Northern Leasing Systems, Inc. Would not let me cancel even when my business closed...abusive rep and stalker tactics New York New York
For five months I tried to reach a representative of this company to cancel but no rep would ever return my call until I closed my business account and notified my bank. Their robo-operators then began to call 3 times a day. I called them only to be verbally abused by a rep, this man literally spoke to me like he was my pimp and I his "b***h". He threatened to take me to court and to call me even more if I did not honor my lease. Since that call, EVERY HALF HOUR I get a call from this companies computer. If you wait to talk to a representative, it hangs up and you get the recording, "If you'd like to make a call, please try again". The tactic is highly abusive, the rep was highly abusive. I feel violated and like I'm being stalked.
The deductions from my bank account were much higher than they quoted and mysterious "extra" charges, like fees for filing earnings to the government, would be taken out. Instead of $32. a month it became $59. a month plus the cell service (Sterling) for the machine to work. They would not let me cancel even though I no longer had the business and wanted to send the equipment back. For $85.00 you can buy a credit card system from the office supply for your computer. I've already paid over $1500 for a year and a half and only used the machine twice. They want two and a half more years of these deductions.
Anonymous u.r.i.
Oakland, California
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Buffalo,New York,
U.S.A.
Contact the NY State Office of the Attorney General
#2Consumer Suggestion
Thu, October 30, 2008
or the District Attorney for the county where their offices are located in NY State.
They are violating Article 29H of the NYS General Business Law and EACH OCCURANCE is a seperate violation and is a misdemeanor. The offense can be prosecuted by any county DA or the NYS AG.
Also, by using an automated system to harass you telephonically they are violating other NY State laws as well although I don't know the reference without looking it up.
Here's Article 29 H:
ARTICLE 29-H
DEBT COLLECTION PROCEDURES
Section 600. Definitions.
601. Prohibited practices.
602. Violations and penalties.
603. Severability.
600. Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:
1. Consumer claim" means any obligation of a natural person for the payment of money or its equivalent which is or is alleged to be in default and which arises out of a transaction wherein credit has been offered or extended to a natural person, and the money, property or service which was the subject of the transaction was primarily for personal, family or household purposes. The term includes an obligation of a natural person who is a co-maker, endorser, guarantor or surety as well as the natural person to whom such credit was originally extended.
2. "Debtor" means any natural person who owes or who is asserted to owe a consumer claim.
3. "Principal creditor" means any person, firm, corporation or organization to whom a consumer claim is owed, due or asserted to be due or owed, or any assignee for value of said person, firm, corporation or organization.
601. Prohibited practices. No principal creditor, as defined by this article, or his agent shall:
1. Simulate in any manner a law enforcement officer, or a representative of any governmental agency of the state of New York or any of its political subdivisions; or
2. Knowingly collect, attempt to collect, or assert a right to any collection fee, attorney's fee, court cost or expense unless such charges are justly due and legally chargeable against the debtor; or
3. Disclose or threaten to disclose information affecting the debtor's reputation for credit worthiness with knowledge or reason to know that the information is false; or
4. Communicate or threaten to communicate the nature of a consumer claim to the debtor's employer prior to obtaining final judgment against the debtor. The provisions of this subdivision shall not prohibit a principal creditor from communicating with the debtor's employer to execute a wage assignment agreement if the debtor has consented to such an agreement; or
5. Disclose or threaten to disclose information concerning the existence of a debt known to be disputed by the debtor without disclosing that fact; or
6. Communicate with the debtor or any member of his family or household with such frequency or at such unusual hours or in such a manner as can reasonably be expected to abuse or harass the debtor; or
7. Threaten any action which the principal creditor in the usual course of his business does not in fact take; or
8. Claim, or attempt or threaten to enforce a right with knowledge or reason to know that the right does not exist; or
9. Use a communication which simulates in any manner legal or judicial process or which gives the appearance of being authorized, issued or approved by a government, governmental agency, or attorney at law when it is not.
602. Violations and penalties.
1. Except as otherwise provided by law, any person who shall violate the terms of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such violation shall be deemed a separate offense.
2. The attorney general or the district attorney of any county may bring an action in the name of the people of the state to restrain or prevent any violation of this article or any continuance of any such violation.
603. Severability. If any provision of this article or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid the invalidity thereof shall not affect other provisions or applications of the article which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this and the provisions of this article are severable.
Good luck.