Complaint Review: Palisades Collection - Houston Texas

I received a collection letter today telling me that Convergent had been notified by their client, Palisades Collections that they were willing to settle my debt which has a past due balance of $342.38, for $171.19 (50%).  Of course, it had all of the typical jargon, act quickly, etc.

However, it did not reference an account number or even the original creditor.  I am very vigilant of my credit history and credit report, because, let's face it, it's not safe NOT to be vigilant!  My letter was addressed to my nickname (rather than my full given name) and my maiden name.  My maiden name has not been used in over 10 years.  When I called Convergent, their automated attendant said "If this is not *name* please press 2, if this is *name* please press 1"... I wasn't about to press 1 and be caught in an inadvertant admission of owning that debt, so I pressed 2.  A gentleman came on the line and identified himself and asked if my name was *name*.  I informed him that my current name is not *name*, nor has it been in more than 10 years.

His response? - Thank you, I will remove this number and contact information from our database.

I think they are fishing for people!  There might be 20 people with my maiden name and my particular nickname in the state of Ohio, so they pull up any public information that may have addresses and phone numbers associated with it, and fish to see if it's the right person. 

Before calling, I pulled my experian credit report again just to make sure something hadn't cropped up on it that I am unaware of, and as I thought, there was nothing. 

They seem to have stopped calling for now anyways, no robo calls in perhaps weeks. Calls seem to go in cycles - for years.

Great ripoffreport got their search feature working again so can keep track of what they're doing to others. Supposed to be some legislation coming down the line to hold debt collectors more accountable, if thats possible. The legislation comes about because some debt collector was a harassing an assemblyman - it was a case similar to ours where dumb debt collector chases after everyone on the planet with the same name.

I also received the same, on the same month you did. I currently have a contract with Verizon an no problems. I never contact them back because this is fraudulent and I do not care to waste my time with people who just want to intimidate me into giving them money.

Yep same here, except mine has to do with an ATT account that's not mine & an address where I've never lived. ATT says the collection agency is "fishing" in hopes of finding the correct person by calling everyone with a similar name or phone number to the actual account. Calling ATT about my account (that I've had for 30+ years) I'm informed that I don't have any past due billings - ever.

In my one conversation with a human type years ago, presume the caller was from Palisades, he just laughed when I informed him that I never lived in downtown Los Angeles & not my account. Since that call I've gotten countless robo-calls, initially the calls gave no clues who they were coming from but now Palisades Collections in announced - as required  by law.

The calls seem to come daily or so for awhile & then none. Now I'm in the calling phase, a night call, a morning & an afternoon call. I've been informed by Budd Hibbs to send the creatures a letter telling them to stop bothering me.  Unlike others reporting here, they don't have my address so they're unable to bother me via the mail.

As for your comment (below) about being extremely upset - please consider who you're dealing with - morons. Honestly, they're not the sharpest pencils in the box. In fact, if your info is correct you should welcome them to ding your credit score as you'll easily find a pack of hungry lawyer types willing to take your case. I have read where someone else took them on & won $. But then again, its the internet, so ya never really know if the reports true or not.