Tate & Kirlin Associates Facing Class Action Alleging Debt Collection Law Violations

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Philadelphia debt collector Tate & Kirlin Associates, Inc. is the defendant in a proposed class action that alleges the company sent collection letters to consumers that included deceptive and misleading information regarding the reporting of debts to credit reporting agencies. Citing possible Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) abuses, the lawsuit claims the defendant sent the plaintiff a notification concerning an obligation reportedly owed to Verizon in which Tate & Kirlin Associates included the following language:

The case then mentions that further down in the same communication, the defendant, with regard to the owner of the plaintiff’s supposed debt, alleged stated:

The lawsuit argues this language is deceptive and misleading because, while it advises the plaintiff that if he does not pay his debt his credit score may be affected, it also claims that nothing will be reported to any credit bureaus. According to the case, threatening a consumer with negative credit score consequences is an act of “simple coercion aimed at obtaining payment from the consumer at all costs.”