We want to introduce you to a new practice area that we at Sugarman Law have been developing – Consumer Protection Law.  

Any time an individual has a contract with a company or organization, are purchasing something, using a service, and become obligated to pay a debt, you are a consumer and you have rights.

Consumer Protection Laws protect consumers from fraudulent business practices, defective products and dangerous goods and services. Sugarman Law can help you in this area and are among a small group of firms with this expertise.  

Let’s look at an example.

You probably have a credit card in your wallet. When you opened that card, you also entered into an agreement with that company, whether you read the fine print or not. The company charges you for the item you bought, you have to pay it back, and if you fail to pay it back, they can send it to credit bureaus. That is understood. 

So, you are going about your life, paying your bills, haven’t missed any payments and you assume you have a great credit score. You go to apply for a car loan or home loan and find out your credit score has dropped. What happened?

You review your credit report and find out that your credit card company said they didn’t receive your payments and you have outstanding debt. You know this isn’t true, but the company is not righting the wrong and you don’t know what to do. You know there has been a reporting error and you are now damaged. Whom do you call?

You call an experienced attorney. An attorney  that uses state and federal laws to put creditors and debt collectors on notice to fix the error or file a suit if the error is not remedied. 

Consumer Protection Law comes into play in many scenarios. You might be a victim of identity theft and someone was using your credit card or banking information, affecting your credit score. 

You might be dealing with mortgage paperwork errors, such as your loan being transferred from one bank to another and payments not being updated properly, resulting in damages to your credit score. 

You might have medical debt that was supposed to be covered by insurance so you didn’t make a payment, then get a call from a collection agency saying you owe, which again affects your credit score.

Sugarman Law helps facilitate consumers in regards to the federal and state laws to protect them and ensure they are not damaged by these errors. We have extensive knowledge in the Fair Debt Collections Practice Act (FDCPA) which determines how debts can be collected and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which determines how your credit is reported. 

If you find yourself noticing any errors and Consumer Protection Law services might benefit you, please reach out. 

Firm News

Don’t forget to vote for me for the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Best Lawyer in Best of Long Island award. Your vote counts each day until December 15th. Go to Services then Lawyers. 

Real estate may be cooling off, but foreclosures are starting to happen with more frequency. If you, or someone you know, is behind in their mortgage, or just wishes to discuss their options, please give us a call.