Adela Agency

08/04/2021

Enjoyed meeting all those that stopped by our booth at the Mississippi Municipal League 90th Annual Conference last weekend. Congratulations to Councilman Charles McCoy, Greenwood Ms for winning our $100 door prize and to Mayor Justin McKenzie for winning the Adela wireless phone charger. We are looking forward to working with the many municipalities to reduce their outstanding delinquencies.

08/10/2020

Our office is open during the hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday - Friday. However, due to the virus limitations, we are not taking payments at our location at this time. Our payment website, www.payadela.com, is available for you to complete your payment. You may also call our office to make a free check by phone payment or mail in your payment to Adela Agency, Post Office Box 1745, Hattiesburg, MS 39403.

If you have any questions or need information about your account, we will be glad to assist you. Just call our office at 601-583-5450.

We hope you are all doing well during this virus crisis. It has been hard on everyone. If you have a change in your employment status, please call and let us know. Until we can get back to normal, some are currently forced into unemployment. We will work with you to set up an arrangement that will work for you. Stay safe and be blessed.

The Consumer Website for the Adela Agency

03/27/2020

Although we would disagree, most people would say that a collection agency is not an essential business. 🙂 So in accordance with Mayor Barker's Executive Order, we have closed our physical location until April 8th but our website, www.payadela.com, is available 24 hours a day to take your payment or our automated agent can assist you. We have established remote capabilities so you may also call our main number 601-583-5450 and take option 2 if you are a consumer needing to speak with someone. If you are a client, please take option 1.

These are challenging times for the nation's workforce and businesses but we will all get through this together. If you are one of our accounts, we ask that you stay in communication with our office about your situation should it change. Remember to keep those hands washed often, keep them away from your face, be conscious of what you are touching and clean your hands after touching anything that multiple others may have touched such as the gas pumps, keypads for card transactions, money, and product packaging. Pray for our nation and may God bless you all. Stay home and stay safe!

The Consumer Website for the Adela Agency

03/17/2020

CORONAVIRUS PROCEDURES IN PLACE:

Our nation today is facing an invisible enemy. It is imperative that we come together as a nation to stop its forward movement. Following the CDC guidelines, we will not be accepting in person payments at our office for the near future or until the emergency has calmed down.

We will be open during our normal business hours to assist you by telephone. You may also visit our website, www.payadela.com, if you need to make your payment on your account. If you have lost your job due to the closures, please call our office so we can work with you. We understand that most people will face financial struggles in the short term future. Temporary reductions in payment arrangements are available for those that face difficulties due to the virus. Our office number is 601-583-5450 and our office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.

Thank you and stay safe. Wash your hands frequently, stay home if you can, and remember that anything you touch may carry the virus. This includes pin pads for your debit card, gas pumps, door handles, counters, seats, shopping buggies....the list is endless. We got this Hattiesburg!

The Consumer Website for the Adela Agency

03/13/2020

We have an automated agent on our www.payadela.com website so there is no need for you to come into our office to make your payment. Remember to minimize contact in public places, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water, and use hand sanitizer when water isn't available. If you need assistance or want to pay with a free check by phone, call our office at 601-583-5450.

The Consumer Website for the Adela Agency

02/23/2020

Changes are anticipated to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) this year and they are positive for the consumer as well as the industry.

The FDCPA was enacted in 1978 for the purpose of preventing abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors. In 1978, there were no cell phones, no internet, and no email or texting. The proposed changes will define the use of current technology as well as better define aspects of the law that are ambiguous due to the many changes over 40 years.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under the oversight of Kathy Kraninger started the process of updating the law over the past few years. The CFPB has asked for the input of consumers and members of the Collection Industry several different times in the process. Hearings have been held for comments and the CFPB has listened.

The proposed rules have been released but until the FINAL RULES are published in the Federal Register, the FDCPA stands as it was enacted in 1978. The CFPB has placed the Final Rule on their 2020 agenda but without a definite date. Because this is an election year, this could change should there be changes in the makeup of our Congress. Although the proposed changes would benefit both consumers and the industry, we have witnessed our political landscape become toxic against anything the current administration does.

Here is a link to the CFPB document explaining the proposed changes. These "rules" may be changed in the FINAL RULE when its published but this will give you insight on what is proposed.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/bureau-proposes-regulations-implement-fair-debt-collection-practices-act/

https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_debt-collection-fast-facts.pdf

02/19/2020

Today I want to cover debt scammers. You should NEVER give your full social security out over the telephone, online, or to a person who shows up at your home. Professional collectors are required to verify that they are speaking to the person that owes the account they are working. This is required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act law. They may ask you for the LAST 4 DIGITS of your social or ask you to verify your birth year or birthday. Think about it. Anyone can look up your address, your middle name, or other information that may be in public view so we try to ask you to verify information that only you may know.

Next, a debt scammer will also tell you that they are sending someone to your house to arrest you. Nope. Not going to happen. They are trying to scare you into providing your payment information. If you are being sued on a debt, you will be served a summons...not go to jail.

Lastly, always ask what company they represent, where are they located, and ask for the name and telephone number of the caller if you are suspicious. Its ok to question and a reputable, professional collector will work with you. Our goal is to protect your privacy, but we do need to speak with you about an account that has been listed with our office. Here is a great video provided by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, also known as the CFPB. The CFPB is a government agency that regulates collection activity and you will find accurate information there. www.consumerfinance.gov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcQ1a_Gg8tI

Dealing with debt collection issues can be challenging—especially when you’re not sure if the person you’re being contacted by is legitimate or trying to sca...

02/18/2020

Thanks to everyone who has visited and liked our page! Remember that if you have any questions about debt collection or suggestions for future posts, please message us. We are working on adding more content to the page soon.

02/17/2020

Welcome to the Adela Agency! We are a professional debt collection service located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our clients include utilities, municipalities, medical, dental, financial services, veterinarians, apartments, and retail businesses. We have a consumer website, www.payadela.com. You can scan the QR code below with your phone camera and it will take you directly to the website. There is a lot of information to assist you if you have received a notice from our office, make a payment online, or you just want to know more about laws, regulations, and your rights. We are here to assist you. Our office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are closed for holidays but very soon an automated assistant can help you twenty four hours a day. Once it is activated, we will post a link to access it. Thank you for visiting our page and we encourage you to message us with your questions.