Metropolitan Accounts Receivable Specialists or MARS is a debt collection agency, which receives a lot of consumer complaints to our law firm for debt harassment. Find out who they are, why they might be calling,
Metropolitan Accounts Receivable Specialists, Inc. or MARS Collection Agency is a third-party collection agency based in Oklahoma that specializes in collecting delinquent debts for residential and commercial property managers. MARS has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as attempting to collect debts not owed and improper communication tactics. If MARS has contacted you about past due collection items, make sure you know your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Metropolitan Accounts Receivable Specialists, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1972 and incorporated in 1976. The BBB established a profile page for MARS in 2001, and MARS has been a BBB-accredited business since 2007. The BBB lists MARS as an agency with an estimated 20 employees.
According to its website, MARS “has been assisting clients with their accounts receivable needs” for over 33 years. MARS staff “feel confident in their ability to collect funds by locating…debtors and having a phone conversation. As a small business, MARS has the ability to dedicate more time and attention to…accounts, whereas…larger competitors cannot afford to do so.” As a result, MARS “can assign more labor to…accounts, and this gives them a competitive edge.”
“MARS started as a medical billing company.” Since their founding, they have “grown to provide accounts receivable management to all segments of the consumer and commercial industries.” Currently, MARS “offers a full line of collection services for commercial, retail, medical, government, landlord/tenant lease defaults, subrogation, and telecommunications.”
The MARS website does not provide a lot of detailed information about their business practices, stating only that they “work directly with… clients, providing collection services, billing services, a pre-collect letter service, and efficient transfer of accounts and paperwork.”
The MARS website also does not provide a lot of detailed information about its regulatory compliance policies, stating only that “all account officers are in compliance with the laws of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) as well as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).” MARS’s Resources page cites affiliations with several professional organizations, including the American Collectors Associations (ACA); the Tulsa Metro Chamber; the Tulsa Apartment Association (TAA); the National Apartment Association (NAA); the Apartment Association of Oklahoma City (AACO); the North Texas Rental Properties Association; the Stillwater Apartment Association; the National Petroleum Energy Credit Association (NPECA); the Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers Association (OPMA); and the Oklahoma Society of Association Executives (OSAE). They also provide links to the three national credit reporting agencies. However, there are no links or references 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 March 2018, the BBB has closed 15 complaints against MARS Collection Agency in the past 3 years, with 6 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections, although 6 complaints also cited problems with customer service. As of March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 2 complaints against MARS. Justia lists at least 2 cases of civil litigation involving MARS.
Metropolitan Accounts Receivable Specialists, Inc.
10830 E 45th St., Ste. 400
Tulsa, OK 74146
Telephone: (918) 748-8444
Website: http://www.marscollect.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely MARS 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 MARS Collection Agency cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of accounting and billing practices. In December 2018,a complainant stated that MARS had been attempting to collect fees from an apartment rental contract that was over 5 years old. According to the complainant, he had “rented an apartment… in 2013…and had to break his lease due to issues beyond his control.” He stated that he had “left with a notice and with a room-mate still there.” He also said he had “left…a forwarding address on file,” but he had “never heard anything from anyone.” Subsequently, “when he pulled his credit file in 2015, he saw there was a charge” from MARS. He was unaware of any collection activity but saw the name of the apartment complex. He called them, “and they stated that there was apparently a charge for breaking the lease. He paid it immediately, and the lady at the office said it would be removed from his credit file.” However, in his complaint, he stated that “here he is in 2018 and it is still listed.” He had “contacted… MARS…and spoke to a representative who told him that they had sent letters and it was listed as paid.” The complainant was concerned because he did “not understand how the apartment manager says that it would come off the credit report, and then MARS says they are keeping it there.” He also stated that he had paid the debt, and “in fairness, he never knew it existed because he was not told about this charge when he indicated that he needed to move out.”
Also in December 2018, a complainant stated that he had “never received a receipt for final rent payment, and now it’s negatively reported on his credit report.” The complainant stated that he had “moved out of a local apartment complex and into a duplex across town” the previous December. “Upon moving, the complainant had an amount owed to the apartment for cleaning and carpet replacement, but he never received a bill or anything from the apartment complex until they sent the account to MARS to be collected.” The complainant was surprised when he “was told an account he wasn’t even aware of was in collections.” He “immediately called and spoke to” a MARS representative “who assured him that if he paid the account in full he could prevent his credit score from taking a hit.” He “set up a payment plan of two installments and paid both,” but he “never received a receipt for either payment nor has he… ever received anything else in writing…When he saw that this debt had been reported to his credit” report as delinquent, he called MARS “multiple times, but his calls have never been returned.”
In both cases, MARS did not offer a resolution and denied any wrongdoing.
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…
“With your help the nagging collection calls have finally ceased! I was thrilled I was also able to get damages from the collection agency. I am unable to adequately express my joy. I am so thankful I made the call.”
“When I first emailed the office, I was not exactly sure what they could do for me. I had an idea, but they responded back with everything I could expect to take place. I never believed I would be receiving a check, it was definitely a silver lining. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking customer legal services.”
“I just wanted to let you know we received the check from your office on now and I wanted to take some time to inform you that we really appreciate all of your efforts in this matter.”
We can absolutely help. 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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They have not contacted me yet but a collection did just show up on my credit report. The actual amount has been on my credit report for about a year now but I haven’t done anything about it because I didn’t know how big of an impact a collection was. I am going to contact them about it today or tomorrow. My problem is reading all of the reviews and comments I am afraid that they are not going to even listen to my side of the story because I did not sign a lease I have pictures of how terrible the apartment was and dates matching with them. Also I have a picture of what we were shown and what we got. I am currently writing a very detailed report from the time I looked at those apartments with my boyfriend who was the leaseholder until the time we had to leave because the employees were walking in on me by myself because they thought the apartment was empty. Also our things started getting stolen.
I have pictures of how terrible the apartment was and dates matching with them. Also I have a picture of what we were shown and what we got. I am currently writing a very detailed report from the time I looked at those apartments with my boyfriend who was the leaseholder until the time we had to leave because the employees were walking in on me by myself because they thought the apartment was empty. Also our thing started getting stolen. Not to mention the whole time we lived there they did not fix any problem within the 30 days that they were required to