Works & Lentz, Inc. (W&L) is a third-party collection agency based in Oklahoma. W&L has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including failing to verify debts and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If you have been contacted by W&L, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Works & Lentz, Inc.’s Tulsa office is listed as a law firm and legal clinic. The BBB established their profile page in 2001. A second BBB profile page was established for W&L’s Oklahoma City office in 2012. Buzzfile also has two listings for W&L. Together, Buzzfile estimates W&L’s annual revenue at $13 million and the size of its staff at 110 employees.
The main W&L website includes two links—one link leads to a site for its Tulsa, OK location; the other link leads to a site for its Oklahoma City location. According to its Tulsa website, W&L “has become an Oklahoma institution known for offering a variety of legal services to the community.” W&L “is a leader in the field of commercial and collection law…and also offers comprehensive legal services.” Areas of practice include commercial law and collections; creditors’ rights in bankruptcy; general practice; landlord-tenant; real estate transactions; and wills, probate, and estate planning.
According to its Oklahoma City website, W&L is “a continually evolving company that offers its customers a valuable service that gets results.” W&L employs “a highly trained and motivated collection staff that have completed an intense two-week training program for new collectors.” W&L’s “collection services typically include… skip tracing, collections, payment monitoring, and pre-litigation investigation.” In addition, “post-judgment activities may include garnishments, attachments of assets, and other legal recovery methods.” W&L also offers insurance follow-up; personal injury litigation; and workers’ compensation, probate, and bankruptcy claim servicing.
W&L provides its employees with “a comprehensive training program that encompasses all of the day to day functions of the account manager position as well as…state and federal regulations, including the … Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), HIPPA, FCRA, FTC, and office policy.” Neither website provides a consumer page with links or references to 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.
The BBB has closed 10 complaints against Works & Lentz in the preceding 3 years, with 3 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections, with a few complaints also alleging problems with customer service. The BBB has also posted a Notice of Government Action taken against W&L. Since June 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 19 complaints against W&L. Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving W&L.
Works & Lentz, Inc.
1437 S Boulder Ave., Ste. 900
Tulsa, OK 74119-3618
(918) 582-3191
3030 N.W. Expressway, Ste. 1300
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 942-2211
Website: http://www.workslentz.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely W&L 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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The BBB has posted a Notice of Government Action on the Alerts & Actions page of W&L’s BBB profile. The Notice reads, in part:
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) conducted an investigation on Works & Lentz…and found that the firms engaged in illegal debt collection practices. Their standard practices implied lawyers were reviewing the veracity of a consumer’s medical debt when no lawyer had, in fact, reviewed the file. The CFPB order charges the company with violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act from January 2012 to August 2016. Specifically, the CFPB found that collectively Works and Lentz:
“Enforcement Action: Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the CFPB has the authority to take action against institutions violating federal consumer financial laws. Works and Lentz violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Today the CFPB is ordering the two firms and their president to…provide $577,135 in refunds to harmed consumers;…stop using deceptive language in letters and collection calls;…accurately identify the identity or job title of the individual responsible for sending the letter or making the call;…omit the name of any attorney and the phrase ‘Attorney at Law’ from the signature block of any collection letter;…prohibit the unlawful notarization of affidavits;…revise and enhance consumer credit reporting protections;…and pay a civil money penalty of $78,800.”
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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“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”
“I was almost going nuts receiving calls every afternoon from a person using profane language to push me to pay debts I don’t owe. Someone I trust referred me to Lemberg Law, and I don’t regret having contacted them. The attorneys were very kind and always available when I needed them.”
“Thank you for standing with me Lemberg Law. I was so afraid I could lose my job because of a caller who called my job number 4 hours straight back to back. He not only harassed and threatened me but also abused workmates who received the call when I wasn’t around. Since I solicited for your services, I’ve had a peace of mind, and I’m happy because of the few dollars I got as a settlement.”
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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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Selena from works and lentz at the OKC location is probably one of the rudest people to work with. She is supposedly my account manager but every time I talk to her she’s ready to argue. She’s no help at all and doesn’t listen to what you have to say. They have garnished my wages twice and I have yet to see any receipts of off all of the money I have paid or a balance due. They claim they are unable to give me such information.
I’m currently being garnished by works & lentz. I called them to find out what the bills were. They said medical bills one is for my daughter. I advised that she had sooner care at that time. They said we can’t go back that far and Bill them for this bill. Another was for my husband on a Workman comp case that was already paid when the case was settled in court. They are getting over $500. A month from my pay.
I called and tryed to make payment arrangements on my bill. They want $175 a month no less. I tild them i couldnt afford that but i can make payments of $ 100 a month. I was told that wasn’t good enough and they can start litigation to garnish my wages.Wich will take 25% of my check. so now what do i do?
Works and lentz and Tulsa Adjustment bureau have reported nega6remarks on my credit
I received 7/ 31/18 on my land line and I wasn’t home to receive the call. I called the next day. II was transferred to the ext # I requested in the Tulsa, OK office x# 270 I don’t remember the mans name but it was at 8:15 AM. The man was very rude, and I verbally obnoxious. Thee was no talking to him with getting a rude response. I don’t intimidate easily in fact it makes me angry. I thought him as verbal bully . I will not tolerate that kind of treatment. I am on dialysis, and facing a possible hip replacement so I don’t need rude man adding any more stress to me.
I am a widow with a very small income and I do make payments every month sometimes not right on time because I have to be sure the money is the bank first and and other bills come first utilities, food, gas, Car and house ins. also medications do to dialysis.
I hate to call Works & Lentz because I have to listen to the long spill of what that disclaimer is most people hold the phone away from their ear until it over. I know I have huge medical bills that I can barely pay on but I will have those until I die because dialysis treatments are externally expensive and I am facing a kidney transplant which my share of I will never get paid off. So, I don’t more stress because an ride collector I can see why he is a collector because their collectors that treat people like he does. I have a friend that used to do that job and she says the same thing.