Complaint Review: National Action Financial Srevices - Household International - HSBC - United Recovery Services

I recently got a cell phone number from a new provider for my business. I had business cards and promotional pens printed up. This company started calling me trying to collect from another person (a woman), who apparently had this number before. I have told them OVER AND OVER, that this is not me, obviously because I am MALE. I have tried to explain that this is a BUSINESS ONLY phone and that I am in NO way connected with this other person (a female).

They always use tactics to suggest that the consumer is being unreasonable. "You need to stop yelling.....blah blah blah....pay your bills...." First of all, I have no debt with them, it is this other person. Secondly, debt collectors are POND SCUM, nothing more. They will not accept that I'm not the person. I have 2 options, call the attorney general, or sue. I'm learning towards suing, as they have been very rude, and I'd like it more.

BTW: Everyone, get out of the credit card business. Charging stuff or borrowing makes the banks wealthy, not you...

If you're a debt collector, sorry to burst your bubble, YOU ARE POND SCUM, maybe even lower.

Bob,

First, I should tell you that the CAPS LOCK button is usually on the far left side of your keyboard, and the light should be OFF when typing a rebuttal on Rip Off Report, or anywhere on the interent. It is rude to use all caps, and aginst Rip Off Report posting rules.

Now with that said. The part I really liked about your rebuttal above was that paying debt keeps interest rates down. WRONG!! Bad debt has absolutely nothing to do with interest rates. This is a myth and a scam being perpetrated on the public. If everyone paid all of their bills, we would still pay the same interest rates. The banks would just find another reason or method to gouge us. Interest rates are based on whatever the market will bear. That is the rule.

And, I can say with certainty that at least half of the "clients" you represent are JUNK DEBT BUYERS. This is a standard in the industry now.

Here's an idea! Why don't creditors practice RESPONSIBLE LENDING instead of predatory lending? If they did, they would not have the need for collectors to collect on unsecured bad debt. Unsecured debt is dangerous and the entire industry needs reform. That is an absolute fact.

Third party debt collectors are, on the whole, out of control. The MAJORITY violate FDCPA. I know this for a fact as well. I have worked extensively in the financial industry and know the inside. Thats why I successfully walked away from 34 creditors for approx $170k almost 5 years ago, and to date do not have even 1 judgement on me and have not paid 1 dime to anyone.

FYI. When I "WALKED away", I had a spotless credit history for 14 years and a 735 credit score. I had every intention of paying every creditor, but they got greedy and displayed arrogance. I had to educate them. Once I had large balances they figured they could just keep raising my rates. They got greedy and lost.

I now have my credit score over 600 and climbing fast. I never filed BK. The little guy can beat the big guys when properly educated and motivated.

Remember, NEVER speak to any debt collector on the phone!

I AM A CURRENT EMPLOYEE AT NATIONAL ACTION FINANCIAL SERVICES.... WE ARE NOT A HACK AGENCY.WE HAVE BEEN IN BUISNESS FOR OVER 10 YEARS.THERE IS HACK AGENCY'S OUT THERE BUT WE ARE NOT ONE OF THEM.WE HAVE 15-20 CREDITORS THAT WE WORK FOR........WE DO NOT BUY DEBT !!.......WHEN WE COLLECT MONEY ON OVERDUE ACCOUNTS IT IS FOR YOUR CREDITOR.AS FOR THE WOMAN WHO CLAIMS THAT SHE IS GETTING CALLS FROM 6AM-10PM,IM SORRY BUT YUOU ARE LYING.IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GET A PHONE CALL THAT EARLY FROM THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM,OR AS LATE AS 10PM FOR THAT MATTER....WE ARE ON THE EASTERN TIME ZONE AND ARE ONLY IN THE OFFICE FROM 8AM EST-9PM EST MON-THURSDAY FRIDAY 8AM-5PM AND SATURDAY 8AM-12 NOON...FDCPA LAW SAYS THAT WE CAN CALL YOU IN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8AM-9PM A COLLECTOR CANNOT CALL YOU BEFORE OR AFTER THESE TIMES BECAUSE THE PHONE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO BLOCK OUT YOUR AREA CODEIF IT IS TOO EARLY OR TOO LATE TO CALL......

AS FOR THE WHOLE LISA STERN MESSAGE....LISA STERN IS A COMPUTER GENERATED MESSAGE,AND THIS MESSAGE IS NOT HARASSING,AND NOT ILLEGAL.
IF YOU WANT PHONE CALLS TO STOP THERE IS SOME VERY EASY WAYS TO ACOMPLISH THIS:

#1.PAY YOUR BILL-WE DO NOT INTEND TO HARASS YOU WE JUST WANT TO MAKE AN ARRAINGEMENT THAT IS SUITABLE FOR YOU AND OUR CLIENT.MOSWT OF OUR CREDITORS WANT A COMMITMENT FROM YOU OF SETTING UP POST DATED CHECKS IF YOU WANT TO DO MONTHLY PAYMENTS.AS FAR AS PAYMENT AMOUNTS $100 PER MONTH IS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE ON AN ACCOUNT

#2.TALK TO US-DONT CALL IN SCREAMING,CALLING NAMES,THREATENING PHYSICAL HARM,THREATENING TO SUE,THREATENING WITH YOUR ATTORNEY,NONE OF THIS REALLY PHASES US BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE.TALK TO US IN A NORMAL TONE.IF WE ARE INDEED CALLING THE WRONG NUMBER WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO CONTINUE TO CALL YOU.BUT REMEMBER WE WILL BE VERIFYING WHAT YOU TELL US AND WITH OUR SKIP TRACING TOOLS WE CAN USUALLY TELL IF YOUR LYING.IF YOU REALLY DONT KNOW THE PERSON WE ARE LOOKING FOR WE HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING YOUR NUMBER OUT

#3.HIRE AN ATTORNEY-YOU CAN GO OUT AND PAY AN ATTORNEY A $300-$1000 RETAINER FOR HIM TO USE A LEGAL LETTER TO GET US TO STOP COMMUNICATING WUITH YOU......BUT WHY? IF YOU TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR DEBT WE WILL WORK WITH YOU THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU WOULD PAY AN ATTORNEY WILL MOST LIKELY ALSO BE ENOUGH TO PAY YOU BILL OFF FOR A SETTLEMENT

#4.SEND A CEASE AND DESIST-YOU CAN DO THIS AND THE FDCPA LAW ALLOWS YOU DO DO THIS BUT UNDERSTAND,THIS WILL NOT STOP NEGATIVE MARKS FROM BEING REPORTED TO YOUR CREDIT REPORT,THIS WILL NOT MAKE YOUR BILL GO AWAY,YOU WILL STILL OWE THE CREDITOR THE MONEY,AND THE COLLECTIONS PROCESS WILL CONTINUE.

SOME FACTS ABOUT US....

WE DO HAVE SOME "PRE-LEGAL" CLIENTS IN THE OFFICE.....THIS IS NOT A LIE.....THE CREDITOR SENDS THESE ACCOUNTS TO US AS A LAST EFFORT BEFORE FILING FOR CIVIL PROCESS.THEY GIVE US A SHORT TIME TO COLLECT ON THESE DEBTS THEN THEY RECALL THE ACCOUNTS FROM OUR OFFICE.MOST OF THE TIME IF YOU MAKE A MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN THIS WILL PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO YOUR ACCOUNT

WE ARE COMMISSIONED EMPLOYEE'S THIS IS OBVIOUSLY WELL ESTABLISHED.THE EMPLOYEE'S DO GET A BASE PAY WHICH IS FROM $8 HR TO $12 HR.THEY DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BONUS IF THEY HIT THEIR GOAL FOR COLLECTION FOR THE MONTH.THEY WILL NOT BE FIRED IF THEY DONT COLLECT YOUR DEBT

WE DO NOT BUY DEBT.THE DEBT IN OUR OFFICE IS OWNED BY OUR CREDITORS.GRANTED SOME OF OUR CREDITORS DID PURCHASE THIS DEBT FROM YOUR ORIGINAL CREDITOR BUT YOU ARE STILL RESPONCIBLE AND HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PAY THAT AMOUNT BACK.YOU CAN VERIFY THIS WITH WHOMEVER YOU'D LIKE.

SOME FACTS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT DEBT

VERY SELDOM WILL A CREDITOR EVER "WRITE OFF" DEBT.IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

"CHARGED OFF"IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WRITTEN OFF.CHARGED OFF SIMPLY MEANS THAT THE CREDITOR HAS HIRED AN OUTSIDE ENTITY TO COLLECT THE DELINQUENT DEBT.

$5 A MONTH IS NOT A PROPER ARRAINGEMENT.I HAD READ THAT SOMEONE HAD WRITTEN "IF YOU PAY THEM $5 PER MONTH THEY CANT DO ANYTHING" THIS IS WRONG! THE CREDITOR CAN STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE COLLECTIONS PROCESS IF YOU DO NOT MAKE A SUITABLE ARRAINGEMENT.

SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT IF THE DEBT IS "UNSECURED" THAT THERE IS NOTHING A CREDITOR CAN DO TO YOU IF YOU DONT PAY.THIS IS WRONG! A CREDITOR CAN STILL GO THROUGH CIVIL PROCESS AGAINST YOU.THAT IS A RIGHT THAT EVERY CREDITOR HAS.

CHECKS SYSTEMS-WE DO HAVE SOME CLIENTS IN THE OFFICE THAT IS OVERDRAWN CHECKING ACCOUNTS.CHECKS SYSTEMS IS USED BY JUST ABOUT EVERY BANK IN THE UNITED STATES.YOU CAN BE REFUSED BUISNESS FROM A BANK IF YOPU ARE ON CHECKS SYSTEMS.IF YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT AND YOU ARE PLACED ON CHECKS SYSTEMS YOUR BANK CAN CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT EVEN IF ITS WITH ANOTHER BANK.I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES

IN CLOSING:
WE ARE IN A VERY HARD INDUSTRY TO WORK IN.WE HAVE FAMILYS AND WE HAVE BILLS TO PAY TO.COLLECTIONS IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO KEEP INTEREST RATES DOWN.TREAT US THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.IF YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYEED THAT IS INSULTING YOU OR CALLING YOU NAMES ASK TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER.I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS ENTIRE POSTING.ANY INFORMATION THAT I HAVE GIVEN HERE CAN BE VERIFIED IF YOU DO NOT BELIVE IT.WE HELP NUMEROUS,NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH GETTING THEIR DEBTS RESOLVED.

CONSIDER THIS:
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE MAKES 150 CALLS PER DAY
TIMES
400 EMPLOYEES
TIMES
5 DAYS A WEEK
TIMES
52 WEEKS A YEAR
THAT IS
15,600,000 PHONE CALLS PER YEAR
THERE IS BOUND TO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT COMPLAIN BUT LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE NEVER HAVE A COMPLAINT FROM AND WE WORK WITH TO GET THEIR DEBTS RESOLVED

WE ARE NOT OUT TO BE THE ENEMY.
WE ARE JUST DOING OUR JOB.

Lauri is obviously a debt collector as her reply is exactly the uneducated drivel that we normall get from them.

Lauri, NEWSFLASH! As soon as someone tells a collector that they are not to call and/or they have the wrong party, etc..Any further communications are a violation of FEDERAL LAW.

Guess what? I get paid by collectors. I notify them ONE TIME and the next communication they get from me is a summons. Then they are paying me. It is a beutiful thing when you can get paid by a collection agency! It happens every day.

I sue collection agencies for sport. It is like a hobby of mine, that pays me.

Just the hours of the calls alone were an illegal contact. Then the multiple calls, again, illegal contact. Disclosing another person's indebtedness to a third party, another illegal act. This is like shooting fish in a barrel! These violations are worth $1000 plus costs. It is a hands down win. All you have to do is file and wait to get paid. They always settle before going to court.

SUE ALL COLLECTORS.

Hi,

I just wanted to give some input for those out there concerned about National Action Financial Services Inc. A little about this situation at first hand! I had been leased through Ford Motor Credits for a Car and it ended up getting Repossessed when I no longer could work due to Pregnancy! My payments were late and I was notified about my account going to a collection agency! NOW! Three YEARS later, I had moved a couple of times and they have not found me. I recently got a new PO BOX in my area and they found me and sent me a letter! (National Action Financial Servies) that is! I got a settlement offer that was not to pass up! My original Ammount was left for around 1,120.00 (SAD I KNOW) and the settlement offer WAS FOR 412.00!!!!! ALmost .40 cent to the dollar! I was leary about this and called them! I had NO idea if they were legit or not! I asked where they were located! Asked them what account info they had on me and the last digits of my social! I MADE them CONFIRM WITH ME!!! They passed on that but I was still leary! How did they get my PO BOX? Well, they legally get information for debt reasons to locate an unfinished debt! LEARY!!!! I asked how they got my info on my Ford Motor Account? He said his company buys out theses debted contracts and they take the innitiative to collect of course making money off a percentage!!!!.

He said I could either pay my settlement with Ford Motor Credits or pay them! He said that they are No.1 collector in America and 2nd Nationawide!!! hmmmm...I said I would just PAY Ford Motor Credits this settlement AND asked them for Ford's toll free number!!! His response was he didnt have the number! Hmm. You are NO.1 in America and he told me he deals for MAJORITY of Ford Motor Credit's Debts. So I told him I would call him back! I called Ford and asked them about National Action Financial and if they heard of them and if I can make my settlement with them! Ford Motor Said they never heard of them and that I have to handle my account with their National RECOVERY Center for payments since my account is closed and no longer in their hands.

I did this all late last night and they were closed! BUMMER! and i have to make this deal with National Action Financial if they are legit cause it's my dead line date! I called National Action Financial back and explained to them that they were never heard of from Ford Motor Credit. He said he doesnt know what elese to do to convince me they are a legitament company collectings this debt! I told him in my letter stated that I can Extend this date and if i can til tomorrow so I can do some more research and call Ford Motors Credit's National Recovery Center when they are open who knows what Debt Collector agency may have my account! I begged and Pleaded with him to give me an extended 12 hours so I could call them the next morning!


WEll this morning came! I googled leary debt colletor and got bad reports.. All from this site, majority from this site!!! Still Leary. ... then did another search! I googled "National Action Financial Servies,Ford Motor Credit" all together and LORD and BEHOLD!!!!! They were business registered!! Phew! ok. Feeling a LITTLE bit better now I scanned the list! Website is for the "2006 ICC Notification and Fee's Registered Business" Also searched "Debt Collector Registery and also googled Debt Collectors Liscense! ALong that list was TOn's of others of course! Like, Credit Bearua Collections, Washington Mutal, Burlington Coat Factory, Merrick Bank, Wells Fargo, 21st Century.... yeah you get the point and of course Ford Motor Credits was regisitered.. BUT SO WAS National ACTION Finanical Services! BUT STILL I needed to calle Natinal Recovery Center from Ford and asked them who had my account? AND again, Lord and Behold confirmed that National Action Financial Services Inc. was handling my account!

I Verified with Ford Motor Credits my letter and asked them their location and phone number! NOW...... the phone number was different than the letterI have recieved so there is a little detective work for me! I had my agent's ext. number so I figured I would be sneaky and see if this works! I called THE NUMBER FORD MOTOR gave me and punched in the ext. to the guy I was talking to Last night! I GOT HIM! it's legit! Glad to say that even though I went through all this b.s. I can still never be too careful! I thanked him for the extended day and paid my low settlement! I am also curious as to those who say they never got throughon a call and got nothing but computer. EVERY TIME I called I got through to someone and was given an EXTENTNION number.

The Number I called was 1800-695-5847. Letter stating that they were from Williamsville, NY 165 Lawrence Bell Dr Ste 100
My agent was Adam R. and I have NEVER EVER had a debt collector as polite as he was! I know it's a far strech for me to comment on him since you have leary doubts your selves as did I!

I know they can be annoying as I read from other people and I cant believe some of the things I have read and those who DIDNT even HAVE a account in debt! did some further research with this! To ALL of you that have rebuttaled or had a complaint I think it would be wise to ALWAYS call your creditor and ask them WHO has your account and who is collecting it! YOUR CREDITOR WILL KNOW! Check and google if they are licensed and Registered! ANYONE in MAINE??? EVERY single Business including Debt Collectors MUST AND I MEAN MUST be Registered! For those who dont want any debt collectors to bother you anymore YOU NEED write them!
. CAN I STOP A DEBT COLLECTOR FROM CONTACTING ME?

Yes. The law provides that mailing a short letter should prevent a collector from calling or writing to you. Use the sample letter, reproduced below, to notify the debt collector:

[Your name]
[Your address]

[Date]

[ABC Collection Agency]
[Address]

Re: [Name of Creditor; Account Number]

Dear [ABC Collection Agency]:

I am hereby exercising my rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and I request that you cease all communications with me. I will deal with my creditor directly.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

A debtor can stop a debt collector from contacting him or her by writing a letter to the collector telling them to stop. Once the collector receives the debtor's letter, they may not contact the debtor again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify the debtor that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action. Please note, however, that sending such a letter to a collector does not make the debt go away if the debtor actually owes the debt. The debtor could still be sued by the debt collector or the original creditor.
(THIS WONT stop or Cancel your debt ofcourse)
A debt collector may call those individuals only to find out where you live, or how to get in touch with you, but information about the money you owe can be told only to you, your spouse and any co-signors. If the debt collector already knows your address, these third party contacts may be illegal
debt collectors who report to credit reporting agencies have been required to include the name of the creditor, so that the consumer can identify the source of the debt.
A collector may contact a debtor in person, by mail, telephone, telegram, or fax. However, a debt collector may not contact a debtor at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless the debtor agrees. A debt collector also may not contact a debtor at work if the collector knows that the debtor's employer disapproves of such contacts

I have recently began to recieve calls from these people also, they state they are trying to contact a person that I know. They use recorded call out messages, I found this out when I actually answered the hone when they called and the recording from "Mike Stone" began with its vague information and threatening attitude. They left a call back number also which is different from the one shared by Larry, it is 866-529-1899.

Unlike his experience I did call back the number and asked to speak to "Mike Stone" and they began to ask me question about the person they were trying to reach, if I knew him, how did I know him, was he a relative, could I get a hold of him, would I forward a message to him and so forth.

Every time I tried to explain he never lived in this household and this wasn't his number, they said it was an alternate contact for him and they continued with their questioning. This morning I got another call from them so I called them back and asked to speak to the supervisor. When someone got back on the line I asked for their name she replied, "Teresa".

When I told her I understood this was a financial matter, that it was personal matter and I didn't want to get involved and asked her to discontinue the calls, she flippantly responded that she had my number on caller ID and the calls would continue until the issue was resovled.

When I said I would be reporting them to the BBB, she just said "So what.", and hung up. That was when I checked the incoming caller ID (They aren't the only ones that have it) and verified the Area Code to be New York, so I jumped on the internet to try and track them down and I came across this website in response to my search. I'm glad that I did, realizing I'm not the only one being treated rudely by these people and it also helped to be allowed to vent a little to a sympathic audience.

Someone above said:
") Return the call!!!! If they are not looking for you..they WILL remove the #. Amazing as it may seem to all you "victims" out there, business's DONT have unlimited phone budgets to just call JoeTentPeg because it's fun. "

I have returned their calls to my number and explained that "Erin Bethel" does not reside with me, have my phone number, and that I have no idea who she is. Usually, they always agree to delete my number from their records.

Today, however, I returned the call...YET AGAIN...to "Melissa", who argued with me and told me that according to some "national phone directory", my phone number is registered to Erin Bethel. I promptly told her she either needs an upgrade version of her directory, or to get her money back if it's a recent publication, because IT IS WRONG! She was VERY rude to me. I asked her to call my local telephone company and ask them if my number was registered to Erin Bethel. She said her book would know more than they. LOL I couldn't believe she thought her directory would be more accurate THAN THE PEOPLE WHO ASSIGN THE PHONE NUMBERS IN MY AREA! What a dork!

Anyway, I mentioned that I have requested more than 10 times that her company stop calling me, and that I am on the DO NOT CALL LIST, at which time she started on a tirade about how there is no such thing. I interupted her by giving her the name of my local telephone company to verify her little directory is wrong, and hung up.

I wish I had googled this number to find this site sooner. I hate that she now has MY name and address, which I innocently gave trying to explain exactly to whom the number is ACTUALLY registered to.

NAF had been calling my home. They were trying to collect on an account that we paid off last year. They are deadbeats trying to get one over on unsuspecting people. As soon as I started recording their conversation and I told them I was contacting my attorney general the calls stopped. Now my AG is investigating them. There are bogus collection agencies coming out everyday and this company is one of them.

I've been getting these same calls with the threats. I FINALLY managed to actually speak with someone when I called back for the 50th time. It seems to be a legitimate collection agency. They were calling my number looking for a family member who has had a claim filed against her. They're rude and they don't leave you any useful information, but it seems to me that they're not trying to rip anyone off.

That says alot about your character. By the way, the original poster did return calls only to receive recorded messages. Try reading before you post a reply. We have been getting calls concerning debts made by my husband's ex for the five years that I've been married to him. She hasn't lived here in about seven years. Neither of our phone numbers belonged to this residence while she lived here. However, she gives her mother's address in another town and one of our phone numbers as her contact info. I tell the same companies over and over to stop calling and they continually say they will note it in their records. Then they call again... and again... It's hard to determine who they are every time unless I lie and say I'm the person about which they're calling. Once, the guy asked for Mrs. XXXXX and left out her first name and I said yes, I was that person. That's how I found out about one of her bad debts. It's funny how fast they hang up when you tell them you're not the person they expected you to be...lol. It's also funny how they tend to not believe me if they use her first name and I tell them I'm not that person. Bottom line, collection people can be rude, nasty people. I don't have debt collectors calling me and I will not listen to their crap when they continually call for someone that has given my contact info fraudently. Guess what? When you tell them she deliberately gave false info when she got the credit, they don't care one bit. I have turned several companies in for calling after I told them not to but I can't turn most of them in because they won't tell me who they are. So you can't make a blanket statement that those who protest alot deserve the calls and should try to remember some past debt they don't remember owing. I don't find it one bit odd that someone would be very upset about receiving unwarranted and unwanted harrassing phone calls. I find it odd that someone would think a person who gets upset about it must automatically be someone who really does have a bad debt. By the way, most people that do have past due debts are not deadbeats. I hope you don't become disabled after you buy a house and the become unable to keep up with your payments. Stuff happens and some people seem to think they're above anything happening to them. You know the old saying "There but for the grace of God go I"....

Whether or not he is the person they are looking for does not justify them calling at 6am or 10pm. There are laws that protect debtors too you know. I thinkg they call the FDCPA act. Do you know the definition of debtor by the way? Chances are you are one. If you pay mortgage, pay a car note or have credit cards you are a debtor just like the population you are trying to look down on.
To the original poster, pull your credit report and see whats on there. Just because a collector calls you dont mean they are right. You could be a victim of identity theft. If you dont see anything on your credit report, call this number and ask for Lisa Adams in person when you get on the phone ask her for the address to send a cease and desist letter. You dont have to take their phone calls and when you send the letter make you sure you send it make you sure you get a tracking slip so they cant say they didnt get it.

Hello McFly...

You blocked the incomming calls from your phone...WITHOUT ever speaking to anyone.

You claim they are intentionally "burning up" your cell phone minutes...but you've never spoken to anyone.


Here's an easy remedy

1) Return the call!!!! If they are not looking for you..they WILL remove the #. Amazing as it may seem to all you "victims" out there, business's DONT have unlimited phone budgets to just call JoeTentPeg because it's fun.

2) The FDCPA only applies IF the company knows they have a wrong # and persist in calling it anyway.

3) I've NEVER heard of someone whos NOT a debtor whining and moaning like this. I BET you have a delinquent Best Buy, Home Depot, etc credit card.

Grow up, call them back, see if it's just a wrong #. WTF is wrong with people today that they REFUSE to act like the adults they purport to be?????

If you call from a pay phone it will cost them a LOT more, upwards of 50 cents per call. That money goes to the payphone owner. You could write the number on the wall near the phone with some deceptive language that would tempt other passerbys to call it. Even make up some little stickers like you see for example "24 Hour Free Sex Chat," but with the collection agency number.

Realize that they will Caller ID you whenever you call, it cannot be blocked to toll-free numbers. Do not call from friends' phones, the company will get the number and start calling them. People who you don't like too much but happen to be in their house sometime, well that's a different story.

There is nothing you can say on the phone to make them quit calling you. Send them a certified letter saying that your phone number (give the number, they obviously already have it, but you DO NOT give any other information or sign the letter) is a cell phone. Remind them that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (they may have heard of that too) makes it illegal for them to call cell phones and burn your minutes. You can also order them to Cease and Desist calling your home phone, they must comply even if you did have bad debts with them.

If the perpetrators have a toll-free number (800, 866, 877), it costs them every time they receive an incoming call. Just cents, but it does add up. Call them from a payphone as much as you like (you don't need to put money in a payphone for toll free numbers). Distribute their toll-free number on the internet, chat rooms, phony ads for massage and so forth. In short order, they'll have a huge phone bill and may even end up cancelling or changing their number at some inconvenience.

Don't get mad, get even. (tm)

If the perpetrators have a toll-free number (800, 866, 877), it costs them every time they receive an incoming call. Just cents, but it does add up. Call them from a payphone as much as you like (you don't need to put money in a payphone for toll free numbers). Distribute their toll-free number on the internet, chat rooms, phony ads for massage and so forth. In short order, they'll have a huge phone bill and may even end up cancelling or changing their number at some inconvenience.

Don't get mad, get even. (tm)

If the perpetrators have a toll-free number (800, 866, 877), it costs them every time they receive an incoming call. Just cents, but it does add up. Call them from a payphone as much as you like (you don't need to put money in a payphone for toll free numbers). Distribute their toll-free number on the internet, chat rooms, phony ads for massage and so forth. In short order, they'll have a huge phone bill and may even end up cancelling or changing their number at some inconvenience.

Don't get mad, get even. (tm)

If the perpetrators have a toll-free number (800, 866, 877), it costs them every time they receive an incoming call. Just cents, but it does add up. Call them from a payphone as much as you like (you don't need to put money in a payphone for toll free numbers). Distribute their toll-free number on the internet, chat rooms, phony ads for massage and so forth. In short order, they'll have a huge phone bill and may even end up cancelling or changing their number at some inconvenience.

Don't get mad, get even. (tm)