Evergreen Professional Recoveries, Inc or EPR is a third-party collection agency based in Washington state. EPR has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including improper conduct or sharing of information and using false or misleading language in an effort to collect a debt.If you have been contacted by Evergreen Professional Services, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Evergreen Professional Recoveries , Inc. was originally incorporated in 1988, then started in 1995. The BBB’s profile page for EPR was established in 1987. Buzzfile estimates EPR’s annual revenue at $3.8 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 40 people.
According to its website, EPR “was founded…as an alternative to the increasingly unsatisfactory performance of companies within the collection industry… with an objective…of establishing an agency that clients could rely on to be efficient, reliable, conscious of the client’s’ image and reputation, and skilled at recovery.”
Evergreen Professional Recoveries is a full-service collection agency offering services in several areas. In addition to third-party debt collection, EPR offers business process outsourcing services, including medical billing; pre-collect notification service; online check verification; collection training and educational seminars; and credit risk evaluation and recommendation. Their legal services division includes an in-house legal department and an attorney network service.
Evergreen Professional Services main service is its third-party debt collection division. This division accepts delinquent accounts for government agencies, courts, medical and healthcare providers, financial institutions, and retail lenders. EPR offers several payment options, including check-by-phone or online; direct deposit into the EPR trust account; Western Union Quick Collect; wire transfers; and Next Day Air.
EPR is affiliated with several professional associations, including the International Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International); however, their website does not provide any links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
The BBB has closed 11 complaints against Evergreen Professional Recoveries in the preceding 3 years, with 3 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections, although several complaints also allege problems with customer service. Since April 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 16 complaints against EPR. Justia lists at least 11 cases of civil litigation involving EPR.
Evergreen Professional Recoveries, Inc.
12100 N.E. 195th St., Suite 325
Bothell, WA 98011
Telephone:(800) 241-1305
Website: http://www.everprof.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely EPR would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
Complaints against Evergreen Professional Recoveries commonly cite problems resulting from aggressive collection tactics and misleading billing documentation. In September 2016, a complainant indicated she had received a phone call from EPR regarding a past due medical bill. When the EPR representative told her the amount due, she “was in disbelief…as it was almost twice the amount …her healthcare provider had last billed” her. The complainant requested a statement to ensure the billing was accurate, but she never received anything from EPR. A year later, someone representing Evergreen Professional Services interest in the medical bill came to her residence and “served…her documents stating a judgment had been filed against… her, although there was no notice of a court date…and the letter read as if it had been judged already.” The complainant called EPS and said she was willing to make payments, but she was allegedly told, “With all due respect the time to do that was before, its done, too late for that.” She was told she would have to pay the entire amount of $2026.59 or else EPR would garnish her wages. The complainant indicated she did not have the money to pay the bill.
Subsequently, the complainant received a call from another Evergreen Professional Services representative “calling to make arrangements.” The Evergreen Professional Recoveries representative indicated he was willing to accept payments for “up to 12 months…at $168.89 per month.” The complainant indicated she would consider the offer and call back. But when she asked to speak to the representative who had contacted her, he allegedly told her that “he had to take payment today or he was sending it for garnishment” and then offered to transfer the call to a supervisor. When the complainant’s call was transferred, the supervisor allegedly “said she was the one who spoke to … the complainant after …she had been served; that she never said she wouldn’t make payment arrangements; … but also that she had had plenty of time to pay” the bill. The complainant restated her position that she had never received any notifications or statements, and the supervisor allegedly replied, “Well you got served didn’t you, better talk to your mail carrier.” The supervisor retracted the previous payment arrangement offered by the EPR representative but told the complainant she could make payments online. The complainant indicated that the supervisor was “rude, impatient, belittling, and refused to even discuss or consider what she was trying to say.”
In response, EPR apologized “for the unsatisfactory experience received during the phone conversation,” insisting that “customer service, professionalism, and customer satisfaction are the cornerstones that…Evergreen Professional Recoveries was built on over 30 years ago.” The response indicated that a manager had contacted the complainant to resolve the problem.
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
But here’s the rub: If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. These laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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