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Apelles, LLC

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 Apelles 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 debt collection/risk management service based in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2003, Apelles has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2014 and has received 17 BBB complaints within the past three years, almost all of which are for billing /collection problems.Consumers allege harassing phone calls, failure to identify as a debt collector when contacting debtors, wrongfully reporting on debtors’ credit reports, and unlawfully attempting to collect debt which was discharged in bankruptcy.

’s Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information

is located at 3700 Corporate Drive, Suite 240, Columbus, OH 43231-5001. The main telephone number is 800-825-4425 and Apelles’s website is www.appellesnow.com/.

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:

  • 614-899-2721
  • 614-899-7322
  • 623-239-0356
  • 800-825-4425
  • 877-825-4490
  • 913-871-9799

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 Apelles will display over 50 lawsuits filed against the agency in 16 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 more per 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 Apelles 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 hundreds of consumers stop phone calls from 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.

Complaints against

If you’re on this page, chances are you are just like the hundreds of consumers out there being harassed by . Here are some of the BBB reviews and complaints against :

  1. “I have received at least (3) calls from this company: Apelles LLC but I have no idea who they are or what they are calling about other than the voicemail stating to call them back about a collection. I do not have any active collections against me…so this appears to be a case of mistaken identity. The voicemail does not state who the call is for nor what is in regards to. I have not received anything in writing to my home address as to what this is regarding and if this company erroneously calls me one more time, I will be turning this over to my attorney.”
  2. “Apelles has erroneously associated my phone number with another individual who owes them a debt. They call every day…I have called them and explained that there is no such person at this number nor has there ever been. Even though they tell me they will stop calling me, they don’t stop. This company is harassing me for no reason. I do not owe any debt and I do not know the person they keep asking for. We get phone calls every day. It is driving us crazy they will do nothing to stop the phone calls.”
  3. “I paid the settlement amount of $429.98 as stated on the collection letter. The letter gave three payment method options: phone, mail, online. I used the online payment option as stated on the letter. After I clicked submit on the online payment screen, the screen asked for my email and claimed I would receive email confirmation of payment. I did not receive email confirmation of payment so I called Apelles and spoke with Ellie. I told Ellie the issue and she asked for my date of birth. I gave my date of birth and she stated a settle amount of $301 and some change. I told her that I paid $429.98, but I would like to be refunded the difference since the settlement amount is now lower. She refused to email me confirmation of the payment I made as well as adjust the payment amount. She put a manager on the phone who also refused to refund the amount I overpaid and did not want to send a letter confirming the amount I paid. This occurred on a recorded line.”

What Our Clients Say about Us

Mike Agruss Law has over 660 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 100 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!! 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

Rhonda
6 years ago
Apelles LLC calls me on a daily basis all day long . I spoke with someone before and told them to stop calling...it continues to this day.. I have blocked the number and it continues through robocalls my voicemails are full of calls from them!
Stan
5 years ago
My name is Stan. Apelles has wrongly tied my phone number with another individual who owes them a debt. They call most days; with a series of robo function calls from the 8778254498##. One of the recurring calls simply says to call back, which I have tried to do to tell them this is not me, and was on robo-hold for more than 10 minutes each time. One of the calls identified that they are looking for “Sergio”. I selected (2) this is not “Sergio” and then (2) this is not “Sergio” ‘s number and received a message that they would update their files. This call has not recurred but the others have. Another call also, received before and after the second call, identified that they are looking for “Sergio” and when I selected (2) this is not “Sergio” I was told to have “Sergio” contact them. I copied the apellesnow.com web address from your site but that now returns a browser response that the site can’t be located and can be purchased. Obviously if they are calling they still have another site. My next course of action is to write the address noted on your site. I don’t want to go down the lawsuit road, I just want them to check their records and get my phone number off this file!
Kate
4 years ago
They call me 20 to 30 times a day at times, sometimes well past 10pm. They are harassing me about a debt that isnt even equal to the debt that I owe. They are rude on the phone and treat me like I'm scum. I will not stand for this obvious harrassment. I will be taking things to a lawyer if it proceeds.

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