Contacted by Atlantic Recovery Solutions? Here’s What to Do Next

If Atlantic Recovery Solutions (ARS) has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, two specific complaint patterns are worth knowing before you engage.

First, ARS representatives threatened a servicemember that they would contact his military chain of command and attempt to revoke his security clearance over an unpaid consumer debt. Second, a documented CFPB complaint describes an ARS collector telling a consumer they would not send debt validation because the notification window had “passed.” That is false, and it’s an FDCPA violation.

ARS is a Getzville, New York debt collector that is not known for filing lawsuits against consumers. This guide covers who they are, what their complaint record shows, and how to respond.

Who Is Atlantic Recovery Solutions?

Atlantic Recovery Solutions, LLC is a third-party debt collection agency founded in December 2012 and based in Getzville, New York. The company has been BBB-accredited since 2015 and has accumulated 87 CFPB complaints since 2015, over 57 BBB complaints in recent years, and at least 31 federal civil cases. Multiple consumer protection attorneys confirm ARS is not known for filing lawsuits against individual consumers.

ARS is a separate company from the debt collection ring that was shut down by the CFPB and New York Attorney General in 2022, which also operated out of Getzville. If you searched for ARS and found that enforcement action, it does not involve Atlantic Recovery Solutions.

Why ARS Is on Your Credit Report

Atlantic Recovery Solutions collects for a broad range of client types across several industries:

• Auto lenders: Vehicle financing deficiencies and unpaid balances.
• Mortgage and home loan servicers: Past-due home loan balances.
• Credit card issuers: Charged-off consumer card balances.
• Personal loan lenders: Consumer installment loan debts.
• Retailers: Store credit and service balances.
• Property managers: Unpaid rent and lease fees.

ARS does not purchase debt outright, which means the original creditor retains ownership throughout the collection process.

The Military Clearance Threat

A documented 2017 complaint describes two ARS representatives calling a servicemember and his wife. The representatives threatened to contact the servicemember’s military chain of command, take away his security clearance, and told him the situation could affect his military career.

Threatening to contact a consumer’s employer about a debt is severely restricted under the FDCPA. Threatening to use a consumer’s employer to pressure payment and making false representations about the consequences of non-payment are documented FDCPA violations.

If you are active duty military and ARS has made similar threats, document everything, contact the Judge Advocate General (JAG) office at your installation, and file a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov.

The False Validation Deadline Claim

A documented CFPB complaint describes a consumer asking an ARS representative to send written validation of the debt. The representative responded that the debt “has gone past the notification process” and refused to send documentation. The consumer correctly understood this was not legally accurate.

Under the FDCPA, consumers can request debt validation at any time. While the strict 30-day window for certain protections applies after first contact, a collector’s obligation to provide validation information does not expire. Telling consumers they have lost the right to receive validation is a misrepresentation that violates federal law.

The Voicemail Identification Class Action

In 2016, a class action was filed against ARS alleging that their voicemail messages failed to identify the caller as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Under the FDCPA, every communication from a debt collector must disclose that it is an attempt to collect a debt. A voicemail that states only “we have been attempting to reach you regarding a legally required notice” without identifying as a debt collector is potentially non-compliant.

If you received vague voicemails from ARS without a debt collector identification, save them. They are potential evidence of an FDCPA violation.

What ARS Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Atlantic Recovery Solutions. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Threaten to contact military chain of command: A documented ARS complaint.
• Misrepresent consumer rights around validation: Telling consumers the validation window has expired is false.
• Leave voicemails without identifying as a debt collector: Subject of a 2016 class action.
• Contact family members and leave personal voicemails: Documented complaint of a personal voicemail left on a brother’s cell phone.
• Call at odd hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.
• Continue calling after a written cease-contact request: Documented in multiple complaints.

New York has a 3-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. File complaints at consumerfinance.gov and with the New York Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Bureau.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Do not pay or admit the debt is yours until you have verified it. Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. If ARS tells you validation is no longer available because the notification period has passed, that is false. You always have the right to request validation, and their refusal to provide it after a written request is itself an FDCPA violation worth reporting.

Ask for the original creditor, the account number, the full balance breakdown, and the date of original delinquency.

How to Check Your Credit Report for ARS Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the balance correct? Is the original creditor accurately identified? Does the account appear under both the original creditor and ARS as separate negative entries?

Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can ARS Legally Pursue the Debt?

New York has a 3-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts, one of the shorter limits in the country. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset the clock. Check the original delinquency date carefully before engaging.

Your Options for Resolving an ARS Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Negotiate a settlement: ARS may accept reduced amounts. Get any agreement in writing before paying.
• Request a pay-for-delete: Ask whether ARS will remove the account in exchange for payment. Get it in writing before paying.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the debt is past New York’s 3-year limit or contains errors, dispute with the credit bureaus.
• Document any FDCPA violations: Voicemails without identification, family contact, and employer threats are all worth preserving for a potential claim.

How to Contact Atlantic Recovery Solutions

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible:

• Address: Atlantic Recovery Solutions, LLC, 33 Dodge Rd, Suite 108, Getzville, NY 14068
• Mailing address: PO Box 156 E, Amherst, NY 14051
• Phone: (866) 328-1359

Bottom Line

ARS is not known for filing lawsuits, but their documented complaint patterns, including threatening a servicemember’s military career and lying about validation rights, are serious FDCPA violations. New York’s short 3-year statute of limitations is one of the strongest defenses available on older accounts.

Verify the debt, document every contact, and report any threats about your employer or military status to the CFPB and JAG immediately.