We currently have several cases on our law firm’s docket regarding alleged debt collection tactics used by Conn’s.  We are looking for witnesses in Texas who can provide information about any of the following:

• The use by Conn’s debt collectors of cell telephones (without “Conn’s” or “CAI” appearing on the caller ID screen) when calling consumers
• Conn’s debt collectors calling a person’s family members when trying to collect a debt from the person
• Conn’s debt collectors calling to collect alleged past-due payments on an account if the account is allegedly not past-due (due to an alleged accounting or clerical error)
• Conn’s debt collectors continuing to call to collect an account after payment has been made to bring the account current
• Conn’s debt collectors calling a person at work after being asked to stop such calls
• Conn’s calling what a person considers to be an unreasonable number of times on one day
• Conn’s use of prerecorded message calls
• Conn’s personal delivery of letters / or “RUSH PRIORITY” envelopes to consumers’ homes to collect debts

We don’t make any allegations in this post about whether these are appropriate tactics.  Instead, we are just seeking witnesses who might possess information about how, when, and whether these tactics are used.  If you have information, please contact attorney Dean Malone or attorney Michael O’Connor at (214) 670-9989.

Our law firm represents a consumer in a lawsuit against Santander Consumer USA, Inc.  related to allegedly harassing attempts to collect a debt by telephone.  We are looking for Texas residents who might have information about how Santander Consumer USA, Inc. collects debts by telephone.  Specifically, we are seeking information about the following:

• Whether Santander Consumer USA, Inc. continues calling a person at work after being asking to stop doing so
• Whether Santander Consumer USA, Inc. calls too many times on a single day
• Whether Santander Consumer USA, Inc. calls several telephone numbers for a person (home, cell, and/or work) on one day

If you have information about these or related topics, please contact attorney Michael O’Connor at (214) 670-9989.

We represent a consumer who was allegedly harassed at work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, in person, by an employee of Atlas Credit Co., Inc.  If you have information about how Atlas Credit Co., Inc. attempts to collect debts when appearing at someone’s place of employment, contact attorney Dean Malone at (214) 670-9989.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott resolved, in November, 2009, Texas’ enforcement action against Conn’s, Inc. The attorney general alleged that Conn’s failed to honor product warranties, mislead customers regarding the nature of its products, falsely advertised, and committed other violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

According to the AG, and information allegedly gleaned from over 3,500 customer complaints, Conn’s used aggressive and deceptive sales tactics to increase its extended service warranty sales.  The agreement with the attorney general required Conn’s to change its business practices and pay $4.5 million in customer restitution.  Conn’s also agreed to pay $250,000 in attorney’s fees and $100,000 to the University of Houston Consumer Law Clinic.

Our firm currently has a few cases pending against Conn Appliances, Inc. d/b/a (apparently a different entity) for alleged improper debt collection practices and/or tactics.  If you possess information which might assist us in representing our clients, please call us at (214) 670-9989 or (866) 670-9989.

We filed suit in El Paso last week against Buddy’s Furniture, a local deputy constable, and an apparent Buddy’s manager, related to alleged improper attempts to collect a debt.  Our client, a young man who had done business with Buddy’s, alleged in part that a fully-uniformed deputy constable appeared at his place of employment and threatened to arrest him if he did not make a payment on his account.  T. Dean Malone (Dallas) and Scott Vogelmeier (El Paso) are acting as co-counsel in the suit.  Here is a link to an El Paso television story in which Mr. Vogelmeier appears -

 http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/22481499/detail.html

We are currently representing several Texas consumers in cases against Conn’s related to collection calls.  If you have knowledge about tactics used by Conn’s when collecting debts by telephone in Texas, please contact attorney Dean Malone or Michael O’Connor at (214) 670-9989.

Our firm recently resolved a few cases against ACE Cash Express, Inc. (“ACE Cash Express”) related its alleged telephone collection tactics.  ACE Cash Express attempts to collect alleged payday loan debts allegedly owed by consumers.  We currently represent Texas consumers in twelve (12) lawsuits against Ace Cash Express related to collection calls.

We have obtained evidence of several actions and/or tactics used by one or more purported ACE Cash Express agents and/or employees when calling Texas consumers about allegedly past-due debts.  We express no opinion as to whether one or all actions and/or tactics listed below are proper or improper.  Instead, we are seeking information regarding each to determine how to best represent our clients.  Specifically, we have noted the following (in substance) by likely ACE Cash Express employees:

• Representing that they are conducting an investigation
• Representing that there is an “active case” involving a consumer and/or that a “case” had a certain number (when no lawsuit had apparently been filed), and/or that a case would be filed
• One representation that an employee has “case workers”
• Representations that a consumer’s “case” had been turned over to the caller’s “office”
• Representation that a “case” could be “dismissed,” when no lawsuit had apparently ben filed
• Allegations of consumers writing a “hot check,” NSF check, and/or “bad check”
• An allegation that a civil judgment could be taken against a consumer
• An allegation that a consumer’s wages could be garnished
• Allegations about consumers paying “restitution” by paying monies toward satisfaction of an alleged debt
• Representations to consumers that they should retain attorneys
• Requests to take a “statement” and/or a recorded statement
• Representations by a caller that a consumer was no longer “in collection(s)”  (when calling about an alleged past-due debt)
• Requests to consumers that consumers transfer the call by Ace Cash Express to consumers’ supervisors and/or consumers’ employers’ human resources department
• Allegations that Ace Cash Express would schedule personal contact at a consumer’s place of employment to verify demographic information

We are seeking witnesses who reside in Texas and who might be able to corroborate and/or shed light on these actions and/or tactics.  It is our understanding that the ACE Cash Express telephone collection operation is in Irving, Texas, but that calls are placed to cities across Texas.  If you possess information which might assist in investigating and/or pursuing these cases, please contact one of the following attorneys at (214) 670-9989:

Dean Malone

Michael O’Connor

Jacob Jones

Our law firm currently has two cases pending against Commercial Recovery Systems, Inc., a Dallas collection agency, related to alleged telephone calls in connection with attempts to collect consumer debts.  We are looking for people who have had experience with collection calls from CRS.  If you have knowledge about how CRS collects debts by phone, please contact attorney Michael O’Connor or attorney Jacob Jones at (214) 670-9989.

We currently have a few cases pending against Ace Cash Express, Inc., some of which arose out of calls to our clients’ places of employment.  If you have any information about how Ace Cash Express Inc. attempts to collect debts when calling consumers’ places of employment, please contact attorneys Dean Malone or Michael O’Connor at (214) 670-9989.

Our firm is currently assisting consumers in a Texas lawsuit against Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.  (“Countrywide”).  Our clients have alleged in part that Countrywide increased the monthly payments for our clients’ loan due to a shortage in the loan’s escrow account caused by Countrywide.  We are looking for any Texas consumers who might have experienced the same issue.  Please contact T. Dean Malone at (866) 670-9989.