PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County consumer has filed a class action against a debt collector over allegations of abusive and deceptive practices.
Rheyma Jones-Schwartz filed a complaint on behalf of all others similarly situated on Feb. 22 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against Allied International Credit Corp. (US) alleging violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff received a collection letter from the defendant in an attempt to collect an alleged debt in November 2017. She alleges the letter suggests that if a consumer calls the defendant's office, it may trigger verification when it does not.
The plaintiff holds Allied International Credit Corp. (US) responsible because the defendant allegedly violated the FDCPA by "providing language that misrepresents to the least sophisticated debtor that he or she can either verbally dispute the alleged debt or write to defendant at the address on the letter to dispute the alleged debt when, in fact, he or she must dispute the alleged debt in writing for the dispute to be effective," the suit states.
The plaintiff seeks statutory damages, court costs and any further relief the court grants. She is represented by Jeffrey L. Suher of Dell, Moser, Lane & Loughney LLC in Pittsburgh.
Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County case number GD-18-002487