Are You Being Called By California Accounts Service?*

Are you being called by California Accounts Service?* Here’s what you need to know.

When financial hardship causes you to fall behind on your monthly bills, your creditors may hire a third-party debt collector to collect the growing balances. These companies are not known for being sensitive to consumer difficulties, and some even actively harass people for payment. If this happens to you, remind them that they must respect your rights when dealing with you, or risk penalties.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, limits what third-party collection agencies may say or do when dealing with indebted consumers. Collection tactics like those below could lead to an agency’s license revocation.

• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Pretending to be police officers or federal agents
• Using profane and obscene language
• Threatening legal action they are not eligible to take or have no intention of taking
• Contacting you after you have formally requested that all communications cease
• Failing or refusing to report a debt as disputed to the credit bureaus

Company Profile: California Accounts Service

If you are being called by California Accounts Service, information about the company is below.

California Accounts Service, which also does business as San Diego Accounts Service Inc., is a debt collection company located in El Cajon, California. It was established in 1963, has approximately 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Terry Lotus. According to the company website, it specializes in medical debt collection and holds a membership in the California Association of Collectors. Litigation records retained by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that consumers who believed they were being harassed by California Accounts Service stood up for themselves by filing lawsuits instead of paying the amounts demanded.

Alleged Violations against California Accounts Service

Ronald Stadsklev vs. California Accounts Service et al*

According to PACER, on or about August 22, 2013, California Accounts Service mailed a collection letter to California resident Ronald Stadsklev for dental services he had allegedly received and not paid for. Mr. Stadsklev later complained that this communication was in the form of a postcard that publicly disclosed private details about the alleged debt. This short letter claimed that he owed $3,440.73, which was $13.92 more than the original amount claimed. There were allegedly no notices as required by law, and no explanation as to why the amount changed.

Feeling harassed by California Accounts Service, Mr. Stadsklev hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Making private information about the alleged debt visible to the public
• Claiming an amount not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-619-444-6116. If you see it on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by California Accounts Service. If they send communications that fail to keep the debt details completely confidential, hire a consumer attorney. If you file a claim against California Accounts Service, you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as any related costs. Don’t let a debt collector bully you into bankruptcy, as the law protects you.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 3:14-cv-00179-JM-NLS from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against California Accounts Service, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.