Oxygen Recovery Group (ORG) is a third-party collection agency based in New York. ORG has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to provide written verification of debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If ORG has contacted you about past due financial obligations, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) does not provide any details about the founding date for Oxygen Recovery Group. The BBB established a profile page for ORG in 2016, and the BBB lists Oxygen Recovery Group as a collection agency. Buzzfile indicates that Oxygen Recovery Group was founded in 2012 and estimates ORG’s annual revenue at $159,762 with an estimated staff of 2 employees at its headquarters location.
According to its website, ORG has “been in the business of turning worthless paper into cash… since 2011.” ORG “combines smart technology with deep industry knowledge…to help them …understand when and how is the right time to collect.” ORG uses “analytics to prioritize… focus and an ever-growing suite of tools to make sure payment is made.”
Oxygen Recovery Group collects delinquent debts for a variety of businesses and industries, including medical and dental practices; credit card processing companies; commercial and residential property rental companies; and many types of small businesses that engage in the extension of credit. ORG also employs account analytics and credit reporting
As a full-service collection agency, Oxygen Recovery Group offers services in several distinct areas—pre-collection, contingency collection, skip tracing, private investigative services, legal services, judgement enforcement, account analytics, and credit reporting. ORG’s pre-collect services provide companies with a flat-fee collection option that can be directly managed online. ORG’s contingency collection division ensures “accounts are handled intensively by a dedicated collector, using all the resources available.” ORG employs a “suite of skip tracing tools…to constantly updatee … accounts with fresh information to ensure successful recovery,” and their private investigative services provide “more in-depth skip tracing… with some of the most experienced PIs in the industry.” ORG’s legal services and judgment enforcement divisions use a “network of experienced collection attorneys around the country who are adept at filing suit properly…and know how to locate and restrain assets, garnish wages, conduct sheriff’s sales, and leverage the tools the law provides to ensure maximum recovery.” Finally, ORG employs account analytics and credit reporting “to encourage payment on delinquent accounts.”
Oxygen Recovery Group cites membership in the International Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International). However, their website does not provide any detailed information about their regulatory compliance policies, and there are no links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
As of January 2020, the BBB has given Oxygen Recovery Group a rating of F, citing their failure to respond to many of the complaints that have been filed against them. The BBB has closed 7 complaints against Oxygen Recovery Group in the preceding three years, with 6 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Almost all of those complaints cite problems with billing and collections. As of April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 4 complaints involving ORG. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving ORG.
Oxygen Recovery Group
1 Hillcrest Center Drive, Suite 314
Spring Valley, NY 10977
Telephone: (845) 367-4330
Website: https://www.oxygenrecovery.com/
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.
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely ORG 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!
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Case Filed in Federal Court:
In 2018 a New York woman filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Oxygen Recovery Group whic alleged she was unlawfully mistreated in the defendant’s attempts to collect a debt. The plaintiff says she received a debt collection letter from the company that stated an amount she supposedly owed, “other fees due,” and “interest.” According to the complaint, the “other fees” section was left blank and the “interest” line listed “$0.00.” The suit argues that the letter can be misread to mean that the defendant is permitted to add these additional charges in the future when it “has no legal basis” to demand interest or other fees.
In April 2016, in United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, a judge issued a decision in a case alleging Oxygen Recovery Group had violated both the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and several provisions of the FDCPA. In this case, the plaintiff had rented an apartment and after moving out had allegedly failed to pay the remaining balance due on the lease agreement. The debt was sent to ORG for collection. ORG called the plaintiff twice—once in November 2014 and once in May 2015. When Oxygen Recovery Group was initially unsuccessful in collecting the alleged debt, they reported it to the credit reporting agencies in March 2015. ORG re-reported the debt in May 2015. The plaintiff had requested verification of the debt, and ORG had “provided…the alleged rent ledger, lease agreement, and lease renewals” in May 2015 and June 2015. In May 2015, the plaintiff “mailed the credit reporting agencies a letter disputing the debt, on the grounds that he had moved out of the apartment in question in 1986…The plaintiff mailed ORG a similar letter disputing the debt…After this date, ORG did not re-report the alleged debt, but ORG did not reach out to the credit reporting agencies to report that the debt was disputed.” In July 2015, ORG “received an automated credit dispute verification request from the credit reporting agencies regarding the plaintiff’s account…ORG responded to the request in August …2015, notifying the credit reporting agencies to delete the line on the plaintiff’s credit report that referenced the alleged debt.”
In June 2015, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Oxygen Recovery Group “alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)…and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)…The plaintiff essentially alleges that ORG violated these laws by continuing to try to collect on the debt after the plaintiff had disputed it, and by failing to inform the credit reporting agencies of the dispute.” The April 2016 hearing was held to determine the outcome of ORG’s motion for summary judgement.
Attorneys for ORG argued that they “did not violate the cited provisions of the FCRA because it investigated the plaintiff’s dispute as soon as it was notified of the dispute by the credit reporting agency and provided the results in a timely manner.” Oxygen Recovery Group
also insisted that they had not violated any of the FDCPA’s prohibitions. The specific provisions cited in this case included the prohibitions against “using any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt”; “communicating or threatening to communicate to any person credit information which is known or which should be known to be false, including the failure to communicate that a disputed debt is disputed”; using “any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer”; and using any “unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any debt.” In support of its argument, ORG stated only “that collection agencies… have no duty to notify a consumer reporting agency of a post-reporting dispute.”
Although the court found that Oxygen Recovery Group’s argument regarding the FCRA violation was persuasive, it was not convinced by its arguments regarding the FDCPA violations. As a result, ORG’s motion for summary judgment was denied in part, and the plaintiff was allowed to continue with his complaint regarding violations of FDCPA Sections 1692e, 1692e(8), 1692e(10), and 1692f.
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).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal 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 ought to be able to assist. Give us a call and tell us what is happening.
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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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Just received a letter from these guys. Reading this article gave me the info I needed not to pay them.