Stallings Financial Group, Inc. (SFG) is a third-party collection agency based in Georgia. SFG has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to verify debts and attempting to collect debts not owed. If SFG has contacted you about delinquent financial obligations,make sure you understand your rights before you take action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Stallings Financial Group, Inc.was founded in 1983. The BBB established a profile page for SFG in 2011. The BBB lists SFG as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates SFG’s annual revenue at $1.1 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 11 employees.
According to its website, SFG is a “mid-sized…accounts receivable management firm and… full-service collection agency…that has developed a host of collection programs.” SFG’s goal “is to continually search for and provide progressively more efficient and cost-effective methods to give…clients the best possible service and support… while utilizing a professional approach.”
Stallings Financial Group collects delinquent accounts for a variety of businesses and industries, including medical and healthcare service providers; consumer retail lenders; and commercial business-to-business accounts. SFG provides collection services in two areas—regular bad debt collection and pre-collection.
SFG’s regular third-party bad debt collection division accepts delinquent accounts on a contingency basis, with “fees… based on the age and volume of expected placements.” SFG’s pre-collection service “consists of various steps that can be taken before the accounts are placed with an agency on a contingency fee basis. There is usually a small per‑account fee but no commission is charged if the account is collected.”
SFG “stays on the leading edge of technology” and utilizes the “Flexible Automated Collection System (FACS) application software.” FACS provides them with “the technical versatility and expandability to quickly and efficiently adjust… business.” SFG also utilizes a national electronic database for skip-tracing; offers flexible payment options; automated letter generation; and around-the-clock client account access.
The SFG website does not include any information about its regulatory compliance policies. The SFG website includes a link to an online payment portal for consumers. However, the rest of their website is client-facing and does not provides any 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 May 2019, the BBB has closed 3 complaints against Stallings Financial Group in the previous 3 years, with none of them closed in the previous 12 months. All of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections.Since March 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 23 complaints involving SFG. Justia does not list any cases of civil litigation involving SFG.
Stallings Financial Group, Inc.
1111 S. Marietta Parkway, Suite B
Marietta, Georgia 30060
Telephone: (770) 428-2454
Website: http://www.stallingsfinancial.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely SFG 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 Stallings Financial Group cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts; the accuracy of accounting, billing, and credit reporting procedures; and allegations of fraud and harassment. In July 2016, a complainant stated that she had been contacted by SFG for a medical bill. According to the complainant, SFG would “not provide the original billing information she had requested in writing on three occasions.” She stated that she had never received “a copy of the original bill that was handed over to collection,” and had “no idea who was trying to collect money from” her. She also said that when she had contacted them “by phone, she was told that she had never requested” the information. She also stated that she is not “going to continue to waste her time with SFG when they do not honor their own policy by providing the information requested.” In response, SFG stated that they had “not received a request for a bill.” They also stated that the complainant’s “account shows she paid the client in full.” As a result, she has “a zero balance.” SFG instructed the complainant to let them “know if she has any further questions.”
The complainant rejected this attempted resolution, stating she had “requested in writing on three occasions the original billing information. The first request was within 30 days of first receiving any notice, as Stallings Financial Group simply had an incorrect zip code.” She also stated that she sent “subsequent mailings and made multiple phone calls.” According to the complainant, SFG representatives “became aggressive and uncooperative,” so she “finally called the original hospital that showed her balance paid in full.” However, “after tracking down another billing department,” this turned out not to be the case. She “paid the balance over the phone, but not before SFG had reported” the item to the credit reporting agencies. The complainant stated that SFG “was unhelpful, unprofessional, and did not follow collection agency laws.” She stated that she was under no obligation to “send a request certified, and SFG is required to disclose information when requested in writing.” She said she would“consider this closed only when she has a written apology, along with the signed affidavit that is required to remove the hit on her credit.” In its response, SFG stated that they “never received a request for a bill,” but that they “would have provided one, if requested.” They also stated that SFG “prides itself on its … fair and ethical practices.” SFG told the complainant that her “account is paid and is not being reported to the credit bureaus.”
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…
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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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