One Advantage, LLC (OA) is a third-party collection agency based in Illinois that specializes in collecting delinquent medical bills. OA has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If One Advantage has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations,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), One Advantage, LLC was founded and incorporated in 2014. The BBB established a profile page for OA in 2016. The BBB lists OA as a collection agency that uses the alternate business name, FirstSource Advantage, LLC (FSA). Buzzfile estimates OA’s annual revenue at $13.2 millionand the size of its headquarters staff at 6 employees, with an estimated 150 employees across all locations.According to Buzzfile, OA also uses the business name, MedAssist. Buzzfile also hosts a listing for FSA, which estimates their annual revenue at $42.5 million and the size of their staff at 1,000 employees. According to Buzzfile, FSA uses the alternate business name, Account Solutions Group.
According to its website, OA “provides… healthcare payers and providers with comprehensive collections services designed to ensure smooth flow and performance excellence from start to finish, with … solutions… designed to reduce bad debt, improve cash flow, and create value for…clients nationwide.”
One Advantage, “serves a wide variety of healthcare providers,” including hospitals, physician groups, large national healthcare systems, small rural hospitals, and government facilities. OA works “with leading healthcare plans across the United States to assist in the resolution of… common accounts receivable problems,” including “current active and inactive members”; “overpayments and duplicate payments from participating and non-participating providers”; unpaid earned premiums”; and “individual and group plans.”
As a full-service collection agency, OA offers a range of services, including first-party early-out collection; third-party collection; credit bureau reporting with TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax; advanced healthcare analytics; scoring strategies and account segmentation; dispute resolution; litigation services; customized calling and letter campaigns; and negotiating and monitoring of partial payment plans.
One Advantage, utilizes “a dedicated Compliance and Quality Assurance department responsible for daily monitoring of all state and federal regulations and legislation impacting collections for the healthcare marketplace.” OA states that it is one “of the founding members of the ‘Customer Relations Consortium’ that works closely with the CFPB and other regulatory bodies at the state and federal level to share best practices for the collection industry and communicate with these same bodies on proposed and needed changes.” However, the OA website does not provide a consumers’ page with links and references to consumer protection resources, laws, and 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 June 2019, the BBB has closed 33 complaints against One Advantage LLC in the past 3 years, with 14 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections, with 5 complaints also citing problems with customer service. As of March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 157 complaints involving OA and/or FSA. Justia lists at least 5 cases of civil litigation involving OA.
One Advantage, LLC
7650 Magna Drive
Belleville, IL 62223
Telephone: (618) 222-9865
Website: http://www.oneadvantagellc.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely One Advantage 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. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Case Complaint:
Complaints against One Advantage indicate problems resulting from disputes about the accuracy of billing and credit reporting procedures. In March 2019, a complainant stated that she had been made aware of OA’s collection efforts only after checking her credit report. According to the complainant, her “credit report shows a $700” delinquency, but OA “shows a $2,900” delinquency. The complainant stated she had contacted OA “after noticing four items on her credit report totaling approximately $700.” She said she had “requested a payoff letter be emailed to her so she could send the money due,” but “after speaking to someone at One Advantage, she was told… the balance was actually $1,900.” The complainant “awaited the information from the company via email,” but by the time she filed the complaint, she “had not received the payoff.” In addition, when she called OA a second time, the representative told her “the balance was actually $2,900.” The complainant explained that she had “never received a letter from OA or the medical office, and that there were only 4 items on her credit report.” Allegedly, the OA representative “went through several different charges ranging from $5.20 to $1,600,” but the complainant explained again that there were “only 4 items on her credit report,” and that she had received “no calls or letters… notifying her of any of this.” She also said she hadn’t “been to this medical facility in 3 years. The address OA… had on file was from 8 years ago.” When she “asked for a report of some sort that showed the attempt of calls and letters,” she said she was “sent to a different” department since she had mentioned hiring an attorney.
In response, One Advantage stated that they had “a total of 26…accounts that were placed… for servicing, totaling in the amount of $2,875.49.” OA also said their records indicated they had sent 13 thirteen letters “from January 2013 through March 2019. Out of these letters, ten were sent to one address” in Indiana, and 3 were sent to a different address, also in Indiana. OA also said they had made 40 calls to one number, with several additional placed to the complainant’s place of employment. According to their policy, OA “does not credit report accounts that have balances under $50.00, and some of their clients do not report to the credit bureaus, which is why… not all of the accounts reflect… on the complainant’s credit report.” OA insisted they had sent “the validation of debt and the payoff letter.” They expressed “regret for any inconvenience” and assured her that OA “has rigorous training and procedures to ensure compliance with the law and… the highest quality of service.”
The complainant rejected this attempted resolution, stating OA’s contact information was inaccurate and her call logs “for the last 6 years” revealed no contact attempts. She informed One Advantage that she would be referring the matter to her attorney.
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 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.”
“I would recommend your company to anyone. You have the debt collectors off my back, and I will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the entire procedure your employees were courteous and professional. I was blown away by their efficacy also.
“After speaking to one of the partners, and going over the plan of action, I felt I’d chose the perfect company to go to work for me. He was very accommodating in describing what was going to happen. I would strongly recommend Lemberg Law to anybody being hassled by debt collectors”
“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!”
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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