George Brown Associates, Inc. (GBA) is a third-party collection agency based in North Carolina. GBA has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and taking actions that cannot legally be taken. If GBA has contacted you about past due collection items, make sure you understand your rights before you take action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), George Brown Associates, Inc.was founded and incorporated in 1975. The BBB established a profile page for GBA in 1976, and GBA has been a BBB-accredited business since 2011. The BBB lists GBA as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates GBA’s annual revenue at $2.1 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 22 employees.
According to its website, GBA “will listen, respond, and provide an effective and professional collection solution.” In addition, GBA excels “in providing… clients a cost-effective accounts receivable solution.GBA maintains a telephone-focused approach to collection recovery and utilizes a seamless and state-of-the-art call center.”
George Brown Associates collects delinquent debts for a variety of businesses and industries, including medical and healthcare service providers; consumer retail lenders; and commercial business-to-business accounts. Collection services at GBA include phone and letter campaigns; national skip tracing using an electronic database; credit reporting; an active legal department to litigate hard-to-collect accounts; an integrated online payment portal for consumers; a secure client resource center; and customized client reporting.
GBA “maintains a state-of-the-art call center where calls are monitored, recorded, and archived.” In addition, GBA “collectors are updated in the latest collection procedures as well as trained to observe all FDCPA and Red Flag rules.” The online payment portal for consumers includes a mini-Miranda identifying GBA as a bill collector as well as alegal disclaimer that site visitors must agree to before using the site to make payments.
However, the GBA website does not include any specific information about its regulatory compliance policies, nor are there any links 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.
As of May 2019, the BBB has closed a total of 11 complaints against George Brown Associates in the previous 3 years, with 1 complaint closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections, with 2 complaints also alleging problems with customer service.Since May 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has not posted any complaint information about GBA. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving GBA.
George Brown Associates, Inc.
2200 Crown Point Executive Drive
Charlotte, North Carolina 28227
Telephone: (704) 844-8777
Website: www.gbacollect.com
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely GBA 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 George Brown Associates cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of billing, accounting, and credit reporting practices. In January 2018, a complainant stated that GBA was reporting inaccurate information to the credit reporting agencies. According to the complainant, he had “already paid the account… and provided payment receipts.” Nonetheless, he alleged that GBA was “trying to collect $735.00…for this storage account he had with” a local storage company. The complainant stated that “when he was first contacted by one of GBA’s…employees, he told them ha had paid this off … during the summer of 2014.” He said that he had “sent the receipts showing payment to the employee of GBA but had…never heard anything from them.” He also stated that the storage company was “now closed down, so there’s no way for him to contact them.” He alleged that what GBA is doing “is wrong…They recently placed this debt on…his credit as delinquent. He is currently in the process of owning his own business and securing a loan and this delinquent item has brought that to a halt.” He questioned whether GBA had “purchased a portfolio of accounts that didn’t report as paid.” He also stated that he was “very upset… and would like this issue addressed immediately.” He alleged that GBA’s actions were “illegal and wrong,” and that he was “seriously thinking about contacting a lawyer to have this issue addressed immediately.”
In response, George Brown Associates stated that the delinquent account had been placed with them by their client. They also stated that GBA does not buy debt portfolios. GBA stated that they “mailed a validation letter to the customer in September of 2016 and followed” up subsequent to that mailing. In addition, in December, GBA stated that the complainant had“sent… a copy of the receipt he had paid.” GBA denied that they had reported the payment, and insisted it was only “a portion of the amount owed to the client.” Regardless, they concluded their effort to resolve the complaint by telling the complainant that “out of courtesy, they will write off the balance owed and remove it from the” complainant’s credit report. However, they also stated that they “cannot control the time it takes the credit reporting agencies to remove it from their records.”
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…
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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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