Bill Bartmann Picks Fight in Chicago with Debt Collection Industry

Nationally known debt collector and industry insider Bill Bartmann, CEO of CFS II, today took his 50-state “Stop These Criminals” campaign to Chicago where he appeared on nationally syndicated “First Business” television news program and met with other members of national media.

“With about 50 million Americans facing late bills, the collection industry is being thrown into the national spotlight and not for good reasons,” said Bartmann. “Complaints against debt collectors are skyrocketing because the industry is overrun with scum bag collectors who harass consumers and practice illegal tactics to collect on late bills.”

In Illinois, the average consumer has three open credit cards and debt of about $24,559, according to May 2011 figures provided by Experian. Consumer complaints against debt collectors last year reached 140,036, up 17 percent from 2009, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Bartmann’s 50-state campaign is drawing attention to debt collection abuse and the need for sweeping regulatory changes to the $40 billion collections. Last week, Bartmann met with Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and was instrumental in legislation recently signed by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin providing new protection for citizens facing collection calls for delinquent credit card bills.

Consumer-minded elected officials are seeking Bartmann’s experience inside the collections industry to close loopholes and end predatory practices. Bartmann met with Congressman Frank in June on recommendations for updating parts of The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1978, which is the guiding document for debt collection regulations across the nation. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the new policing agency for consumer financial services markets including debt collections.

Bartmann has been called the ‘No. 1 Collection Industry Consumer Advocate’ in the world and was referred to by USA Today as the ‘Patron Saint of the Second Chance.’ He recently published the book Out of Control: Cases of Debt-Collection Abuse in America and What We Can Do About It. All proceeds will be donated to the National Consumer Law Center. The book documents clear patterns of abusive tactics used by unethical collectors.