Complaint Review: Robin Tolbvert Pentagroup Financial - Houston Texas

Robin Tolbvert? Hello Lisa, I just got to thinking and the name Robin Tolbvert sounds suspiciously like that of Pentagroup Vice President Robert "Bob" Tobitt. Robert, age 49, and his wife Deanna ,age 39, have a home in Stafford, Texas which is just a short drive down the freeway from the Pentagroup corporate office.By all means file a complaint on Robert with the Federal Trade Commission, The American Collectors Association, The Texas Attorney Generals Office and NEVER,NERVER EVER forget to report Robert and his Pentagroup "associates" to Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams. Tell Mr. Williams that Robert Tobitt and his associates are in violation of Chapter 392 of the Texas Finance Code. Pentagroup has a $10,000 cash bond on file with Mr. Williams to cover any violations of Chapter 392 or the FDCPA. You might find the address below to be useful. Best of Luck to you. Robert "Bob" Tobitt 139 Boardwalk Pkwy Stafford, TX 77477

Sherri, Please look at the date of my post. It is before I got to know you on this board, and now I know where you stand. At that time, it was not clear to me if you were involved in the collections industry. MY Apologies!! I made an incorrect assumption. I have no trouble admitting when I am wrong,and I was. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! Take care~

You have seen me on these boards long enough, rallying AGAINST JDBs to know that I am not a collector..I am a Nurse Practitioner in an Emergency Room, as well as doing a post-doc fellowship. I don't know where you got the idea I'm a collector. I mentioned TO the collector that he/she makes assumptions that anyone speaking against him/her is a deadbeat.

Pentagroup is another third party purchaser of junk debt. They typically pay about 2 cents on the dollar for this junk. They are an old dog with a mean bark and no bite. They prey on the public's lack of knowledge of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as well as Chapter 392 of the Texas Finance code, commonly referred to as the Texas Debt Collection Practices Act.To deal with Pentagroup start with filing a complaint with Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams. His office has tremendous authority and requires debt collectors to post a $10,000 cash bond just in case they choose not to obey the law. Second, file a complaint with Texas state Attorney General Greg Abbott. His office is in charge of prosecuting consumer fraud as well as filing suit and getting restraining orders against companies and individuals that don't respect the law. From there file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission as well as the American Collectors Association. Why the ACA you ask? They put tremendous internal pressure on their peers to obey the law in an effort to head off consumer complaints that could eventually lead to legislation and tighter restrictions on the industry. In addition, I would file a complaint with the Texas State Bar Association against Pentagroup Vice President and attorney James Joseph "Jim" Thorpe. His state bar card number is 19989100. Jim is a May of 1986 graduate of the South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. His private residence is located at. I worked in the collection industry when I was a young kid in college. Let me tell you from experience that people in that industry that have anything at all going for them don't stick around very long. Employee turnover is beyond anything I have ever seen before or since.It averages about 50% in the first 6 months. The typical debt collector is a young kid stuffed in a cramped cubicle in a call center 2,000 miles from you.He uses a fake name when he calls you and has an alcoholic type, 45 year old, obese, 3 pack a day smoker for a boss that constantly stays on the kid about his numbers. I hate to be critical of the physical characteristics of others but to say that some of the women in the debt collection industry have "let themselves go" is putting it mildly. Some are just too unsightly to work in a professional office setting where they would have to interact with professional people. I know that sounds bad to say that about people but, let me tell you I have seen it first hand so many times. Many call centers wreak of cigarettes,body odor and cheap perfume.Drug and alcohol abuse are very common among employees Anyway to make a long story short it is very difficult for a person with any amount of integrity to make a living as a debt collector. If collectors follow the law they don't get much in the way of results. If they don't get results they don't make a commission. So needless to say I left collections 20 years ago and haven't regretted my decision one bit. REMEBER FILE THOSE COMPLAINTS AND SUE THEM WHEN THEY VIOLATE THE LAW. Best of luck to each and every one of you. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Marc, Thanks for updating my post. I am on a mission to educate debtors. I want to see this entire unsecured credit industy undergo major reform. Unsecured credit ends up deing bad debt that the taxpayers ultimately feel the pinch. This happens through major losses written off by creditors. Most of the tax burden is shifted to the middle class worker. Unsecured credit should be tied to a portion of the debtors expendable income, and should be re-verified every 6 months. However, these big creditors knowingly push the consumer far beyond his means. They make their own bed. It is time for responsible lending legislation.

First, you are under no moral obligation to pay any debt purchaser, and even if you do pay them, it will not help your credit report. As the other person posted, they purchase debts for a couple of pennies on the dollar, then try to shake you down for the full amount "owed". Always dispute, they can never prove that you are under any contractual obligation to pay them anything. Texas residents have even more protection under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Only government debts, and child support can be garnished from your wages. You also don't simply have 30 days to dispute, you can in good faith dispute anytime. You have a personal asset exemption of $30,000 (families $60,000). They cannot take your house or car (unless forclosure of course), tools, etc. In short, even if they sue in Texas, they probably will never see anything if they win. Always check the statute of limitations for your state. Most debt purchaser buy debts that they can't even legally collect (out of statute).

As far as dealing with the original creditor, USUALLY you can only do this until the debt is actually sold. Usually a debt is sold within 30-60 days of being charged off. A debt is USUALLY charged off 180 days past the first major delinquency [30 days late + 180 days =7 months]. Once a debt is sold you are dealing with the new owner of the debt, and the original creditor cannot legally deal with you anymore. A "2nd Agency" collector [the 1st buyer] still has a good chance of collecting even if it goes to court. Although a 2nd agency rate for purchasing a debt is usually only 3-6 cents on the dollar. It goes down sharply after that each time it is sold and the length of time since default. That obnoxious "sherri" who posted earlier is living in a dream world. Collectors do not generally live that lifestyle. And, yes I am a debtor, and I do own 3 cell phones and an eFax account and a wireless broadband account, and a private mailbox. Sherri, was was your point on the cell phone? I don't get it. Maybe I'm just a stupid debtor. Maybe I need someone with an 800 credit score who lives in a $155k income neighborhood to explain it to me. ps...I made that much in a few months in my last business. I had MORE unsecured credit AVAILABLE than you make in 2 years. BIG DEAL.

You're absolutely right...that was one of the most obnoxious rebuttals I've ever read. I'm under the impression that a consumer has the option of dealing with the original debt holder. Is that true? Looking forward to your book. Best of luck.

To the original poster, you should always get a payment agreement in writing and heres a classic reason why people dont do payment arrangements. The CA will tack on fees constantly if they see they have someone who will pay when they ask. You should save that voicemail and play it for them and thank them for allowing you to sue them. They are NOT going to take your house for 500 dollars they are lying. There some violations here, read the FDCPA it explains this process. Pay no attention to debt, they fit the profile of a typical JDB and also the reason why I keep templates of my "Validation of Debt" and "do not call me" letter. Just in case some CA thinks I am dumb. They should learn that other most debtors have careers that encourage reading and spelling skills.

Before you spout off and ASSume that I don't pay my bills, wrong. I have a very nice house and an 800 FICO and live in area where the median income is $155,000 per year. I believe people should pay their bills..but not to someone they did not make a contract to pay. LEGITIMATE debts should be paid to the original creditor, if anyone..not a JUNK DEBT BUYER who paid pennies for banko and out-of-stat paper. There is NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PAY A JUNK DEBT BUYER. I had to fight with one of your ilk for four years over a "purchased" account that never belonged to me in the first place. They were nice enough to send me a settlement check the day they were served. It was a nice donation for an animal rescue group. The sad thing is, they were so dumb that THEY provided me with evidence of their multiple FCRA and FDCPA violations. What kills me is that your kind spews "debtor" like it is an obscenity. Do you pay rent or a mortgage? Do you have a cell phone? Then sweetie, you are one of those horrible "debtors" yourself. Don't preach about morals and ethics when you have none..or is constantly threatening and frightening people ignorant of their rights considered moral and ethical in your world?

With the FTC and with the Attorney General's offices in TX and IL. Good luck.

I would suggest that you know what you are talking about before you spout off insults to honest people making posts here. You think that people should just pay any amount on any invoice you scumbags send out? Are you serious? ALL third party collectors especially those representing junk debt buyers are scumbags. You know that you have absolutely NO POWER to do ANYTHING and that is why you MUST break the law in an effort to keep your pitiful job. I am getting ready to write a book that will crush the debt collection industry and do severe damage to the unsecured credit industry. The profile of a debt collector is a very scary thing. This job is usually taken by people who have been abused, or passed over somehow by society, most have drug/alcohol problems and/or criminal histories. A collector takes the job because it is very easy to get, and it is a chance to get even, or have some percieved power. Collectors are a very scary bunch of lowlife.

Sherri. IF you clowns would pay your bill to customer service we would not have to get more inventive. BUt MOST of you do not so shut the hell up like we are the bad peopl. DO not bother to respond your ignorance has been permanently ignored. LISA... I work at this company and while I can'd stand to hear about a fellow employee doing something like that... that idiot sherri was right if that bull s**t is left on your answeing machine call back and play it for her/him they wont call again i promise. I assure you most of us are law abiding, and while I am known to piss people off and they complain about me I do NOT break law. and I was recognized today as in the top 25 collectors for the month of january.

You are now an easy mark in their eyes. They got $2000 out of you and they will keep coming back for more. Unfortunately, you MAY have "reaffirmed" the debt by paying directly to them. Still, they do have to validate how they figure you still owe $500. If they can't, too bad, too sad..and their threats left on your answering machine can net YOU a judgment against THEM in Smal Claims Court. Please don't erase the tape..it can come in quite handy. I would have my attorney request this validation. Likely, once they see you have retained an attorney, they will back off. They make their money by intimidation and threats. When they see you have an attorney, they very likely will think $500 is not worth it.

You are now an easy mark in their eyes. They got $2000 out of you and they will keep coming back for more. Unfortunately, you MAY have "reaffirmed" the debt by paying directly to them. Still, they do have to validate how they figure you still owe $500. If they can't, too bad, too sad..and their threats left on your answering machine can net YOU a judgment against THEM in Smal Claims Court. Please don't erase the tape..it can come in quite handy. I would have my attorney request this validation. Likely, once they see you have retained an attorney, they will back off. They make their money by intimidation and threats. When they see you have an attorney, they very likely will think $500 is not worth it.

You are now an easy mark in their eyes. They got $2000 out of you and they will keep coming back for more. Unfortunately, you MAY have "reaffirmed" the debt by paying directly to them. Still, they do have to validate how they figure you still owe $500. If they can't, too bad, too sad..and their threats left on your answering machine can net YOU a judgment against THEM in Smal Claims Court. Please don't erase the tape..it can come in quite handy. I would have my attorney request this validation. Likely, once they see you have retained an attorney, they will back off. They make their money by intimidation and threats. When they see you have an attorney, they very likely will think $500 is not worth it.

You are now an easy mark in their eyes. They got $2000 out of you and they will keep coming back for more. Unfortunately, you MAY have "reaffirmed" the debt by paying directly to them. Still, they do have to validate how they figure you still owe $500. If they can't, too bad, too sad..and their threats left on your answering machine can net YOU a judgment against THEM in Smal Claims Court. Please don't erase the tape..it can come in quite handy. I would have my attorney request this validation. Likely, once they see you have retained an attorney, they will back off. They make their money by intimidation and threats. When they see you have an attorney, they very likely will think $500 is not worth it.