We hope the articles below help you understand your rights as a consumer. You can scroll through the titles, or sort by Practice Area or Topic. You can also use the search feature to locate information by keyword.
Flitter Milz represents people with a variety of problems involving consumer credit and collections. If you have a particular question or believe your consumer rights have been violated, Contact Us for a no cost consultation.
When payments on your account go unpaid, the creditor may stop you from making additional charges and list your account as a charge-off. But even if the creditor stops trying to collect on your account, you still could be responsible for the debt.
Continue reading How does a “Charge-Off” affect the consumer? →
“Abuse.” “Dishonest.” “Fraud.” “Racketeering“.
These are the type of words you’d expect to see used to describe an organized crime family, not a company claiming to provide clean, renewable energy.
Nevertheless, this was the language New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas used in filing a civil complaint against Vivint Solar, accusing the company of deceptive business practices.
We’d like to tell you this is an isolated incident. But sadly, there are a growing number of scams coming out of the world of solar panel sales. Forged signatures and unlawful access to credit reports may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to solar panel scams.
You’re at home one day when a salesman knocks on your door. But he claims that what he’s selling – solar panels – won’t actually cost you any money.
Solar panels, he says, will pay for themselves. In fact, you might even make money. All you have to do is sign his tablet. And while it may not seem like it, you’ve become the target of a solar panel scam.
It might be that he’s signed you up for a contract you don’t need or want or added a neighbor or relative’s name to the contract.
And with your forged signature, solar companies will sometimes pull your credit report without your consent, a violation of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
In New Mexico, the state accused Vivint Solar of using deceptive business practices by tying consumers into 20-year contracts that forced them to buy the electricity produced by the panels at exorbitant rates.
The attorney general said the company’s sale model allowed its workers to overstate how much consumers could save by going solar. Some people were told they could see their energy bills cut in half by going with Vivint Solar.
And it’s not just Vivint. The Better Business Bureau processed dozens of complaints in New Jersey alone over the past few years. They came from customers who say they were misled by solar companies about things like their ability to cancel contracts and the amount of money they could save.
Flitter Milz, P.C. is a consumer protection law firm that has pursued matters for consumers around the country against solar panel companies fraudulent sales tactics. Whether a solar panel company has forged your signature, wasn’t upfront about the terms of its contract, or obtained your credit report without your permission, we can provide a legal evaluation at no cost. Contact us today to learn more.
“A Record 7 Million Behind on Car Loans”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/13/19
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that, “A record seven million Americans are 90 days or more behind on their auto loan payments. Despite a strong economy, economists are warning that Americans are struggling. Although a car loan is the first payment people make because a vehicle is critical to getting to work, when car loan delinquencies rise, it is a sign that many American are under duress.”
BEFORE a Repossession: Continue reading Repossessions: Know What to Expect – Before, During and After →
When you default on a car loan, your lender can repossess your vehicle. Most defaults come from someone failing to make their monthly payments. If you’re up to date on your payments and your car was repossessed, then clearly, a wrongful car repossession has occurred.
But even if you have missed payments, lenders and repo agents need to follow the law. If your vehicle has been unlawfully repossessed, you may be able to sue your lender and the repo agent.
Here’s what lenders and repossession companies need to do to stay within the bounds of the law: Continue reading What Can I Do If My Car Was Repossessed by Mistake? →
In our increasingly paperless society, more and more companies are requiring consumers to sign contracts electronically, called “e-signing.” You may have encountered this yourself. A door-to-door salesperson promises you a deal that sounds almost too good to be true, but only if you sign their electronic tablet on the spot. An online lender guarantees to get you money now, but only after you check the boxes on the website. The convenience seems hard to pass on. You don’t even have to deal with the finicky fine print! Instead, you get what you want, and you can get it now.
Continue reading E-Signing Your Rights Away →
We hear from a lot of people these days who fear they might be the victim of a solar scam. There’s a knock on the door, a fast-talking salesman, and, before they know it, they’re bound to a lengthy and costly contract for solar panels they did not want or need.
Continue reading Protect Yourself from Solar Scams →
You don’t park your car in front of your house anymore.
It’s been a few months since you were able to make a payment and you’re worried about repo men showing up in the middle of the night.
What you didn’t anticipate is the repossession firm showing up where you work. Suddenly, you have no car, no way to get back home, no way to get anywhere.
This can be a devastating situation, but it’s not a hopeless one. Even though your car has been repossessed, it doesn’t mean you can’t get it back.
Continue reading How Do You Get Your Car Back After Repossession? →
September 24, 2018/Philadelphia, PA
In an important ruling this week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, PA agreed with Flitter Milz that a collection dun sent to a consumer was deceptive and in violation of the federal law regulating debt collectors.
Midland Credit Management, one of the largest debt-buyers and debt collectors in the United States, sent our client a collection notice stating Midland would “report forgiveness of debt as required by IRS regulations.” Flitter Milz argued that the debt involved was so small that there is nothing ever to report to the IRS, and the statement about Internal Revenue was just a scare tactic.
The federal appeals court, sitting in Philadelphia, agreed that the consumer might be persuaded into thinking that a settlement may be reportable to the IRS, and this remark is misleading under the consumer laws. The Court agreed with Flitter Milz, holding that “it is not merely the inclusion of a lie, but also incomplete” language in a collection letter that may violate the consumer laws. The Court has told Midland that ‘half-truths’ to consumers are not good enough.
Flitter Milz is a nationally recognized consumer protection law firm representing consumers in matters against collection agencies and collection law firms for violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. “This victory, is not just for our client and firm, but for consumers across the U.S.”, said Cary Flitter and Andy Milz.
To learn more about this case, Robert A. Schultz, Jr & Donna Schultz v Midland Credit Management, click here . Consumers with questions about collection contact, calls or letters, from Midland Credit Management, contact us.
Midland Credit Management is a billion dollar purchaser of consumer debt, who collects and files collection lawsuits in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and across the country.
Were you visited by a solar panel salesman, only to find that your credit report was pulled without your permission? Were you put in to a forged contract for solar energy? If so, you may be the victim of a solar energy scam and your consumer rights may have been violated.
Door-to-door solar power sales is high pressure. Solar panel salesmen are usually trained to engage unsuspecting homeowners in conversation and employ tactics to sell items that they may not be ready to buy.
Often, the consumer may be misled in to believing that the salesman works for his or her electric company. During the sales pitch, the consumer may be asked to allow an inspection of the roof for a “roof survey”, or told that a review of energy bills is required. The salesman may try to convince the consumer that energy costs will be lowered because solar energy is free, and with the installation of solar panels the consumer will make money.
To gain access to your property, the salesman may request your signature on a tablet or iPad. Your signature may be used to commit you to a long term contract. Or, unknowingly, your signature may provide permission for the solar panel company to obtain a copy of your credit report.
The law requires that a company have a permissible purpose to obtain your credit report. A consumer that seeks credit will be asked for permission to have his or her credit file reviewed.
Unless the consumer provides written consent for access to his or her credit file, the company is not permitted to obtain a copy of the credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, offers protections to consumers whose reports were pulled without permission.
Whether a salesman comes to your door to sell solar panels or another product, the consumer must knowingly provide permission for credit reports to be pulled. Obtaining access to credit reports under false pretenses could be a violation to your consumer rights.
Flitter Milz is a nationally recognized consumer protection law firm that has pursued matters for consumers around the country against solar panel companies fraudulent sales tactics. Whether a solar panel company has forged your signature, wasn’t upfront about the terms of its contract, or obtained your credit report without permission, we can provide a legal evaluation of your matter at no cost. Contact us today to learn more.
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Cary L. Flitter
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