Mercantile Adjustment Bureau or MAB is a third-party collection agency based in New York. MAB has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to provide verification of a debt and illegal communication tactics. If you are concerned about contact attempts by Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, LLC (MAB) was initially founded in June 1992 and incorporated in December 2001. The BBB opened its file on MAB in June 2002. Buzzfile lists a founding date of 2004 and estimates MAB’s annual revenue at $34.6 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 135 people.
According to its website, Mercantile Adjustment Bureau was originally founded in 1934, suggesting there may have been a change of ownership in the years between its founding and later efforts to document its business activities. Regardless, MAB advertises itself as an Accounts Receivables Management (ARM) firm that initially specialized in collecting delinquent debts for healthcare providers and has now diversified into other industries.
Currently, MAB provides full-service third-party collection services for telecommunications companies, municipal government agencies, higher education providers, and mortgage lenders. MAB’s post charge-off staff focuses on satisfying client-provided work standards and liquidation results. Their pre charge-off services also include pre-legal collection advising and litigation services; dismissed bankruptcy collection services; special purposes call campaigns for customer surveys and messaging; reminder letter services; and skip tracing.
Compliance training for collection staff includes corporate orientation and adherence to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and stringent state laws; general collection techniques; and skip tracing techniques. In addition, MAB advertises certification in Title IV; SSAE16; and PCI Compliance; and membership in several professional associations, including New York State Organization of Bursars & Business Administrators (NYSOBBA); ACA International Professional Development Group (PDG); Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations (COHEAO); Florida Association of Bursar and Student Accounting Administrators (FABSAA); and the Debt Buyers Association (DBA).
Required legal disclaimers can be found by clicking on the Consumer Rights link at the bottom of the page, but the MAB website does not provide references or external links to consumer resources or consumer protection laws.
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 42 consumer complaints against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau in the past three years, with 13 closed in the past 12 months. Almost all of these complaints allege problems with billing and collections. Since April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 39 complaints against MAB. Justia lists at least 18 cases of civil litigation identifying Mercantile Adjustment Bureau as the defendant.
Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, LLC
165 Lawrence Bell Drive, Suite 100
Williamsville, NY 14221
Telephone: (800) 480-7094
Website: https://www.mercantilesolutions.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Mercantile 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 Cases Filed in Federal Court
In August 2013, in the United States District Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a plaintiff filed an appeal to overturn a motion for summary judgement that initially released MAB from liability for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Originally, the plaintiff alleged that MAB representatives had violated the TCPA by sending numerous automated telephone calls to his mobile phone in an attempt to collect his deceased mother-in-law’s unpaid electric bill. Immediately following her death, the plaintiff called the utility company to discontinue service and during the call, the plaintiff gave a representative his mobile number in response to their request for contact information. The plaintiff was unaware of an outstanding balance on the account at the time of the call. Subsequently, MAB was hired to collect the outstanding amount. The plaintiff had never received a bill for the delinquent amount; instead, he received “seventy‐two automated telephone calls over the course of nine months between April 2010 and January 2011.” In the initial hearing on the matter, “the court held that MAB was not liable because [the plaintiff] consented to the calls when he provided his number to” the utility company.
The plaintiff appealed the decision. During the appeal hearing, the court established that according to the TCPA, it is “unlawful for any person . . . to make any call . . . using any automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice . . .to any telephone number assigned to a . . . cellular telephone service,” except for calls “(i) ‘made for emergency purposes’ or (ii) ‘made with the prior express consent of the called party.’”
In the initial case, the court’s decision was based on the interpretation that when the plaintiff provided the utility company with his mobile number, he implied consent, thereby satisfying the second criteria. The appeal overturned that decision, [and] the court noted that he “did not provide his phone number ‘during the transaction that resulted in the debt owed.’ Indeed, he provided his number long after the debt was incurred and was not in any way responsible for – or even fully aware of – the debt.” As a result, the decision was reversed and the case was remanded for further proceedings.
Here are some past Press Releases of Lawsuits Brought On By Lemberg Law Against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau LLC – MAB
September 17, 2015. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau. Our client alleges that MAB called him on his cell phone about someone else’s debt sometimes before 8:00 a.m. The calls were placed using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) and/or by using an artificial or prerecorded voice. When our client answered the calls from MAB, he heard a prerecorded message meant for the person who owed the money. Several times, our client tried to reach a live person in order to tell them about their mistake, but he wasn’t ever able to connect to a MAB representative.
Once our client retained Lemberg Law, we contacted Mercantile Adjustment Bureau and asked them to stop calling him. Still, Mercantile kept calling our client.
The lawsuit charges that Mercantile Adjustment Bureau violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by using an ATDS and/or robocall to call our client’s cell phone without his consent. The lawsuit also charges that Mercantile Adjustment Bureau violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by contacting our client at a place and time known to be inconvenient; by contacting our client knowing he was represented by an attorney; and by engaging in harassing behavior. In addition, the lawsuit charges that Mercantile Adjustment Bureau violated the California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by engaging in harassing behavior.
September 16, 2015. On behalf of our client, Lemberg Law recently filed a complaint in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau. Our client alleges that Mercantile Adjustment Bureau contacted him about a debt that was discharged in bankruptcy. Our client explained this to MAB, but they responded by falsely stating that the debt had nothing to do with the bankruptcy and claimed that our client still owed the debt.
The lawsuit charges that Mercantile Adjustment Bureau violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by engaging in harassing behavior; by using false, deceptive, or misleading representation in connection with the collection of a debt; by misrepresenting the character, amount, and legal status of a debt; and by employing false and deceptive means to collect a debt. In addition, the lawsuit charges that MAB violated the California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.
December 5, 2015. You would assume that when you send a letter asking a business to stop bothering you, that they will abide by that letter. In fact, there are consumer protection laws that say they are supposed to. However that isn’t always the case.
Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, a debt collection agency, contacted our client to try to collect a debt. Our client sent MAB a cease and desist letter asking it to stop calling his number. Instead of complying with our client’s wishes, our client says that the debt collectors kept calling him.
The case, which was recently filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, charges Mercantile Adjustment Bureau with violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by contacting our client after having received a cease and desist letter; by engaging in harassing behavior; and by using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt. MAB was also charged with violations of the Illinois Collection Agency Act. It also was charged with violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act by willfully and knowingly engaging in “unfair acts and practices” within the meaning of the statute. It asks for statutory damages of $1,000, plus other relief.
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.
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“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I couldn’t be happier with all the hard work your office has done for me. I feel throughout the whole process I was kept informed, and my questions were always answered completely. The calls have stopped, I no longer have a mountain of junk bills piling up, and I owe it all to Lemberg Law.”
“I found your website. I filled out the information and much to my surprise received a call back within the hour. She listened intently and addressed each one of my concerns. She immediately forwarded me an email and advised I would not be charged for services rendered. She made me feel confident and assured, and that someone was in my corner.”
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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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Mercantile adjustment bureau has been calling my cell phone from this number 866-726-0522 almost everyday for about 3weeks . they never leave a message, when I do answer they hang up.