E. A. Uffman & Associates , Inc. (EAUA) is a third-party collection agency based in Louisiana. EAUA has received consumer complaints alleging violationsof the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If EAUA has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), E. A. Uffman & Associates, Inc. was originally founded in1947, incorporated in 1985, and started in its current location in 2007. The BBB established a profile page for EAUA in 1975, and EAUA has been a BBB-accredited business since 1976.The BBB lists EAUA as a collection agency that uses the alternate business name, CSD Collection Specialists. Buzzfile estimates EAUA’s annual revenue at $2.1 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 24 employees.
EAUA maintains a publicly accessible website at www.eauffman.com; however, it is not currently in operation. According to Manta, EAUA “is a privately held company…categorized under billing services. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $1 to 2.5 million and employs a staff of approximately 20 to 49.” Other business information websites state that EAUA “was established by Elmer A. Uffman in 1947” and provides services that “include pre-collection, strategic voice broadcasting, action collection, contract billing, NSF check collection, skip-tracing, forwarding, and credit reporting.”
In addition, EAUA uses the following trade names: CSD Collection Specialist; Medical Accounts Management Service; Retail Accounts Management Service; Utilities Accounts Management Service; Collection Bureau of Baton Rouge; CSD of Baton Rouge; Collectrite; Accounts Receivable Management Service; and Medical, Dental, Hospital Business Associates.
Neither the LinkedIn nor Facebook social media networks host profile pages for EAUA. A basic search for information using an internet search engine does not reveal any detailed information about EAUA’s regulatory compliance policies.
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 2 complaints against E. A. Uffman & Associates in the past three years, none of them closed in the previous 12 months. Both complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has not posted any complaint information about EAUA .Justialists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving EAUA.
E. A. Uffman & Associates, Inc.
11412 Lake Sherwood Avenue North, Suite A
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Telephone: (225) 922-3930
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely EAUA 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!
Get Free BBB A+ Attorney. Call 475-277-1600 NOW
Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
In August 1997, in the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a judge issued a decision in a case alleging E. A. Uffman & Associates had violated certain provisions of the FDCPA. In the original case, the plaintiff had filed a case against EAUA after receiving “a debt-collection notice…which bore the name ‘Collections Department, Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge’ and requested payment of a $244 medical debt.” The plaintiff “asserted that, because EAUA neither ‘operated’ nor ‘was employed by’ a credit-reporting agency, the use of the name ‘Credit Bureau’ was a misrepresentation in violation of” Section 1692e(16). The plaintiff sought damages and attorney’s fees. EAUA “argued that it had been ‘affiliated’ with the Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge… for decades and that its use of the name ‘Credit Bureau’ on debt-collection notices was not deceptive or misleading.” They also “asserted that since 1948, they had an uninterrupted ‘relationship’ with the Credit Bureau by which EAUA acted as the Credit Bureau’s collection department…The district court granted EAUA’s summary-judgment motion and dismissed the case,” ruling that “even the ‘least sophisticated consumer’ could discern from the collection notice that EAUA did not represent itself to be a credit-reporting agency and that it was seeking only to collect a debt, not threaten the plaintiff’s credit rating.”
The plaintiff appealed the decision, and the August 1997 hearing was held to determine a verdict. At the appeals hearing, the plaintiff argued that the district court had made a mistake because “the evidence showed that EAUA neither ‘operated’ nor was ‘employed by’ a credit reporting agency.” The plaintiff also asserted that E. A. Uffman & Associates’s use of the name ‘Collections Department, Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge’ is false and misleading as it clearly implies that such a relationship exists.” The court stated that the FDCPA “is designed ‘to eliminate abusive debt collection practices by debt collectors, to insure that those debt collectors who refrain from using abusive debt collection practices are not competitively disadvantaged, and to promote consistent State action to protect consumers against debt collection abuses.’” Specifically, the FDCPA “prohibits debt collectors from…using any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt,” including “the false representation or implication that a debt collector operates or is employed by a consumer reporting agency.” In addition, the court noted that the collection letter “contained scant information…and indicated, in bold print at the top of the notice, that the debt collector was the ‘Collection Department, Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge.” EAUA offered testimony outlining the history of the company. Apparently, the company’s founder had “signed an agreement with the Credit Bureau by which he would operate the Credit Bureau’s collection department.” However, even after the company was incorporated as EAUA, “no one associated with the Credit Bureau supervised any of EAUA’s 23 employees or had the power to discharge or discipline them. The Credit Bureau did not compensate or provide benefits to EAUA employees. There are no shared employees. Since EAUA’s incorporation in 1989, the Credit Bureau had not referred any collection accounts to EAUA. EAUA’s place of business was in the Credit Bureau’s building, where it leased office space from the Credit Bureau.” As a result, the court determined that EAUA “does not operate a credit reporting agency.” EAUA also argued that their long-term relationship with the Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge should allow the court to find in their favor. However, the court stated that an “examination of the facts reveals… that their ‘affiliation’ is far more tenuous than the relationships contemplated by Congress in” Section 1692e(16) of the FDCPA, and that the court “cannot permit the naked license of a credit bureau’s name to circumvent the policies of the FDCPA and the specific prohibition of Section 1692e(16).”
As a result, the court reversed the district court’s decision and sent the case back for further proceedings.
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.
Share your story
Have you had a bad experience with this agency’s debt collectors? Sound off and share your experience with other visitors in the comment box below.
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."
See more posts from Sergei Lemberg