How To Deal With Aldous & Associates

What Is Aldous & Associates PLLC?

Aldous & Associates PLLC, or just Aldous & Associates, is a law firm based in Utah specializing in consumer debt collection. Aldous & Associates collects debt for various industries, including telecommunications and property management, but they also have a unique focus in collecting debt for the health and fitness industry. Current fitness industry clients include Crunch Fitness, Blink Fitness, VASA Fitness, and Gold’s Gym. ^[1]

Here is their contact information:

Mailing address:  PO Box 171374 Holladay, UT 84117-1374

Phone number: (888) 221-5155 or (801)272-5281

To pay your debt online visit https://aldouslegal.com/contact-us/

You may be wondering: “Why is Aldous & Associates contacting me and not my lender?” A debt can end up with a debt collector when an original creditor gives up on trying to collect on the account and sells it to a debt collector.

Your original creditor, such as your gym, will notify you of your debt with written notices and phone calls once you become delinquent on a payment. If you ignore the debt collector’s efforts, they may sell your debt to a debt collection service like Aldous & Associates. 

Why Is Aldous & Associates Contacting Me?

Aldous & Associates is contacting you because a lender sold your debt to them. Aldous & Associates collects debt within several industries, from health clubs and consumer finance to telecommunication. 

Since Aldous & Associates now owns your debt, if you need to work out a negotiation, like a repayment plan, you will need to work directly with the debt collector instead of the original creditor. 

Is Aldous & Associates Legit?

Yes, Aldous & Associates is a legitimate company. However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report hundreds of complaints, and the company is not BBB accredited. 

As of early 2024, the Better Business Bureau recorded over 500 complaints filed against Aldous & Associates in the past three years. Multiple complaints mention poor customer service and the consumer not getting the proper paperwork documenting the details of the debt they allegedly owe. 

Note to reader: These reviews and complaints highlight relevant issues but may not represent all consumers’ experiences.

A debt collector withholding sufficient information about a debt is a common violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). 

The FDCPA is a federal law that protects you from harassment and unlawful behavior from third-party debt collectors and collection agencies. If you believe a debt collector has committed a violation, you can report them to the CFPB and possibly sue for compensation. 

How Do I Know if I’m Being Scammed?

Even though Aldous & Associates is a legitimate company, scammers can still use the company’s name to contact you in an attempt to con you. They’ll typically ask for sensitive information, like bank account information or your social security number, that a legitimate debt collection agency would already have. 

It is always important to validate your debt and ask for more information if the situation seems suspicious (more on this below). This is the best way to avoid a debt collector scam. You can report any scammers to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an agency that protects consumers’ rights. 

Do I Have To Pay Aldous & Associates?

Before you make any payment, you need to determine if the alleged debt is valid and legitimate. Debt collectors can get information wrong, like the amount you owe or who you owe the debt to, so you should protect yourself by verifying the debt.

The first thing you need to do is validate the debt. Verify that:

• The debt is an actual debt that you owe.

• The debt collector genuinely owns the debt.

• The amount of debt is accurate.   

If the debt collector got the information wrong and the debt is not yours, they should stop contacting you. If they can prove the debt is yours and that they own the debt, you need to decide what to do next. 

Below are steps you can take to verify and validate the debt. 

Step 1: Send a Debt Verification Letter

If you haven’t already received a debt validation letter from Aldous & Associates, you need to request one from them. You can also write and send your own debt verification letter. 

A debt validation letter is a document from the debt collector containing details about a debt they are attempting to collect from you. A debt collection company is obligated to send you a debt validation letter either before or within five days of making first contact. Additionally, they are required to give you a 30-day period to dispute the debt, during which they aren’t allowed to pursue further collection efforts, like phone calls, letters, and emails. 

If Aldous & Associates can't verify your debt within those 30 days, you shouldn’t have to pay what they claim. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to check your credit report and dispute any errors with the major credit bureaus. 

If they can verify your debt within the 30-day window, you must decide what to do next. Your next steps depend on whether you agree or disagree with the amount they claim you owe.

Step 2: Decide What To Do Next

When dealing with debt collectors, you may feel like you don’t have many options. But you do have a say in how you move forward. 

If the debt collector has accurately verified that you do, indeed, owe the debt they claim you do, you have three main options: 

• Dispute the debt

• Negotiate or settle the debt 

• Ignore the debt (while this is technically an option, this is not recommended)

Option 1: Dispute the Debt

You can dispute the debt if you disagree with the amount the debt collector has indicated on your debt validation letter or with other details outlined in the letter.

Debt collectors buy debts in bulk, so there is often incorrect information or information you disagree with on your debt validation letter. It’s important to note that the same information is on your credit report. It’s always a good idea to check your credit report and dispute any errors you discover. 

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — once every 12 months. 

You can get your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. 

Also, under the FCRA, you have the right to request that credit bureaus remove negative entries from your credit report using the 609 credit dispute letter.

Option 2: Negotiate the Debt and Make a Settlement Offer

If paying the debt in full isn’t an option for you (it’s not an option for most people), negotiating a debt settlement could be the right option for you. 

Typically, creditors are open to settling for 40%–60% of the initial amount you owe. This is where negotiations come in: You can start by offering a lower percentage (even as low as 25%), but be prepared to find common ground at around 50%. This shows your willingness to negotiate, and it might help you get a deal on the debt.

It may not feel like it, but you do have leverage in this situation. Debt collectors are willing to hear you out since they typically buy your debt from the original creditor for pennies on the dollar and make a profit even if you pay less than what you originally owed. 

To learn more about how to negotiate a successful settlement, read Upsolve’s Guide to Beating Aldous & Associates. 

Can You Negotiate Every Past-Due Debt?

You can’t negotiate every past-due debt, most past-due consumer debts – credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans — are often negotiable once they land with a debt collector. The IRS even has its own system for negotiating past-due tax debt. 

Debt from mortgages or car loans typically cannot be negotiated since the original creditor can foreclose on the property or repossess your car. The same is true of federal student loans. But if you are struggling with student loan payments, you can look into student loan forgiveness.

Option 3: Ignore the Debt (Not Recommended)

While this is technically an option, ignoring the debt is not recommended. It’s overwhelming having to deal with debt. With a persistent debt collector continually contacting you, you may feel the urge to ignore everything. 

Unfortunately, simply ignoring the debt or the debt collector won’t make the debt go away. Often, it can increase your stress and cause greater money anxiety. It also causes debt collectors to ramp up their collection efforts, leading to even more trouble. 

What Happens if I Ignore Aldous & Associates?

The worst thing you can do if a debt collector is contacting you is ignore them and hope that will resolve the issue. The consequences of ignoring a debt collector include:

• Hurting your credit score

• Costing you more money in the long run (interest charges, fees, potential court costs, etc.)

• Creating an opening for you to get sued by the debt collector

Being sued could create more problems if you also ignore the lawsuit, causing the debt collector to win and receive a default judgment and wage garnishment order against you.  

Most of all, ignoring the debt doesn’t make the debt collector go away — or the debt itself, either. While negative information disappears from your credit report after seven years, agencies can continue collection efforts as long as the statute of limitations hasn’t run out. 

Bottom line: The best thing you can do for yourself is to take action. You can take on Aldous & Associates and come out the other side. 

Can Aldous & Associates Sue Me?

Unfortunately, Aldous & Associates can sue you. If a debt collector repeatedly contacts you and their collection efforts are ignored, they can take legal action and file a debt collection lawsuit. 

Whether or not a debt collector sues you depends on several factors, including:

• Your state’s wage garnishment laws

• The amount of time your debt has been in collections

• The amount of debt you owe

If a debt collector sues you, you’ll know when you receive a summons and complaint — official court documents notifying you of the lawsuit and outlining the case details. Your paperwork will be delivered to you in person and handed directly to you or left with an adult at your home. 

You should answer the summons. If you don’t, you risk losing the case by default.

It may seem scary, but if you are sued by Aldous & Associates, you can still come out on top. Read our article How to Beat Aldous & Associates to learn how to go up against a debt collector. 

Let’s Summarize…

Aldous & Associates is a legitimate law office and debt collector that collects consumer debt. If they contact you, you need to validate that the debt is true and accurate, and if it is, you need to take action and respond to Aldous & Associates as soon as possible. Taking on a debt collection agency can be intimidating, but it is necessary to protect your personal finances.