Debt Collector in Des Moines Fired for Abusive Calls

A supervisor at Waterloo, Iowa-based collection agency CBE Group who was fired for frequent violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act recently was turned down for unemployment benefits, according to a story today in the Des Moines Register.

Justin Saiz was a supervisor at CBE Group’s Des Moines office from January 2005 until April of 2007. The company said it began investigating Saiz’s behavior following a complaint by a consumer, and reviewed tapes of all his calls made to debtors, CBE testified at a June 6 EEOC hearing dealing with Saiz’s benefits.

CBE said Saiz made the following statemtns while on the phone with debtors:

- HE told one man who owed $1,804 to a creditor, "You are not a wealthy man … You are screwed with this $1,804."

- TOLD the same man, "You sound like Goofy: yucka, yucka, yucka." Following that up with, "stop flapping your gums."

- In a different call, Saiz told a debtor, "All bets are off … It’s our way or no way … You get it?"

- Saiz asked one man to write down some information. Saiz then said: "All right, listen very, very carefully. I need you to pay attention here." Saiz paused, then shouted "Get off my phone, debtor," and slammed down the phone.

The statements led CBE to fire Saiz in April of this year. “We have solid policies and procedures in place to deal with these kinds of infractions,” Scott Blanchard, executive vice president and chief operating officer, told insideARM.com.  “It’s part of our corporate nature.  We think of ourselves as a good and fair employer, while at the same time protecting not just the company’s best interest, but the best interest of our clients as well.”

Ken Braddock, senior director of operations for CBE Group, argued against Saiz’s unemployment claim, testified that Saiz’s actions directly damaged CBE Group’s reputation, and the reputation of its clients.

Saiz, who was unavailable for comment, had alleged during THE benefits hearing that he was encouraged in his “naturally aggressive nature” by CBE Group.

“That’s simply not true,” Blanchard says.  “Breaking the law isn’t anything we would ever encourage in an employee.”

Administrative Law Judge Bonny Hendricksmeyer ruled in favor of the CBE Group, denying Saiz’s request for unemployment benefits.

"He was demeaning and condescending,” Hendricksmeyer ruled; "this is not acceptable conduct."

CBE Group has been in the news as one of the two collection agencies contracted with the Internal Revenue Service to provide private debt collection.