Are You Being Called By Echo Management Services, LLC?*

Are you being called by Echo Management Services, LLC?* Here’s what you need to know.

When you lose your job or experience similar adversity, paying your bills can become impossible. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an estimated 30 million people have a debt out for collection. Not all collection agencies are civil and respectful when contacting you about payment, but don’t let yourself be bullied. You have rights that protect you from mistreatment.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) makes it illegal for third-party collection agencies to use harassment and abuse to collect payments. If you are being hounded by a debt collector who subjects you to tactics like the following, they are breaking the law.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Demanding amounts not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Calling at inconvenient times, usually before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m.
• Showing up at your house to intimidate you
• Threatening action they cannot legally take or have no intention of taking
• Discussing the debt with anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney

Company Profile: Echo Management Services, LLC

If you are being called by Echo Management Services, LLC, information about the company is below.

Echo Management Services, LLC is a debt collection company located in Warren, Michigan. It was established in 2005, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its owner, Christopher George. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Echo Management Services, LLC sued the agency in federal court.

Alleged Violations against Echo Management Services, LLC

According to PACER, in or around 2008, Echo Management Services, LLC started trying to collect a disputed telecommunications debt from Michigan residents. The plaintiffs indicated that they did owe this money, which allegedly resulted after they cancelled a subscription service in 2005, and that the original creditor had agreed that they were not responsible for it.

In October 2011 the plaintiffs received a collection letter from an Echo Management Services, LLC representative. They attempted to call this party but allegedly received no reply before a lawsuit was filed against them approximately a week later, even though the letter suggested they had 30 days to dispute the debt, which also happened to be time-barred by 2011.

Feeling harassed by Echo Management Services, LLC, the plaintiffs hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using harassing, oppressive, and abusive conduct to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this collection agency is 1-248-426-0877. If it appears on your caller ID, be aware that you are being called by Echo Management Services, LLC. If the company or its representatives sue you to collect a disputed and time-barred debt, hire a consumer attorney. The FDCPA prohibits such bullying and deceptive conduct, so if you file a claim against Echo Management Services, LLC and win, you could receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus attorney’s fees and court costs. Don’t tolerate abusive behavior: the law is on your side.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:11-cv-01097-PLM from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division.

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 Echo Management Services, LLC, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.