West Asset Management Charging Unlawful fees to account Omaha, Nebraska

It appears that you are trying to be a lawyer before going to law school. Stop before you make yourself look really stupid. Get the REAL facts before spouting what is illegal, etc.

First of all West Asset Management is a third party debt collector and debt buyer representatives. They contract with all kinds of creditors, and junk debt buyers, NOT just AT&T.

You are correct that a collection agency cannot add collection fees to a debt. Those can only be awarded by a judge.

Don't mix the issues. Your dispute with AT&T billing is a separate issue from the collection efforts by West Asset.

It appears that you are attempting to solve these matters verbally. STAY OFF THE PHONE!! Never speak to any third party debt collector on the phone! Phone calls DO NOT protect your rights.

ALL communications MUST be in writing and sent via CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECIEPT REQUESTED. Be sure to put the certified# in the body of the letter and keep a copy for your records, as this proves exactly what you sent. Never sign anything you send to a debt collector.

Neither party has the legal obligation to tell you what their financial arrangement is with each other as far as the assignment or sale of the debt. It's simply not a legal requirement.

Lose the attempt at the "proper legal" talk. You look like a moron.

Just because an account is "written off" does not mean it cannot be collected. Federal Law requires that all accounts be "written off" 180 days after deemed uncollectable, which is usually when it goes into collections and no payment is obtained. This requirement to writeoff the debt is to stop late fees and penalties, and to reduce the post charge off interest rate. That's it.

You never mentioned when you defaulted on this account, and this is the single most important factor in your case. Each state has it's own "statute of limitations" for enforcement through legal process the collection of civil debt.

There is NO SUCH THING as the "fair credit act". Where did you come up with that?

There is the FDCPA [Fair Debt Collections Practices Act] , and the FCRA [Fair Credit Reporting Act].

And, the FTC does NOT "investigate" on behalf of any individual or because of any individual complaint. The FTC will only retain your complaint for statistical purposes, and send you a generic form letter response informing you of your rights under the FDCPA.

This notice will also inform you that if you wish to take action against a third party debt collector, that you are responsible for bringing your own civil action in a court of law, at your own expense.

The MAXIMUM recovery you are entitled to in a FDCPA suit is $1000 in statutory damages, plus costs, IF granted by the judge.