How to Respond to AAA Collections

Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Harris is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: If AAA Collections has contacted you about a debt, these five steps will help you respond and resolve it: report FDCPA violations, respond to a debt lawsuit with an Answer, validate your debt, negotiate a debt settlement, and get your agreement in writing. SoloSuit can help you with all these steps and more.

Few things are as nerve-racking as being contacted by a debt collector. So, if you’ve been contacted by AAA Collections, you’ll want to work quickly to reach a settlement and resolve your debt once and for all. Here’s how to respond to AAA Collections.

If you’ve received a Court Summons for a debt collection lawsuit, watch this video to learn how to respond:

What is AAA Collections, Inc.?

AAA Collections in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a group of debt collection companies that specialize in the accelerated recovery of debts—typically medical debts. In case you’re wondering, this is a completely different company from the more well-known “Triple-A” — the American Automobile Association.

Instead, AAA Collections, Inc. (also known as Advanced Asset Alliance) partners with companies spanning multiple industries to collect on outstanding consumer debt.

If you’ve been contacted by AAA Collections, the company is seeking payment on a debt you may owe. Although AAA collects mostly medical bills, it also handles debts from multiple industries, including credit cards, loans, etc.

Contact AAA Collections

AAA Collections is located at 3500 S. First Ave. Circle, Suite 100, Sioux Falls, SD 57105; below is a photograph of the company’s office building:

The AAA Collections phone number is 605-978-9660, but you can also contact the company by email at clientservices@aaa-coll.com.

Is AAA Collections a scam?

AAA Collections is a legitimate collection agency. It can also report you to a credit bureau if your debt goes unresolved. However, its reputation is mixed. As of October 2023, the Better Business Bureau records 17 customer complaints against the company, and another 27 complaints are listed in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s database.

Many complaints allege that AAA Collections contacted individuals about debt that was not legitimate. That’s why it’s important to validate your debt as one of your first steps before seeking to resolve it.

Here’s an example of a real complaint against AAA Collections:

“I received a notification that they allegedly owned a debt of mine. I responded within 30 days letting them know that I did not owe anything and to stop harassing me. They continued to harass me without any attempt at showing the debt was valid. I told them, yet again, that I didn't owe anything and the other person let me know that he didn't actually care if I owed money or not, he was just looking to extract money from me. Now, they're showing ownership of the alleged debt, with a date that clearly indicates that they were harassing me before they even owned this alleged debt.”

AAA Collections reviews

AAA Collections has an average rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars with Google reviews. This means that most consumers do not like dealing with the company.

Resolve your debt with AAA Collections in 5 steps

Resolving your debt may be easier than you realize. But you need to proceed strategically to reach a settlement agreement that you can live with. Here’s how to respond to debt collectors and move toward a lower settlement.

1. Report FDCPA violations

AAA Collections may be a legitimate company, but it is still bound by the law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that protects consumers from aggressive collection practices that include:

Calling you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Failing to identify themselves as a debt collector.
Contacting you more than once per day.
Declining to validate your debt.
Threatening you with arrest for not paying your debt.
Using offensive, vulgar, or intimidating language.
Contacting your friends, coworkers, or family members about your debt.

Has a representative of AAA Collections violated any of these rules? If so, you can report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using the FTC website or by calling 877-382-4357. Violations can also be reported to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through its website or by calling 855-411-2372.

2. Respond to a lawsuit with an Answer

If you’re being sued over past debt, you need to act fast. If you don’t file an Answer with the court, the judge may render a default verdict in favor of AAA Collections. This default judgment may even include legal fees, debt collection fees, or other costs, and you’ll lose your opportunity to negotiate a lower settlement.

SoloSuit makes it easy to draft and file a legal Answer. That’s good news because you may have as little as two to four weeks to file an Answer before you’re faced with a default judgment.

Let’s look at an example of how to resolve a debt with AAA Collections.

Example: Tyler had been ducking AAA Collections for weeks. But that plan fell apart when he received notice of a debt collection lawsuit. Tyler had to act fast. Thankfully, he found SoloSuit and was able to follow the prompts to draft his Answer and file it before the deadline. As a result, Tyler bought some time to verify that the debt was legitimate and work toward negotiating a lower settlement to resolve his debt completely.

Start using SoloSuit today to draft and file your Answer.

3. Validate your debt

How can you know for sure that the debt is even yours? Request that AAA Collections send you a Debt Validation Letter. In this letter, you should find information that includes:

Your original creditor’s identity.
The age of the debt.
Evidence that connects you to the debt.
How much you owe on the debt.
The date of your last payment (if applicable).

AAA Collections must also provide you with licensing information that validates its right to operate within your state.

4. Negotiate a settlement

If AAA Collections can’t prove that the debt is yours, you may be able to fight the lawsuit in court. Otherwise, your best option is to negotiate a lower settlement amount. After all, many debt collection agencies prefer accepting a lower amount over facing a lengthy legal process.

You can use SoloSettle to offer to pay a portion of the total debt — 60% is a good place to start. AAA Collections may not agree to this number, but it will probably present a counteroffer. You can go back and forth until you find a mutually agreeable settlement.

Get the negotiation process started with SoloSettle.

5. Get your settlement in writing

Always get your settlement agreement in writing. Otherwise, you run the risk of debt collectors seeking a default judgment anyway. The SoloSettle app will provide documentation that your debt has been settled for the agreed-upon amount.

Don’t forget to save any additional correspondence with AAA Collections. This includes emails, letters, and other documents that demonstrate a negotiation process. Documenting everything will give you an added layer of protection from dishonest debt collectors.

Sued for debt? Here's how to draft a winning Answer

Now that we've covered the steps you should take to respond to your lawsuit, let's explore how you can draft the strongest Answer possible. Here are some quick tips on how to draft a winning Answer from a real attorney:

Get out of debt and get on with life

Don’t feel paralyzed by massive debt. Take each step one at a time and work toward negotiating a settlement. SoloSuit can help you draft an Answer and start the negotiation process to settle your debt quickly and at a price you can afford.

Settle with SoloSettle

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