Looking to sue Credit Acceptance Corp? Small claims court is an option, and you may have others…
At FairShake we’ve helped thousands of people ripped off by big companies like Credit Acceptance Corp. And we’ve helped get millions of dollars in settlement offers…
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Tired of hitting dead ends when trying to get a refund from Credit Acceptance Corp? Feeling like there’s nowhere to turn?
You’re not alone. It seems like many people have tried all the Credit Acceptance Corp customer service options, but still feel unheard.
There are different ways to file a complaint against Credit Acceptance Corp, but none have the same power and leverage as taking legal action.
So, if you’re thinking of suing Credit Acceptance Corp, where do you even start? You might expect there to be tons of class action lawsuits against them, but it’s often more complicated than that.
What many people don’t know is that hidden clauses buried deep within their contracts frequently allow companies like Credit Acceptance Corp to push legal claims into the private realm of consumer arbitration, away from conventional courts.
But here’s the thing: your Credit Acceptance Corp contract doesn’t have the power to take away your right to pursue legal action by suing them.
Here’s what you can do…
To find out if you can take Credit Acceptance Corp to arbitration, you can check your contract or user agreement with them. Many companies’ standard contract are available on their websites. You can do a search for “arbitration” arbitration within the contract text — it is usually mentioned near the very top of a contract.
Learn more about the consumer arbitration process here.
Taking Credit Acceptance Corp to Small Claims Court will typically involve appearing in person and completing necessary forms.
If you’re ready to sue Credit Acceptance Corp in Small Claims Court, read on below:
Even though you are ready to sue Credit Acceptance Corp, you won’t necessarily be able to bring your case before small claims court. Why not? Because small claims courts are reserved for specific types of cases. You need to check on two things:
The type of compensation you want. When you sue Credit Acceptance Corp you can usually only ask for one type of compensation in small claims court and that is monetary. This means you can only ask for a dollar amount.If your claim doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.
Assuming you qualify the next step is to send a demand letter. Before you can sue Credit Acceptance Corp, you have to ask them to voluntarily fix the problem.
This is a very simple and straightforward letter, don’t put any unnecessary pressure on yourself when writing it. All you need to do is list who you are with your contact information and maybe your account information, what your problem is with the company, and how you want them to fix the problem.
Small claims courts usually require that you do this first and that you prove you’ve done it first so think of it as checking off a box.
When you are done all you have to do is mail it through certified mail or some other form of mail that can confirm receipt to their official address. According to our most recent research, Credit Acceptance Corp is legally based in Michigan and receives mail at this address:
Credit Acceptance Corporation
C/O CSC-LAWYERS INCORPORATING SERVICE
3410 BELLE CHASE WAY
STE 600
LANSING, MI 48911
If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.
If they didn’t solve the problem upon receipt of your demand letter, now is when you move forward to sue Credit Acceptance Corp.
This starts with filling out the official paperwork. Visit your state court website where you will find free copies of all the documents required by your state and County. Fill them out, usually in triplicate.
You can find the details of how many copies you need on that same website. Make sure you bring enough copies as well.
Every state and county is slightly different in terms of how they require you to go about this process. In almost all situations however you will be required to visit a specific Courthouse during certain hours and present the documents in person.
You will need to pay the small claims court filing fee, the amount of which can be listed on the state court website.
The county clerk will review everything, stamp the copies, keep one copy for the court, and give you back the rest. They will also give you a hearing date.
One of the copies given back to you is for Credit Acceptance Corp. You have to officially serve them which is to say you officially notified them they are being sued.
Again, every court has different parameters for how you have to go about this. You can visit your state court website to find the specific information for your county. Some of the rules seem very odd but you have to follow each and everyone otherwise they will throw out your case.
Now you have to refer back to that hearing date you were given by the county clerk. Very important that you show up to the right courthouse at the right time.
This is the time when the judge will make a decision about your case so it’s important to bring any evidence you have against the company to back up why you decided to sue Credit Acceptance Corp. They may or may not send someone to oppose you but either way use the time to present your side of the story.
Ready to sue Credit Acceptance Corp in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…
Get justice when a business lets you down:
FairShake’s Ultimate Guide to Consumer Complaints
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