Peter Roberts & Associates, Inc. or Peter Roberts & Associates or PRA is a third-party collection agency based in Massachusetts. PRA has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including making false statements and failing to verify debts.If you have been contacted by this debt collector, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Peter Roberts & Associates, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1997. The BBB established a profile page for PRA in 2006. Peter Roberts & Associates or PRA is listed as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates PRA’s annual revenue at $2.0 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 22 employees.
According to its website, PRA helps “professional practices and business owners across a wide range of industries manage their accounts receivable… more effectively and efficiently.” PRA’s goal is “not only to maximize their clients’ collection efforts, but also to preserve the customer relationships their clients worked so hard to build.”
PRA is a full-service collection agency that offers a range of collection-oriented business services. Their full-service collections division offers “traditional contingency-based collections.” PRA’s Education and Training division provides “on-site educational and training programs along with collection workshops.” Their Pre-Collection Services division includes services such as “customizing pre-collection letters or establishing a voice messaging system.” PRA’s Insurance Billing division “offers a full insurance billing department.” PRA can also report delinquencies to any of the three national credit reporting agencies.
PRA accepts delinquent accounts from several industries, including healthcare and medical service providers; dental practices; financial services companies; and professional practices, including consultants, medical billers, and accounting firms.
PRA is a member of the International Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International) and states that they “follow ethical collection standards.” However, the PRA website does not provide 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.
The BBB has closed 5 complaints against Peter Roberts & Associates in the preceding 3 years, with 2 complaints closed in the past 12 months. All of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since May 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 12 complaints. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving PRA.
Peter Roberts & Associates, Inc.
231 Main Street, Suite 201
Milford, MA 01757
Telephone: (508) 473-6661
Website: http://www.pracollect.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely PRA 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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Complaints against Peter Roberts & Associates commonly cite problems resulting from rude, aggressive collection representatives and disputes about the validity of bills. In February 2017, a complainant indicated that she had received a collection letter from PRA for a bill she had allegedly paid over a month earlier. The letter informed her that there were two bills, including one bill she had previously been unaware of. She called PRA and spoke to a representative to explain that she had already paid her bill and was unaware of any outstanding delinquencies. Initially, she indicated that the customer service was respectful and professional. But when her call was transferred, she spoke with a representative who “from the moment he took the call was extremely rude and seemed upset he had to take the call.” When she tried to explain her dilemma, he simply stated that obviously there was another bill. The complainant indicated she wanted to confirm with the original creditor that the bill was still outstanding.
The original creditor told her the bill had been paid and that she should contact Peter Roberts & Associates and email a copy of her receipt. When she contacted PRA again and explained that she didn’t want the delinquent item to appear on her credit report, the representative was allegedly “very stern and annoyed” and told her it would not affect her credit. The complainant challenged him on his customer service skills, and again requested that he remove the item from her credit reports, but he became “upset, … stated that he wasn’t listening to this anymore and hung up.” The complainant stated that such “consistent unprofessionalism is concerning,” especially with regard to collection items for which people “were confused and seeking answers.” The PRA representative allegedly “never offered to help.” In addition, the complainant felt “very unsafe…knowing…she had to confirm her full social security number, but the …representative still couldn’t find her account details in the system.” In response, PRA indicated the complainant was confused because there were two different bills—one she had paid and this one…. PRA closed the account and returned it back to” the original creditor.
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…
“I can not praise your service enough. I was lost and only really wanted my credit report cleaned up. You’ve gone beyond my expectations. Thanks again!”
“Thanks to the staff at Lemberg Law, I have peace of mind again. They worked quickly to find the harassing calls were super considerate when I talked with them. I love the hard work”
“Thank you so much! 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.”
”Lemberg Law has saved me from the endless calls, and harassing voicemails. They really do go to bat for you. I didn’t know that debt collection agencies can end up paying your legal bill. What a surprise, to receive free legal help. I’m very grateful for all the hard work they did to finally give me my life back.”
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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