Best Service Company operates as a third-party debt collector in Culver City, California, with 87 years of business history, according to the Better Business Bureau. Despite this longevity, the company has faced over 20 federal lawsuits and received 14 BBB complaints for alleged aggressive collection tactics and potential FDCPA violations.
If Best Service Company contacts you with excessive calls, threats of legal action, or discussions of your debt with family or employers, you may be experiencing harassment that violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Federal law prohibits abusive collection practices and provides remedies, including up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees.
The Wood Law Firm has helped hundreds of consumers stop illegal debt collection harassment and recover damages. Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation to discuss your situation.
Who Is Best Service Company?
Best Service Company is a third-party debt collector located at 6700 S Centinela Ave, Fl 3, Culver City, CA 90230. The company operates under several aliases, including Best Service Co, The Best Service Co Inc, and Best Services Inc.
Contact Information:
Phone: (877) 237-8500
Primary Phone Numbers:
- (877) 237-8500
- (310) 477-0471
According to the Better Business Bureau, Best Service Company has operated for 87 years but has accumulated 14 consumer complaints. The company has faced more than 20 federal lawsuits alleging FDCPA violations, including aggressive communication tactics to coerce payments.
Federal Lawsuits Against Best Service Company
Court records reveal Best Service Company has faced multiple lawsuits alleging violations of consumer protection laws:
- Lane et al. v. Best Service Company (2:00-cv-00376-JAT)
- Thomas v. Best Service Company (2:12-cv-00703-JHN-OP)
- Maxwell v. Best Service Company (1:09-cv-00692-AWI-DLB)
- Tovar et al. v. Best Service Company (8:10-cv-00447-FG3)
These cases highlight recurring legal challenges due to alleged harassment and FDCPA violations. If you’re experiencing similar issues, consulting with a consumer protection attorney can help evaluate whether their actions violate federal law.
Potentially Illegal Collection Tactics
Debt collection agencies must follow strict federal guidelines. Best Service Company may be violating your rights if they engage in:
- Using profanity or abusive language during calls
- Calling before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM in your time zone
- Making excessive calls per day or week
- Discussing your debt with family, neighbors, or coworkers
- Contacting your workplace after being asked to stop
- Making threats about lawsuits without the intent to sue
- Threatening wage garnishment without a court judgment
- Accusing you of crimes related to unpaid debt
- Persistently calling the wrong person about someone else’s debt
- Failing to inform you of your right to dispute the debt
- Attempting to collect unauthorized fees or inflated amounts
If you’ve experienced any of these behaviors, document every interaction and consider seeking legal guidance to evaluate potential FDCPA violations.
Common FDCPA Violations Reported
Consumers frequently report these problematic behaviors from Best Service Company:
- Multiple Daily Contacts: Calling multiple times per day may violate FDCPA guidelines. Courts have found 7-10 calls daily to be potentially excessive and harassing.
- False Threats: Threatening lawsuits or wage garnishment without legal grounds or intent to follow through constitutes harassment under federal law.
- Unauthorized Disclosure: Discussing your debt with family, friends, or employers without permission violates your privacy rights under the FDCPA.
- Failure to Validate Debts: Refusing to provide proper documentation when you request debt validation violates FDCPA requirements.
- Workplace Contact: Continuing to call your workplace after you’ve informed them it’s prohibited or inconvenient violates federal law.
If you’ve experienced these violations, a consumer protection attorney can help you document the harassment, stop the calls, and pursue statutory damages.
How Best Service Company Affects Your Credit Score
Best Service Company can negatively impact your credit score when they report collection accounts to credit bureaus.
Credit Report Impact: Collection accounts can lower your credit score by 50-100 points and remain on your report for up to seven years from the original delinquency date.
Payment History Damage: Collection accounts indicate past-due debts, significantly impacting payment history, which comprises 35% of your credit score.
Credit Utilization Issues: Outstanding collection debts affect your credit utilization ratio, potentially harming your score if you appear financially overextended.
Steps to Minimize Damage:
- Verify the Debt: Request written validation to confirm the debt is legitimate and accurate
- Dispute Errors: If Best Service Company reports inaccurate information, dispute it with the credit bureaus
- Consider Settlement: If the debt is valid, negotiating a settlement may resolve the account and stop further credit damage
- Get Legal Help: Consumer protection attorneys can help you challenge inaccurate reporting and potentially sue for Fair Credit Reporting Act violations
Understanding your rights under the FDCPA and FCRA is crucial for protecting your credit score while stopping illegal harassment.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides strong protections against abusive collection practices.
Freedom from Harassment: Debt collectors cannot harass, intimidate, or abuse you. This includes using profane language, making excessive calls, or threatening violence or harm.
Right to Debt Validation: You can demand written proof of any debt they claim you owe, including the debt amount, original creditor’s name, and account history. Best Service Company must provide this documentation within five days of first contact.
Right to Cease Communication: You can legally request that Best Service Company stop contacting you by sending a written cease-and-desist letter via certified mail. Once received, they can only contact you to confirm cessation or notify you of specific legal actions.
Right to Sue for Violations: When Best Service Company violates your rights, you can file a lawsuit seeking up to $1,000 in statutory damages per violation, plus actual damages for emotional distress and attorney fees paid by the collector.
Consumer protection attorneys specialize in FDCPA cases and can help you enforce these rights effectively.
Four Steps to Stop Best Service Company Harassment
Step 1: Document Every Interaction
Create detailed records of all communication with Best Service Company:
- Dates and times of calls, emails, or letters
- Names of representatives and phone numbers they called from
- Complete conversation details, including threats or abusive language
- How the contact affected you emotionally and practically
This documentation becomes critical evidence if you file an FDCPA lawsuit.
Step 2: Request Debt Validation
Send a written validation request to Best Service Company via certified mail demanding:
- The name of the original creditor
- The total amount owed, including any fees
- A copy of the original contract or account statements
- Proof that they have the authority to collect the debt
Without this documentation, Best Service Company cannot legally continue collection efforts. A consumer protection attorney can draft a validation request that preserves all your legal rights.
Step 3: Send a Cease-and-Desist Letter
If harassment continues, send a cease-and-desist letter via certified mail stating: “Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c, I demand that Best Service Company cease all communication with me regarding this alleged debt.”
Once they receive this letter, they must stop all contact except to confirm cessation or notify you of specific lawsuits. Legal counsel can prepare this letter and pursue violations if they continue calling.
Step 4: Contact a Consumer Protection Attorney
If Best Service Company continues harassment despite your efforts, seeking professional legal help becomes necessary. Experienced attorneys can stop the harassment by taking over all communication, documenting FDCPA violations, building your case, filing lawsuits seeking statutory damages and attorney fees, and negotiating settlements that include debt removal from credit reports.
Most consumer protection attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover damages on your behalf. Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation.
About The Wood Law Firm
At The Wood Law Firm, our mission is to protect consumers from predatory practices and ensure they receive fair treatment under federal law. We specialize in cases involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). For over a decade, we have worked to hold companies accountable and secure justice for our clients.
Choosing The Wood Law Firm means partnering with a team deeply committed to protecting your consumer rights. We understand the stress and frustration that come with facing potentially unfair collection practices, and we stand by your side throughout the process. Our personalized approach, combined with extensive experience and national reach, makes us equipped to handle your consumer protection needs.
The Wood Law Firm has cultivated strong Of Counsel relationships with attorneys licensed in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
About Attorney Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood is an accomplished attorney based in Arkansas, where he is fully licensed to practice law. With over 15 years of experience, Mr. Wood specializes in consumer protection, focusing on cases involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). His commitment to defending consumer rights has helped countless clients find relief from potentially unlawful debt collection practices.
Real Client Outcomes
Case Study: Excessive Calling Stopped, $2,400 Recovery
Sarah received 12-15 calls daily from Best Service Company for three weeks about a disputed $1,500 debt. After contacting The Wood Law Firm, we documented the excessive calling pattern and sent a cease-and-desist letter. When calls continued, we filed an FDCPA complaint. Best Service Company settled for $2,400 in statutory damages plus our attorney fees, and the debt was removed from Sarah’s credit report.
Case Study: Workplace Harassment Ended, $1,800 Settlement
Best Service Company called Michael’s workplace nine times in two weeks despite Michael informing them on the first call that his employer prohibited personal calls. The Wood Law Firm documented these violations and negotiated an $1,800 settlement. Michael’s employer withdrew a written warning after reviewing our legal documentation.
Case Study: Third-Party Disclosure, $2,100 Damages
Best Service Company called Lisa’s older parents five times, discussing her debt in detail, causing her parents significant distress. These unauthorized disclosures violated the FDCPA. The Wood Law Firm secured $2,100 in damages, and Best Service Company was required to cease all collection activity on the account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Best Service Company legitimate or a scam?
Best Service Company is a legitimate debt collector operating for 87 years. However, with over 20 federal lawsuits and 14 BBB complaints, their practices have drawn significant scrutiny. Consumer protection attorneys can help determine if their tactics in your case violate federal law.
Can Best Service Company garnish my wages?
Best Service Company can only garnish wages after filing a lawsuit, winning a court judgment, and obtaining a wage garnishment order. Exception: Federal student loans allow administrative garnishment. Threats of immediate garnishment without a judgment may violate the FDCPA.
Can Best Service Company sue me for unpaid debt?
Best Service Company can sue if the debt is within your state’s statute of limitations (typically 3-6 years). They must prove the debt is valid and that they have the authority to collect. If you receive lawsuit papers, contact a consumer protection attorney immediately to protect your rights.
How does Best Service Company affect my credit score?
Collection accounts can lower your credit score by 50-100 points and remain on your report for seven years. However, if Best Service Company reports inaccurate information, you can dispute it and potentially sue for Fair Credit Reporting Act violations.
Can Best Service Company have me arrested for debt?
No. Debt collectors cannot have you arrested for unpaid consumer debt. Threats of arrest violate the FDCPA and provide grounds for statutory damages.
What if Best Service Company is calling the wrong person?
If they’re contacting you about someone else’s debt, inform them immediately in writing and request that they stop. Document all calls. If calls continue, you may pursue FDCPA violations for harassing the wrong person, which may entitle you to statutory damages.
How many times can Best Service Company legally call me per day?
While the FDCPA doesn’t specify exact limits, courts have found 7-10 calls daily potentially excessive. If you believe they’re calling too frequently, document the pattern and consult with an attorney to evaluate whether the calling constitutes harassment.
What information must Best Service Company provide when contacting me?
They must identify themselves as debt collectors, provide the creditor’s name, state the amount owed, and inform you of your right to dispute the debt within 30 days. Failure to provide this information may violate the FDCPA.
Can Best Service Company contact my family or employer about my debt?
They cannot discuss your debt with third parties. They may only contact others to locate you and must not reveal that they’re debt collectors. If Best Service Company disclosed your debt to family or employers, you may have grounds to pursue damages for privacy violations.
Take Action Today
You don’t have to endure harassment from Best Service Company. The FDCPA provides powerful tools to stop illegal practices and recover compensation. With over 20 federal lawsuits against them, Best Service Company has a documented history of violations.
Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation. We will review your situation, identify FDCPA violations, stop the harassment immediately upon retention, and pursue maximum compensation through settlement or litigation. We work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.
FDCPA claims must typically be filed within one year of violations. Don’t delay. Contact us today to protect your rights and hold Best Service Company accountable.
Additional Resources
FTC: Debt Collection FAQs – Federal guidance on debt collection rights
Related Reading: Credit Services Debt Collection Harassment
