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Business Profile

Collections Agencies

American Municipal Services

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Collections Agencies.

Important information

  • Customer Complaint:
    BBB files indicate that this business has a pattern of complaints concerning debt collection practices.

    On May 6, 2013 the BBB asked American Municipal Services Corporation to substantiate claims made in collection letters to debtors.

    Specifically, the company has used in past collection letters the trade name "Warrant Enforcement Division" as well as claimed that the correspondence was the "final notice prior to arrest."

    BBB has questioned the company as to the accuracy of the statements. Particularly, BBB has questioned if the company has been given the actual authority to enforce warrants on behalf of its clients and whether the correspondence is, in fact, the final notice sent to a debtor prior to the enforcement of an arrest warrant.

    The company has defending its practices stating that it is not required to follow federal or state collection practice regulations since it collects criminal debt, not consumer debt.

    However, the BBB has argued that regardless of the lack of laws governing private corporations collecting on behalf of municipalities, BBB standards still call for corporations to be transparent in their marketplace behavior and to simply tell the truth.

    As of March 29, 2023, American Municipal Services Corporation has failed to verify the accuracy of the challenged claims made in its collection correspondence.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 5 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 1 complaint closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/01/2024

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I received this letter in the mail to an address I lived at 3 years ago. It also states that I have a warrant for my arrest due to an unpaid collection through the city of ************, which us not only incorrect, it is illegal.

    Business Response

    Date: 12/09/2024

    Mrs. ******* has three active cases pending in the ***************************************************  Two of the cases are for driving a motor vehicle without insurance and the third is for failing to yield at a yield intersection.  She signed each citation for the police officers and entered a plea of nolo contendre in each case.  The court set the fines in each case.  She has not made a payment since July, 3018 on any of her cases.

    The total presently owed to the Citty of Bonham Municipal Court is $1,640.60.  The court has issued three arrest warrants for *** *******.  

    American Municipal Services Corporation provides collection services for courts in a six state area.  The company is under contract with the City of ****** to provide collection services for *************************************** as authorized by the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

    If *** ******* is unable to pay the full amount owed she can set up a payment plan with court company by simply calling and speaking to an agent.  She can also speak to the Judge of the Bonham Municipal Court about doing community service and settiing up a payment plan with the Court.

    Until *** ******* takes some action in these three cases warrrants for her arrest remain active in the City of *******

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:09/18/2023

    Type:Customer Service Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I am rejecting this response my name is ******* ******************* I've never given them my social security number or my date of birth and I never will these charlatans are out of their minds how many ************************* do you think there are in this country I've never been to ********.:   

    Business Response

    Date: 10/04/2023

    ********************************** who resides at ******************************************************************* presently has seven active cases pending for Public Intoxication.  The date of birth for each case is:  11/20/1955    ************** says this is not his date of birth, but the full name, address, and social security number are all identical. He does not state what his date of birth is, only that his is not 11/20/1955.   A case against ************** occurred in **********, ** in which he was arrested and fingerprinted and that person had the identical date of birth and other identifying information. 

    ************** says the pending cases are not his date of birth, but he does not state in the complaint what his date of birth is.  If he will provide us with identifying proof, such as a birth certificate, we will stop contacting him.  Until then, it would appear ************** has a serious alcohol problem and is a danger to the public and to himself.

    Business Response

    Date: 10/05/2023

    This complaining party has in all 7 pending criminal cases the exact same name:  *******************************  His residence address in all 7 cases is exactly the same:  **************************************************************-2616.  The date of birth, 11/20/1955 is the date of birth he personally provided when he applied for a motor vehicle operator's license.  He says he never gave anyone his date of birth, but it is common knowledge that every state in ***************** requires proof of one's birthdate in order to obtain a driver's license.

    ************** must think that police, judges, court staff, warrant officers, and court administrators are idiots. These are real criminal cases pending in real criminal courts.  If ************** is unhappy with the present situation he should contact the courts and express his unhappiness with the criminal justice system to the judges of each court where he has a pending criminal case.

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 10/06/2023

    I am rejecting this this is not my date of birth I can prove that I've never been to Oklahoma or ***** or any of these other places where they say I have been this is not even my name my name is ******* ******************* . I would be a fool to give this company either my birthday or my social security number that's not going to happen but I suggest to them if they really think that I am this person come after me. Call me on the phone whatever you think let's get this party started dumbasses 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 10/04/2023

    There's no way that I will provide these charlatans with my date of birth but I can prove that I've never even been to ********

American Municipal Services is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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