How to Beat Mercantile Adjustment Bureau

Dena Standley | March 06, 2023

Edited by Hannah Locklear

No one likes receiving a call from anyone asking for money, let alone debt collectors. It’s understandable if you feel frustrated after receiving several calls from Mercantile Adjustment Bureau (MAB). As a debt collection agency with over 30 years of experience, MAR has mastered the art of harassing consumers into paying their outstanding debt.

So, if you have received a call or email from MAB, there may be a pending debt somewhere, and they will actively seek out their money. But do not despair. Today, SoloSuit will give you exhaustive information on how to beat Mercantile Adjustment Bureau and save yourself from plunging deeper into debt.

But first, have you sent a Debt Validation Letter for MAB to verify the debt belongs to you? Watch the following video on why Debt Validation Letter succeeds in stopping debt collectors from pursuing you.

What is the Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, and how does it work?

Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, LLC is a legitimate debt collection agency headquartered in Buffalo, New York. It has been in operation since 1992 and were incorporated in 2001. But, according to MAB’s website, they have been in operation since 1934, with several people owning the business before formalization.

MAB initially collected outstanding debt for healthcare institutions but later expanded to include municipal government agencies, mortgage lenders, higher education providers, and tech companies. They either purchase a long-standing debt for pennies on a dollar or collect debt for a company and are paid a percentage of the amount recovered.

You can reach Mercantile Adjustment Bureau using the following contact information:

Physical Address:
165 Lawrence Bell Dr. Ste 100
Buffalo, NY 14221-7900
Website: Mercantile Adjustment Bureau
Phone number: (800) 480-7094

Complaints against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau

As with most debt collection companies, MAB has received tens of complaints from unhappy consumers in their BBB profile and on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database. So far, BBB has closed 61 complaints and CFPB 145 complaints, with favorable resolutions being met between the two parties. The following is an example of a complaint in their BBB profile:

“Mercantile adjustment contacts me to pay with a credit card. I had retained an attorney and told them that. Sadly, I have long-term health issues from covid. My attorney had spoken to the original creditor over a year ago, and they wrote off the debt because of my circumstances. Mercantile said they worked for this company, but once I talked to my attorney, I found out they purchased bad debt, including mine. They continued to try to collect after being written off. Previously, my attorney told me I could sue for fair debt violation.”

If you have had a bad experience with MAB, you can beat them once you know your rights and use the proper channels to report them.

Exercise your rights when Mercantile Adjustment Bureau Contacts you

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers from companies such as Mercantile Adjustment Bureau. These guidelines were formulated to control debt collection agencies who sometimes use extreme methods to collect money. The guidelines state that debt collectors should not:

• Call you a dozen times a day for a single debt
• Contact your loved ones or colleagues to ask about your debt
• Threaten you with arrest
• Threaten to take your driving license and other vital documents
• Refuse to identify themselves and the company they work for
• Fail to verify the debt once you send a Debt Validation Letter

If you encounter any of the above violations, submit a complaint against Mercantile Adjustment Bureau on their BBB profile and CFPB website. You can also report them to the Fair Trade Commission website and your state’s attorney general's office.

Steps to respond to Mercantile Adjustment Bureau Lawsuit

MAB also provides litigation services to their clients, meaning that if you ignore their repeated attempts to collect a debt, they may file a lawsuit against you. Once you receive the suit, you must act fast to avoid legal repercussions. Take the following steps to save yourself from getting into a worse financial situation.

Don’t like reading? Watch this video:

1. Answer each claim listed in the Complaint

In the lawsuit you receive, you’ll have a Complaint document that lists the claims and allegations MAB made against you. You must respond to each allegation using either of the following three responses:

• Admit: This means acknowledging the specific claim made is true. Notably, admitting to all the claims listed is detrimental because it will lead to a judgment for MAB.
• Deny: This response usually insinuates that MAB needs to prove what they claim about you is true.
• Deny due to lack of knowledge: This politely denies the claim because you are not sure whether the claim is factual or not.

Legal professionals advise consumers to deny most claims, giving more work to the collection agencies to prove the case. This move often works in your favor because MAB may lose the case or be willing to accept a settlement offer.

2. Assert your affirmative defenses

Affirmative defenses involve explaining why you are not responsible for the debt and, if the debt is legitimate, why you should not pay. Ensure the defenses you give are factual, and you have the documents to prove it. If the defenses are weighty enough, MAB may dismiss the case or give you a settlement offer. Some affirmative defenses you can use include:

• The debt has passed the statute of limitations
• MAB debt information was inaccurate
• The debt was canceled or paid off
• MAB violated your consumer rights
• MAB lacks legal standing to collect from you

Fortunately, SoloSuit can help you outline the affirmative defenses using our Answer document.

3. File the Answer in court, and send a copy to Mercantile Adjustment Bureau

Once you finish steps one and two, print the Answer and make two copies. Send a copy to the court via mail, or you can deliver it to the courthouse—other courts also allow electronic filing. Next, send another copy to MAB attorneys and keep the last copy in your records.

It would be futile if you go through the trouble of answering the claims and listing your defenses and the document fails to reach the court in time. So, ensure you send the letter within the timeline given in your state.

Settle your debt with Mercantile Adjustment Bureau

If you carry out the above steps correctly, you have a chance to ask MAB to settle the debt. You can also request debt settlement before they sue you, preferably after they've responded to your Debt Validation Letter.

SoloSettle is an easy-to-use, tech-based approach to debt settlement. It allows you to send a settlement offer to MAB and receive their counteroffers until you reach an agreement.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to answer a summons for debt collection in your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

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