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Carson Smithfield

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at Mike Agruss Law.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Over 8000+ consumer rights cases settled.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

Debt collectors like cannot harass you over a debt. You have rights under the law, and we will stop the harassment once and for all.THE BEST PART IS…If violated the law, you will get money damages and will pay your attorneys’ fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. Plus, some of our clients also receive debt relief and cleaned-up credit reports. You have nothing to lose!Call us today at 888-572-0176 for a free consultation.

Who is ?

is a third-party debt collection agency based in Old Beth page, New York. Its Better Business Bureau file was opened in 2012, though it is not a BBB-accredited agency. In 2016, was the target of a class-action lawsuit in Wisconsin for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including falsely implying that settlement offers were “limited-time” offers in order to “induce a false sense of urgency” in the debtor. In 2017, was targeted in yet another class-action suit in New York for FDCPA violations, including failure to make mandatory disclosures in collection notices.

’s Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information

’s P.O. Box is: P.O. Box 9216, Old Bethpage, NY 11804-9216. The main telephone number is 877-394-5975 and the main website iswww.solvethatdebt.com/AboutUs.aspx

Phone Numbers Used by

Like many debt collection agencies, may use many different phone numbers to contact debtors. For an advanced search, visit www.agrussconsumerlaw.com/ and click “Number Search” in the “Lookup” dropdown menu. Here are some phone numbers may be calling you from:

  • 602-503-8374
  • 800-634-7404
  • 866-397-1476

Lawsuits

If you want to know just how unhappy consumers are with , take a look at the lawsuits filed against the agency on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (“PACER”). PACER is the U.S.’s federal docket which lists federal complaints filed against a wide range of companies. A search for the agency will display over 70 lawsuits filed throughout the United States, most of which involve violations of consumer rights and/or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Complaints

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law which applies to everyone in the United States. In other words, everyone is protected under the FDCPA, and this Act is a laundry list of what debt collectors can and cannot do while collecting a debt, as well as things they must do while collecting debt. If is harassing you over a debt, you have rights under the FDCPA.The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects you from robocalls, which are those annoying, automated, recorded calls that computers make all day long. You can tell it’s a robocall because either no one responds on the other end of the line, or there is a delay when you pick up the phone before a live person responds. You can receive $500 per call if violates the TCPA.Have you received a message from this agency that sounds pre-recorded or cut-off at the beginning or end? These are tell-tale signs that the message is pre-recorded, and if you have these messages on your cell phone, you may have a TCPA case against the agency.The Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) protects electronic payments that are deducted from bank accounts. If took unauthorized deductions from your bank account, you may have an EFTA claim against the agency. , like most collection agencies, wants to set up recurring payments from consumers; imagine how much money it can earn if hundreds, even thousands, of consumers electronically pay them $50 – $100 or moreper month. If you agreed to this type of reoccurring payment, the agency must follow certain steps to comply with the EFTA. Did continue to take electronic payments after you told them to stop? Did they take more money from your checking account than you agreed to?  If so, we can discuss your rights and potential case under the EFTA.The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) works to ensure that no information reported to your credit report is false. In essence, it gives you the right to dispute those inaccuracies that you find on your credit report. We’ve handled many cases in which a debt collection agency reported debt on a consumer’s credit report to obtain leverage over the consumer. If is on your credit report, they may tell you that they’ll remove the debt from your credit report if you pay it;this is commonly known as “pay for delete.”If the original creditor is on your report rather than the debt collector, and you pay off the debt, both entities should accurately report this on your credit report.Several states also have laws to provide its citizens an additional layer of protection. For example, if you live in California, Florida, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Wisconsin, you may be able to add a state-law claim to your federal law claim above.  North Carolina, for example, has one of the most consumer-friendly statutes in the country: if you live in NC and are harassed over a debt, you may receive $500 – $4,000 in damages per violation. We work with a local counsel in NC and our NC clients have received some great results in debt collection harassment cases. If you live in North Carolina and are being harassed by a debt collector, you have leverage to obtain a great settlement.

How do we Use the Law to Help You?

We will use state and federal laws to immediately stop ’s debt collection. We will send a cease-and-desist letter to stop the harassment today, and if violates the FDCPA, EFTA, FCRA, or any state law, you may be entitled to money damages. For example, under the FDCPA, you may receive up to $1,000 in damages plus actual damages. The FDCPA also has a fee-shift provision, which means the debt collector will pay your attorneys’ fees and costs. If you have a TCPA case against the agency, we will handle it based on a contingency fee and you won’t pay us a dime unless you win.THAT’S NOT ALL…We have helped thousands of consumers stop phone calls and we know how to stop the harassment and get you money damages. Once again: you will not pay us a dime for our services. We will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or contingency fee, and the debt collector will pay your attorneys’ fees and costs.

What if is on my Credit Report?

Based on our experience, some debt collectors may credit-report, which means one may mark your credit report with the debt they are trying to collect. In addition to or instead of the debt collector, the original creditor may also be on your credit report in a separate entry, and it’s important to properly identify these entities because you will want both to update your credit report if or when you pay off the debt.THE GOOD NEWS IS…If is on your credit report, we can help you dispute it. Mistakes on your credit report can be very costly: along with causing you to pay higher interest rates, you may be denied credit, insurance, a rental home, a loan, or even a job because of these mistakes. Some mistakes may include someone else’s information on your credit report, inaccurate public records, stale collection accounts, or even being a victim of identity theft. If you have a mistake on your credit report, there is a process to dispute it, and my office will help you obtain your credit report and dispute any inaccurate information.REMEMBER…If a credit reporting agency violates its obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you may be entitled to statutory damages up to $1,000, and the credit reporting agency will be required to fix the error. The FCRA also has a fee-shift provision, which means the credit reporting agency will pay your attorneys’ fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. We have helped hundreds of consumers fix inaccurate information on their credit reports, and we’re ready to help you, too.

Cases We’ve Handled Against

I think you’ll agree when we say that threats and harassment from collection agencies can be pretty intimidating. However, we can stop the harassment and get you money damages under the law, and the collection agency will pay your attorneys’ fees and costs. Here is one case we’ve handled against :

  1. Marilyn v. – In January 2013, Marilyn of Lane County, Oregon, filed a claim against for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Complaints consisted of harassing the plaintiff, including after receiving a cease-and-desist letter and becoming aware that that the plaintiff was represented by an attorney.

What Our Clients Say about Us

Mike Agruss Law has over 800 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 110 five-star reviews on Google. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about us:“Michael Agruss handled two settlements for me with great results and he handled them quickly. He also settled my sister’s case quickly and now her debt is clear. I highly recommend Michael.” “Mike Agruss Law was very helpful, they helped me solved my case regarding the unwanted calls. I would highly recommend them. Thank you very much Mike Agruss!“Mike Agruss Law was very helpful to me and my veteran father! We were harassed daily and even called names for a loan that was worthless! Agruss stepped in and not only did they stop harassing, they stopped calling all together!! He even settled it so I was paid back for the problems they caused!”

Can Sue Me?

Although anyone can sue anyone for any reason, we have not seen sue consumers, and it’s likely that the agency does not sue because they don’t always own the debt they are attempting to collect, and would also need to hire a lawyer, or use in-house counsel, to file a lawsuit. It’s also likely that the agency collects debt throughout the country, and it would be quite difficult to have lawyers, or a law firm, licensed in every state. However, there are collection agencies that do sue consumers; for example, Midland Credit Management is one of the largest junk-debt buyers, and it also collects and sues on debt. Still, it is less likely for a debt collector to sue you than for an original creditor to hire a lawyer or collection firm to sue you. If has threatened to sue you, contact Mike Agruss Law as soon as possible.

Can Garnish my Wages?

No, unless they have a judgment. If has not sued you, then the agency cannot get a judgment. Barring limited situations (usually involving debts owed to the government for student loans, taxes, etc.), a company must have a judgment in order to garnish someone’s wages. In short, we have not seen this agency file a lawsuit against a consumer, so the agency cannot garnish your wages, minus the exceptions listed above. If has threatened to garnish your wages, contact our office right away.

Settlement

If you want to settle a debt with , ask yourself these questions first:

  1. Do I really owe this debt?
  2. Is this debt within the statute of limitations?
  3. Is this debt on my credit report?
  4. If I pay this debt, will remove it from my credit report?
  5. If I pay this debt, will the original creditor remove it from my credit report?
  6. If I pay this debt, will I receive confirmation in writing from for the payment and settlement terms?

These are not the only things to consider when dealing with debt collectors. We are here to help you answer the questions above, and much more. Whether it’s harassment, settlement, pay-for-delete, or any other legal issue with , we at Mike Agruss Law are here to help you.

Share your Complaints against Below

We encourage you to post your complaints about . Sharing your complaints against this agency can help other consumers understand what to do when this company starts calling. Sharing your experience may help someone else!HERE’S THE DEAL!If you are being harassed by over a debt, you may be entitled to money damages – up to $1,000 for harassment, and $500 – $1,500 for illegal robocalls. Under state and federal laws, we will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or contingency fee, which means the debt-collector pays your attorneys’ fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. We have settled thousands of debt collection harassment cases, and we’re prepared to help you, too. Contact Mike Agruss Law at 888-572-0176 to stop the harassment once and for all.

Submitted Comments

Brad
5 years ago
I have a debt from Merrick Bank on my CR. They have sent Carson Smithfield after me for about 2 years now. I have received many letters. I also initially tried to settle with Merrick but they would not talk to me and referred me to Carson Smithfield. I just really want to get it removed from my CR.
Neil
5 years ago
Merrick Bank turned over debt collection to Carson Smithfield. I have not received any phone calls, mail, or email from Smithfield yet. Will you negotiate a settlement for me!
terry
5 years ago
I forgot to add that I also received a letter from carson smithfield llc with a time limit to pay back a debt. This debt was doubled by Advanta Corp right before they filed bankruptcy and accused me of missing a payment to a very small amount owed (1400) for which I had been paying via automated/electronic withdrawals. I want to be part of the class action lawsuit and have the letter in hand they sent me on Sept 2017. Note the last correspondance I had about this old debt was in 2005, before they went bankrupt in 2009. Advanata used unethical means to try to get more money than I owed from me and have left this on my credit report casuign me to lose a loan to refinance my home in 2006.
Wayne
4 years ago
calling my phone and i don't have an account in their system
Tricia
4 years ago
This company calls at all hours of the day and just started sending mail. I have an agreement with the original creditor and this harassment has to stop
Matthew
4 years ago
Carson Smithfeild call on a weekly basis. They call at my work hours and on the weekends at all times of the day. I owe a very small amount of money and they constant harrass me over this.
R. L.
4 years ago
To Carson Smithfield, I called today, February 19th 2020, in good faith to make a payment arrangement for $50 a month, for that's all I can afford at this time. It is unfortunate, that your company has disagreed in wanting me to make a $50 payment. In good faith, I will be sending a monthly $50 payment until debt is paid, in a money order form, to your company and I'm hoping that you will accept that at this time, for this is all that I can send right now. Thank you very much. They don't have an email or I would email them so I'm sending a letter to them and I just happen to come across this website it is unfortunate I do have a debt with Merrick Bank and I was not able to pay it on time and now they say that they will not accept my request to make a $50 payment. They call me on a daily basis. Thank you
Michelle
4 years ago
Carson Smithfield, LLC sent a collection letter. I have Information Delivery Digest by the US Postal Service. I'm pretty sure it was done on purpose, but the first part of an apparent "confidential" letter can be seen in the window of the envelope and is shown on the USPS e-mail received from them. It literally shows in the picture "Merrick Bank Corporation has hired Carson Smithfield LLC to colle" in the scan of the mail that is being delivered.
Alla
4 years ago
Hello, My name is Alla. I am contacting you on belaf of the debt i have with Merrick Bank. What is the amount that i need to pay to close off this account. Thank you.
Judiith
3 years ago
I am trying to find out if I owe money to Advanta Bank Corp. When I called them up there was nothing under my name or social #. There is a judgement from March 2, 2011. I was referred to your agency.
Amy
3 years ago
Receiving multiple robo calls.
Andrea
3 years ago
I haven't been harassed by this company but I have a debt of $816 on my credit report and I need to take care of it. I only used $200 originally and I don't know how it got so high. Have no idea what happened to the actual credit card. I am worried that if I do pay it that it won't come off of my credit report and I really need it gone. I am a 100% totally unemployable disabled combat war veteran and on a fixed income. After reading about the collection agency I am skeptical of contacting them. Merrick Bank shows up on my credit report as bad debt charge off. Please help me with what I should do to make this right.
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Andrea. I will give you a call to discuss how you can make this right and get it resolved as quickly as possible. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hello Amy. How many calls are you receiving and at what times? Are these calls coming before 8am or after 9pm? Are they calling you at work as well? Let's talk about the law and what debt collectors can and cannot do. You may be entitled to compensation if they are violating your rights. I will give you a call or you can contact my office at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hello Judiith. I can likely help you with this judgement from Advanta Bank Corp. Give my office a call at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Alla. I would be happy to talk with you about your debt with Merrick bank, however I do not have access to the amount that you owe them. I represent consumers and not the credit card companies or debt collection agencies. However, my law firm is experienced in dealing with these companies and we can likely help you as well. Give me a call at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Michelle. Do you have an account with Merrick Bank that they could be attempting to collect on? Have you asked for a debt validation letter from them? If you would like assistance in dealing with this, contact my office and we can discuss your options. Thanks, Mike 312-224-4695
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi R.L. My law firm represents consumers and not Carson Smithfield or the original creditors such as Merrick Bank. I would like to help you in dealing with this and I will give you a call to discuss how we can help and what options you might have. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Matthew. Have you informed them to stop calling you? You can send a cease and desist letter to them, via registered letter, and if they do not stop, they could be in violation of the law and your rights. I would be be happy to talk over the law and your rights. I will give you a call or you can contact my office at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Tricia. What times are they calling you? Do you have a record of those calls that I can look over? If so, you can send them to my office at [email protected], where I will review them and give you a call to discuss your options under the FDCPA. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Wayne. You can certainly ask them for a proof of the debt with a debt validation letter. You can also send them a cease and desist letter via registered letter to get them to stop calling you. I can help you with all of this. Please reach out to my office at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Terry. I will give you a call to discuss the class action lawsuit and we can determine if you are able to take part. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Neil. I would need to get some further information from you to determine what options you would have in dealing with Carson Smithfield. Let's chat; give me a call at 312-224-4695. Thanks, Mike
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Brad. I can understand wanting to get this resolved and I would be happy to talk over what your rights are and what options you might have in getting this taken care of. I am going to contact you or you can reach me at 312-224-4695 or [email protected]. Thanks, Mike
randy
2 years ago
I am inquiring in regards to my father. Practically, every other day he receives a phone call from an "Unknown" number (as it says when they call) and leave the same mono tone exact message and length (time) of message with the same words from Carson Smithfield or Carson Smithfled. The individual who leaves a message, granted seems robotic since as I said- same words same message and same length- Terry Thornton. My father is in hospice now and bed ridden, and I do not know what it regards since we, his children, is taking care of him and his bills till the time comes but we pay every bill. Is there a way you can assist or let me know. Thank you
Stephanie
1 year ago
I received a settlement letter, in there they provide ways to make settlement. They due date is 11.15.22 ...I have logged on to make the payment for the settlement, and there is no settlement offer listed for me. I wonder if this is a ploy to get me to call and try to reset my statue of limitations? This offer is good until 11.15.22. The letter states \" To accept, visit www. CSFSolutions.com ... there is nothing listed to accept...when I click \'payment offers\' I get a message that indicates there are no offers for me.at this time, and gives me a number to call. I don\'t mind paying the settlement, but the website does not show a settlement available for me.
TRISTANO
7 months ago
Today I received a letter from Carson Smithfield stating \"we are trying to collect a debt you owe to Merrick Bank Corporation.\" Can you help me with this matter and even sue them for potential violations?

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