Commercial Acceptance Company, Inc. (CAC) is a third-party collection agency based in Pennsylvania. CAC has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including improper communication tactics and making false statements. If you have been contacted by CAC, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Commercial Acceptance Company, Inc. was originally incorporated in 1988, then started locally in Pennsylvania in 1993. The BBB established CAC’s profile page in 2005. CAC is listed as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates CAC’s annual revenue at $2.0 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 17 employees.
According to its website, Commercial Acceptance Company “has achieved recognition as Pennsylvania’s premier consumer credit and collection agency.” CAC uses a “one-on-one approach to collections … to provide maximum returns for… clients while protecting their prestigious reputations.” The CAC website does not provide specific details about the industries from which it draws clients. Instead, they simply state that they represent “over 600 clients nationwide…with resources to ensure that they will realize the best possible recovery.
As a full-service collection agency, Commercial Acceptance Company offers traditional debt collection, credit bureau reporting, insurance follow-up, pre-collection letters, settlement programs, and bad check recovery. In addition, services on their client FAQ page include credit bureau reporting, skip tracing, analytics reporting, and litigation.
As for compliance, the members of Commercial Acceptance Company “collection staff have no less than five years of professional collection or billing experience, and have received formal training through ACA International.” Their website does not offer extensive access to consumer protection information. However, they have posted mandated state and federal disclosures under the website Terms and Conditions tab, and the Consumer FAQ page provides contact information for the three credit reporting 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 December 2017, the BBB has closed 8 complaints against Commercial Acceptance Company in the preceding 3 years, with 3 complaints closed in the past 12 months. All of these complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received 14 complaints about CAC. Justia lists at least 10 cases of civil litigation naming Commercial Acceptance Company as the defendant.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Cases against Commercial Acceptance Company Inc.
In April 2011, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, a judge issued a Memorandum in a case in which Commercial Acceptance Company was alleged to have violated certain provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). In this case, the plaintiff alleged that a Commercial Acceptance Company representative contacted her “daughter by telephone and left one or more
voicemail messages” that together constituted 4 separate FDCPA violations: the prohibition against using “any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt”; the prohibition against a debt collector failing “to disclose in the initial oral communication with the consumer ‘that the debt collector is attempting to collect a debt and that any information obtained will be used for that purpose’”; the prohibition against a debt collector failing “to disclose in subsequent communications that the communication is from a debt collector”; and the prohibition against a debt collector from engaging in “any conduct the natural consequence of which is to harass, oppress, or abuse any person in connection with the collection of a debt.”
One of the voicemail messages cited by the plaintiff contained the following language:
“Good afternoon, this is a Representative from Credit Acceptance returning your call. I did try to call the other number you left and I was told it was the wrong number at: 599-4…. Hello? Well anyway, this is going to be my last phone call to you on this… After the last message she left me I have went ahead and made the decision that we are going to go ahead and deal directly with your mother regarding this. Appreciate your time and have a nice day.”
The plaintiff alleged that this call constituted a violation because it “was placed without meaningful disclosure of the identity of Commercial Acceptance Company; … without ‘disclosure that the calls were from a debt collector’”; and without CAC “disclosing the nature of the communication.”
The plaintiff in this case had limited financial means and had submitted her complaint without legal representation. As a result, the court held the April 2011 hearing to determine whether the case had been properly submitted, or whether it should be determined a frivolous complaint and dismissed. After reviewing the evidence, the court determined that it was “sufficient to satisfy them… that the plaintiff’s claims are nonfrivolous and state a claim on which relief could be granted.” Her right to proceed against Commercial Acceptance Company was upheld.
Here are some past Press Releases of Lawsuits Brought On By Lemberg Law Against Commercial Acceptance Company
December 17, 2015. Being threatened with a lawsuit is very scary. Since most of us are not lawyers it can be terrifying when someone says they will sue us. That is why it is against the law for debt collectors to tell a consumer they are going to sue if they have no intention of doing so.
Lemberg Law is representing a client who says that a debt collector from Commercial Acceptance Company told him that it would begin legal proceedings against him unless he started making payments on his debt. According to our client, Commercial Acceptance Company also told him that he needed to call back within two weeks to begin making these payments, or the debt collector would recommend that Commercial Acceptance Company take legal action. However, to date Commercial Acceptance Company has not filed any legal action against our client.
Our client’s case, which was recently filed in U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, charges Commercial Acceptance Company with violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by engaging in harassing behavior; by using false, deceptive, or misleading representation in connection with the collection of a debt; by threatening to take legal action without actually intending to do so; by employing false and deceptive means to collect a debt; and by using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt. It asks for statutory damages of $1,000, plus other relief.
Commercial Acceptance Company, Inc.
2300 Gettysburg Rd., Suite 102
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Telephone: (800) 690-3857
Website: https://www.commercialacceptance.net/
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:
“We realize that ours is just one small case among many – and many more serious – but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it and represented us with a professionalism that belied the small dollar amount.”
“If you are unsure about this company…DONT BE!!! They are for real when they say they are here to help you. It only takes a few short minutes of your time to talk to a rep. I was a skeptic, but you did everything you said you would! I can’t say thank you enough!”
”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.”
“I won’t be afraid to contact you or recommend your services to others for debt collection difficulties. Please keep up the outstanding work you do, and again, thank you for helping me through this challenging time. I am most grateful.”
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The short answer is yes. Contact us now to find out more.
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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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