Debt collectors like Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd. 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates violated the law, you will get money damages and Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd.?
Phillips & Cohen Associates is an international“deceased account management” agency which provides services in deceased care/probate, debt management, and other areas and is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1997, the agency bills itself as a leader in deceased account services and has won numerous industry awards, but has also received complaints via the BBB for unlawful harassment and billing/collection problems.
Phillips & Cohen Associates’s Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information
Phillips & Cohen Associates is located at 1002 Justison St., Wilmington, DE 19801. The toll-free telephone number for the North American headquarters in Wilmington is 888-608-1766 and the customer service hotline is 800-306-8613. The main website is https://phillips-cohen.com/
Phone Numbers Used by Phillips & Cohen Associates
Like many debt collection agencies, Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates may be calling you from:
- 617-245-9641
- 713-335-1300
- 757-204-6331
- 804-201-9664
- 866-226-0074
- 866-504-4754
- 866-690-0884
- 866-719-3522
- 866-907-6832
- 904-425-9141
Phillips & Cohen Associates Lawsuits
If you want to know just how unhappy consumers are with Phillips & Cohen Associates, 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 nearly 400 lawsuits filed across the U.S., most of which involve violations of consumer rights and/or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates took unauthorized deductions from your bank account, you may have an EFTA claim against the agency. Phillips & Cohen Associates, 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 more per month. If you agreed to this type of reoccurring payment, the agency must follow certain steps to comply with the EFTA. Did Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates’s debt collection. We will send a cease-and-desist letter to stop the harassment today, and if Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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.
Complaints against Phillips & Cohen Associates
If you’re on this page, chances are you are just like the hundreds of consumers out there being harassed by Phillips & Cohen Associates. Here are some of the BBB reviews and complaints against Phillips & Cohen Associates:
- “I recently received a letter from Phillips & Cohen on the untimely death of my daughter. The letter states that they are representing their client and are trying to locate the person that is authorized to pay the outstanding debt. There is no mention as to who this client is and what the outstanding debt is. All there is in the letter is a website, a reference number and a pin number. In the website, they are requesting all information about us, but there is no information about them. All arrangements have been completed legally and her estate is now in probate. All creditors have been contacted and resolved through the probate process. As far as I’m concerned this is a classic case of ambulance chasing and I think they are pretty close to the line on grave robbing! Phillips & Cohen needs to go through the proper legal channels. Stay away from these slugs!”
- “I agree with [the previous] review regarding this agency. My wife recently passed away and I am appalled with the insensitivity of this firm which obviously preys upon the general public at a time when they are most vulnerable. The letter appears to imply that there are debts due from my wife. As a retired attorney I can say that this is blatantly false. I was sickened by this letter and as with [the previous] review, they can be equated with ambulance chasing…”
- “Phillips & Cohen Associates is sending misleading letters to families of the recently deceased. The letters are misleading in that it appears that the law firm is sending the letter on behalf of its ‘client’ (the name of the client is not listed in the letter) to address any unpaid bills that may exist. This letter caused undue stress for my mother and was completely unnecessary.”
Cases We’ve Handled against Phillips & Cohen Associates
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 are some cases we’ve handled against Phillips & Cohen Associates:
- Leiva v. Phillips & Cohen Associates – In May 2018, Leiva of Doddridge County, West Virginia, filed a claim against Phillips & Cohen Associates for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Complaints consisted of frequent harassing phone calls, including without identifying as a debt collector and after the plaintiff requested that the calls stop.
- Helen v. Phillips & Cohen Associates – In June 2016, Helen of Sarpy County, Nebraska, filed a claim against Phillips & Cohen Associates for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Complaints consisted primarily of communicating with the plaintiff after receiving her cease-and-desist letter.
- Lee v. Phillips & Cohen Associates – In April 2014, Lee of San Diego County, California, filed a claim against Phillips & Cohen Associates for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (RFDCPA). Complaints consisted primarily of communicating with the plaintiff after receiving his cease-and-desist letter.
What Our Clients Say about UsMike Agruss Law has over 795 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 105 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates Sue Me?
Although anyone can sue anyone for any reason, we have not seen Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 thatthe 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates has threatened to sue you, contact Mike Agruss Law as soon as possible.
Can Phillips & Cohen Associates Garnish my Wages?
No, unless they have a judgment. If Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates has threatened to garnish your wages, contact our office right away.
Phillips & Cohen Associates Settlement
If you want to settle a debt with Phillips & Cohen Associates, ask yourself these questions first:
- Do I really owe this debt?
- Is this debt within the statute of limitations?
- Is this debt on my credit report?
- If I pay this debt, will Phillips & Cohen Associates remove it from my credit report?
- If I pay this debt, will the original creditor remove it from my credit report?
- If I pay this debt, will I receive confirmation in writing from Phillips & Cohen Associates 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates, we at Mike Agruss Law are here to help you.
Share your Complaints against Phillips & Cohen Associates Below
We encourage you to post your complaints about Phillips & Cohen Associates. 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 Phillips & Cohen Associates 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.
