Quick Answer: Bay Area Receivables received a CFPB complaint for attempting to collect a $290 debt the consumer claims they don’t owe, with the company providing an untimely response. This single complaint shows poor customer service handling, though isolated complaints don’t necessarily indicate widespread company issues.
Date Received: 2019-01-01T00:00:00.000
Product: I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
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Consumer Complaint: I have a Bay Are receivable collection with amount of {$290.00}. I have no idea how I obtained the debt, I believe that someone mistakenly has the wrong person.
Company: Bay Area Receivables, Inc.
State/Zip: MD 207XX
Company Response to Complaint: Untimely response
Was Company Response Timely: No
Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: N/A
Complaint ID: 3114075
The above data is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Keep in mind that every company will get a complaint from time-to-time, even the great ones. But there are a few key data points that will give you an idea about how well the company values their customers and handles consumer issues.
Look at the item Company Response to Complaint: and Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: to get a better idea of how this was resolved. And the field Consumer Complaint: can give you some context of the issue.
In particular what you are looking for was that the company response was timely and that the consumer did not dispute it. The posting of complaints has proven to be a valuable resource for both companies and consumers.
Know Your Rights: If a debt collector is contacting you, you have legal protections. See the complete list of FDCPA violations collectors commit most often. Use the free Debt Validation Letter Generator to demand proof of the debt, or check this collector’s complaint history with the Scam-O-Meter.
Dealing With Debt? Before you pay a collector, understand all your debt relief options — including ones the collector won’t tell you about. If the debt feels unmanageable, take the 2-minute bankruptcy quiz to see if the math favors a fresh start. Federal Reserve research shows filers recover faster than those who don’t file.
