Santander Consumer USA, Others Knocked with Class Action

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A proposed class action filed in Wisconsin against Santander Consumer USA, Professional Bureau of Collections of Maryland, Inc., and NCB Management Services, Inc. claims the companies violated state and federal debt collection laws. The 17-page complaint describes the named plaintiff’s allegations as “a continuing chapter in a long-running dispute” between him and Santander dating back to 2011 when the bank sued to seize the man’s truck. After years of legal back-and-forth between the parties, the plaintiff was contacted by Professional Bureau Collections of Maryland in January 2016 via a collection letter that offered to settle the debt for 30 percent of its total balance. This offer, the lawsuit argues, was made in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) because it falsely implied that the settlement offer was valid only if payment was received before a certain date. In truth, claiming the proposed settlement deal was a “limited time offer” is considered misleading to the least sophisticated consumer, according to the suit.