a question about a garnishment from Nation collegiate student loan trust via American Education Services.