Calls from United Merchant Asset Recovery?

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If you’ve received a call from United Merchant Asset Recovery also known as UMAR, you’re not alone. At Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, we regularly hear from clients who have been contacted by this agency, often in ways that feel threatening, confusing, or downright aggressive. Some of our clients didn’t even recognize the company’s name until they came to us for help. Others had already paid money out of fear before they realized their rights were being violated.

This article covers everything you need to know about United Merchant Asset Recovery: who they are, what debt they collect, how they operate, what complaints have been filed against them, what federal lawsuits look like, and how you can stop the harassment today.

What Is United Merchant Asset Recovery?

United Merchant Asset Recovery is a registered third-party debt collection agency based in New York. It is not a scam, but being legitimate does not automatically mean all collection activity is accurate, fair, or fully compliant. The company, United Merchant Asset Recovery LLC, has been operating since 2011 and is listed by the Better Business Bureau as a collection agency and payment processing service. It collects or attempts to collect delinquent accounts assigned or purchased from original creditors and presents itself as a structured debt recovery service focused on settlements and account resolution.

At Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, we also see United Merchant Asset Recovery accounts brought to us by clients, most commonly involving disputes over debt validity, missing documentation, or concerns about how the debt is being pursued and communicated.

Is United Merchant Asset Recovery a Scam?

UMAR is a registered debt collection agency, not a fraud or scam operation. However, consumers and our clients at Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC often report concerns about its collection tactics and communication practices.

One important issue noted by the BBB is that United Merchant Asset Recovery has been asked to remove the BBB logo from its website because it is not accredited. This kind of misleading representation can create confusion about legitimacy, especially for consumers who assume BBB branding signals endorsement.

The BBB has also highlighted increased activity from newer collection agencies in the region, which has led to more consumer complaints and scrutiny. In our experience, this is one of the reasons many individuals initially believe the company is more officially endorsed than it actually is.

Why Is United Merchant Asset Recovery Calling Me?

UMAR calls consumers because they believe a debt is owed, typically related to payday loans, medical bills, or other consumer accounts that have been placed in collections. They either purchase the debt from the original creditor or are hired to collect it.

Reports also indicate that companies like UMAR may use skip-tracing and data tools such as TLO and Collections Max to locate consumers and update contact information.

However, not every person they contact actually owes the debt in question. At Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, we regularly hear from clients who were contacted about debts that were not theirs, already paid, or beyond the statute of limitations. If you are receiving calls from UMAR and are unsure about the debt, do not confirm it or share personal financial information before getting proper verification.

Phone numbers United Merchant Asset Recovery may call from include:

If any of these numbers have appeared on your caller ID, that call may well be United Merchant Asset Recovery.

United Merchant Asset Recovery Complaints

Source: Ripoff Report

Ripoff Report: Threats of Legal Service at Home and Work

On Ripoff Report, multiple consumers describe similar allegations involving UMAR. One report from 2014 claims a caller threatened legal service within 24–48 hours at home or work and said the consumer would need ID and a supervisor’s signature.

Another consumer reported receiving a voicemail with similar threats and said UMAR refused to provide company details when asked, later suspecting the debt was invalid or time-barred and suggesting reporting to the New York Attorney General.

A separate complaint describes a workplace voicemail about an imminent summons, after which the consumer paid $245 but claimed they were pressured and not properly provided a receipt.

You can read these reports directly at: Ripoff Report.

What Tactics Does United Merchant Asset Recovery Use?

At Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, we handle debt collection harassment cases every day. We carry a 5-star BBB rating, and the reason clients trust us is because we listen carefully and recognize patterns. What our clients have described when it comes to UMAR follows a recognizable playbook. Here’s what we see most often:

Impersonating a law office or legal department: Callers may claim to be from a “civil litigation department” or a law office, creating fear of lawsuits. This is often misleading and used as a pressure tactic.
Threatening arrest or legal action: Consumers report threats of wage garnishment, arrest, or property seizure. In reality, collectors cannot do this without a court judgment, and no one can be arrested for civil debt.
Skipping required disclosures: Some consumers report not receiving the legally required “Mini-Miranda” warning identifying the caller as a debt collector.
Contacting third parties: Reports include calls to family members or employers. Collectors can only contact third parties to locate a person, not discuss the debt.
Using multiple phone numbers: Even after requests to stop, calls allegedly continue from different numbers, making blocking difficult.
Refusing to identify themselves: Some consumers report difficulty getting the company name or address when they call back, which is required by law.
Collecting on incorrect or unknown debts: Consumers often report being contacted for debts they do not recognize, including potential mistaken identity or already resolved accounts.

United Merchant Asset Recovery Lawsuits and Legal Cases

Federal Court Cases

A search of the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), the U.S. federal docket system returns at least 9 lawsuits filed against United Merchant Asset Recovery in federal courts, most involving violations of consumer rights and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Here are specific cases you can look up and verify:

Berry v. United Merchant Asset Recovery of WNY, LLC (Case No. 1:22-cv-00859) Filed November 9, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. You can find this case on PacerMonitor at: Berry v. United Merchant Asset Recovery of WNY, LLC

Rodriguez v. United Merchant Asset Recovery, LLC (Case No. 1:19-cv-00730) Filed September 6, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Case information and filings are available at CourtListener: Rodriguez v. United Merchant Asset Recovery, LLC

Hitsman et al. v. United Merchant Asset Recovery, LLC et al. (Case No. 1:19-cv-00082) Filed February 4, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, this case was brought by Debra and Jack Hitsman against United Merchant Asset Recovery, LLC, citing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). You can view the full docket at UniCourt

What These Cases Tell Us

The lawsuits reflect what our clients at Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC often report: misleading claims, lack of proper debt validation, and pressure tactics. The FDCPA exists to prevent this kind of conduct, and repeated federal cases suggest these issues are not isolated.

In our experience, many collectors rely on consumers not pushing back. When consumers do take legal action, these practices become part of the public record and subject to accountability.

What Are Your Rights Under the FDCPA and TCPA?

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): A federal law regulating third-party debt collectors like United Merchant Asset Recovery (UMAR), requiring lawful, non-abusive collection conduct, proper identification, truthful statements, limited calling hours (8 AM–9 PM local time), and honoring cease-communication requests; UMAR can violate it through harassment (repeated calls), false threats of lawsuits or arrest, misrepresentation of identity (e.g., posing as attorneys or government agents), failing to provide required disclosures, or contacting third parties about the debt.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): A federal law that restricts the use of autodialed calls, prerecorded messages, and automated text messages to consumers without prior express consent; UMAR can violate it by using robocalls or automated systems to contact cell phones without consent, with each unlawful call or text potentially triggering statutory damages.

At Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC, we handle these cases on a fee-shift basis, meaning you typically pay nothing upfront and legal fees are recovered from the collector if your case is successful.

How Does United Merchant Asset Recovery Contact People?

Based on what our clients describe, UMAR’s call patterns often come in clusters, with multiple calls per day during aggressive collection periods. Consumers also report receiving calls from different numbers on the same day, which can make blocking difficult.

Voicemails may not clearly identify the company and instead mention “urgent” matters or “legal documents,” sometimes with claims that a process server will arrive within 24–48 hours. Some consumers also report calls outside legal hours, including early mornings or late evenings, which may violate federal law.

Can United Merchant Asset Recovery Sue Me?

Yes, they can, but it is unlikely, especially if they cannot validate the debt. It is less likely for a debt collector to sue you than for an original creditor to hire a lawyer or collection firm to sue you. However, if United Merchant Asset Recovery has threatened to sue you, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.

Also, without a court judgment, UMAR cannot garnish your wages or freeze your bank accounts. That is the law. When their collectors threaten these actions during a phone call before any lawsuit has been filed or any judgment entered, those threats are illegal under the FDCPA.

Can United Merchant Asset Recovery Report to Credit Bureaus?

Yes, debt collectors can report valid debts to the major credit bureaus, which can negatively affect your credit score. However, if you dispute the debt in writing, they are required to report it as disputed. If they fail to do so, that’s a separate violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

If UMAR has placed a collection entry on your credit report for a debt that isn’t yours, has already been paid, or is being disputed, let us know. We’ve helped clients get inaccurate collection entries removed.

How to Stop United Merchant Asset Recovery from Calling

If UMAR is calling you and the calls feel harassing or threatening, here are the steps that actually work:

Send a Written Cease Communication Letter. Under the FDCPA, once you request in writing that a collector stop contacting you, they must comply. The key word is “in writing” verbal requests over the phone may not be enough on their own, and some collectors exploit this by continuing to call from different numbers.
Request Debt Validation in Writing. You have the right to ask UMAR to send you written verification of the debt within 30 days of first contact. Until they validate the debt, collection activity must stop. If they fail to provide validation and continue calling, that is an FDCPA violation.
Document Every Call. Keep a log of every call: the date, time, phone number, what was said, and the name of any representative who identified themselves. This documentation is exactly what supports an FDCPA claim if we need to pursue one.
File a Complaint with the FTC. You can report illegal debt collection practices to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.
Contact Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC. This is genuinely the most efficient step. We handle FDCPA cases every day. We know the law, we know the collectors, and we know how to make the calls stop, often without cost to you.

CONSUMER RIGHTS LAW FIRM, PLLC

Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC is a law firm that specializes in helping clients who are facing harassment from debt collectors. If you suspect that your debt collection rights are being trampled upon, contact our office to begin the process to stop the harassment you may currently be receiving from United Merchant Asset Recovery. Our office has been assisting consumers since 2010, and we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Call us at 877-700-5790 for immediate assistance.

Success Stories

Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC was a lifesaver when I was constantly being harassed by debt collectors. Their team was incredibly responsive and guided me through my rights as a consumer. Within weeks, the calls stopped, and they even helped me file a complaint that led to a favorable outcome. I highly recommend them to anyone facing aggressive collection tactics.
I never knew I had legal protection against robocalls and threatening voicemails until I contacted Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC. Their attorneys were knowledgeable and made the process easy to understand. They took immediate action, and I finally got peace of mind after months of stress. Outstanding service and professionalism!
Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC stood by me when I thought no one else would. I was being harassed over a debt I didn’t even owe, and they helped me fight back. Their legal team not only stopped the harassment but also helped me recover damages. I’m beyond grateful for their dedication and expertise.
The staff at Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC made me feel heard and supported. They explained my rights clearly and went above and beyond to protect me from repeated violations by a collection agency. Thanks to their help, I regained control over my situation and learned how to defend myself legally. I can’t recommend them enough.

FAQs

Q: United Merchant Asset Recovery is calling me about a debt from over a decade ago. Why are they allowed to pursue this?

A: United Merchant heavily targets “zombie debt”—aged accounts that have passed the legal statute of limitations; while they can legally ask for payment, threatening legal action on a time-barred debt violates federal law.

Q: A collector from United Merchant threatened to sue me immediately if I didn’t pay over the phone. Can they follow through?

A: Federal court records (such as Greene v. United Merchant Asset Recovery) prove they routinely make empty verbal legal threats on debts they have zero intention or legal capacity to sue over just to panic consumers into immediate telephone payments.

Q: Why does United Merchant Asset Recovery frequently change or share their collection files with “Accredited Management Solutions”?

A: United Merchant operates out of a tight-knit network of debt collection LLCs in Lockport and Western New York; they commonly rotate accounts back and forth between these alternate corporate names to circumvent initial consumer blocks or cease-and-desist orders.

Q: I agreed to a small “good faith” phone payment to United Merchant just to stop the harassment. Did I make a mistake?

A: Yes, because United Merchant specializes in expired accounts; giving them a partial payment over the phone can inadvertently reset the legal statute of limitations, allowing them to legally sue you for a balance that was previously dead.

Q: A United Merchant agent called me and refused to give their full corporate physical address. Is this allowed?

A: No; United Merchant has been repeatedly sued under the FDCPA for hiding their corporate identities, utilizing untraceable caller ID masking, and failing to provide mandatory written validation notices within five days of initial telephone contact.

Q: How do I permanently block United Merchant Asset Recovery from calling my cell phone and family members?

A: Send a formal, certified written dispute demanding validation and absolute “chain of title”; this legally blocks their phone operations under FDCPA Regulation F, forcing them to produce proof of ownership or abandon the collection.

Attorney Derek DePetrillo

Attorney Derek DePetrillo graduated from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2007 and was admitted to practice law in the State of Massachusetts in 2007. Mr. DePetrillo is also licensed in many federal jurisdictions across the United States.

Mr. DePetrillo has been assisting consumers with consumer protection since 2010. Mr. DePetrillo’s main area of practice is under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Mr. DePetrillo has filed countless lawsuits and arbitration claims against debt collectors and banks. Mr. DePetrillo fights for the little people who have had their rights violated and need a helping hand to guide them through the stressful times of debt collection.

Disclaimer: The information contained in these articles is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Reading or relying on this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Because every legal matter is unique, you should consult a qualified attorney regarding your specific circumstances before making any legal decisions.