216-588-1139

Actually, I got a letter.  They said I owed a newspaper money, and the interesting thing about it is I remember awhile back I paid a door to door young man money to renew my subscription.  I made the check directly to the newspaper, and did receive the paper for the amount of time I renewed.  Then I get this letter.  I guess they didn't call and harass me because they were only asking for 35 bucks, but I'm pretty anal about my credit so called immediately.  When I told them the newspaper would have to prove I renewed, and that they even delivered papers, he said to just disregard the letter.  I asked about my credit report, and he said they don't report to the credit bureau.  This guy's name was Jason.  The number I called however isn't -1139, it's 216-588-9964, right off their letterhead.

I'm thinking the door to door guy worked for a company that sells your info to JMC, that may be how they got all of your numbers also (unless of course you've been gambling online).  

I've NEVER heard of a credit agency calling without you being reported to the credit bureau.  This company is VERY shady.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

At approximately 11 a.m. today in Honolulu, HI, I received a phone call from a Paula Muhammad, who said she was with Joseph Mann and Creed.  I asked what that was and she told me that it was a collection company in Ohio.  She alleged that various collections agencies had been trying to find me and that she finally had found me.  I told her that this was news to me because I have lived in the same house for the past 26 and a half years and also have had the exact same telephone number for the past 26 and a half years, so I therefore don't know how anyone, yet alone a collection agency, wouldn't be able to "find" me.  It's not exactly as if I were a fugitive, or something!

She alleged that I owe $911.40 for Yellow Pages advertising in two different Verizon Oahu, Hawaii Yellow Pages directories that were published in the fall of 2004 and 2005.  I yelled at her that I did NOT owe any money to this company and that this was the very first time I was hearing this allegation that I supposedly owed money to the Verizon Yellow Pages.  I told her that, in about June of 2004, I had ordered one bold listing under one heading of the Verizon Yellow Pages that were published in October of 2004 and that I had paid the entire $540 on a charge card about three months before the directory ever was published!

In addition, at the time, I had asked the Yellow Pages for a receipt, but I never received one in the mail.  As a business person, I wanted a receipt so I could write off this advertising expense as a deduction on my federal and state tax returns.  The only proof of payment that I have, however, is the line item on my credit card statement that shows that I paid X number of dollars to the Verizon Yellow Pages.  I paid the ENTIRE bill for entire the year IN ADVANCE of the 12-month period.  This should have saved the company money since it did not have to pay employees to prepare a monthly bill and mail it to me monthly, deposit my checks, keep an accounting of my payments, etc.

She alleged that the company had sent me some correspondence asking me to cancel the listing for year two, but that I hadn't responded to the letter and that, therefore, they had renewed the bold listing.  Well, I purchased a bold listing for only one year, and the sales rep through whom I purchased the listing, Warren Pak at the Verizon Yellow Pages (now the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages after Carlyle purchased the company rom Verizon) did not tell me that the listing would renew automatically for a second year.  I asked this woman for her phone number.  She said it is (216) 916-7581.  In addition I asked for her company’s web address.  However, she gave me her e-mail address, which she said is paulette.muhammad@jmcbiz.com .

I then demanded to speak with her supervisor.  After holding on the line for a few minutes, a woman named Linda Simpson came on the line.  I told her what her direct charge had told me and I reconfirmed that I did not owe the Verizon Yellow Pages anything, not even one penny.  Then she said she would do some research and request a copy of the invoice for this account.  Now, as a fairly well educated and experienced lay person, I think this is rather bizarre that a collection agency is phoning me and alleging that I owe money to a company when they don’t even have a copy of the invoice on which I allegedly owe money!  I told this woman that I never received any invoices for this alleged debt, and asked why, if I allegedly owe any money to anyone, haven't I received any invoices for the alleged debt?  She said she would research the situation and that, if I didn't hear back from her that I should phone her back.  I told her, no, that she needed to phone me back and that she also needed to write and mail me a letter stating that I do not have a debt with this company and that I also paid my money to the Verizon Yellow Pages about THREE WHOLE MONTHS before I received any printed advertising from them.  Furthermore, I added that I didn’t believe I had received any phone calls from this bold listing.

I asked for Linda Simpson’s phone number.  She said it is (216) 588-9948 and that her e-mail address is linda.simpson@jmcbiz.com .

After this phone call ended, I immediately phoned Warren Pak, the sales rep at the former Verizon Yellow Pages, which was purchased by Carlyle and renamed the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages.  Warren's direct line is (808) 591-7408.  He said he looked in the computer but that it didn't contain any records of accounts going back to the year 2004.  Then I asked him to look in his file copies of the actual printed Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages directories.  He looked and said the bold listing for my business was listed in the October, 2004 directory, but that it did not appear in the October, 2005 directory.  This proves that there should be no bill or allegation to me by a collection agency that I owe the Verizon Yellow Pages any money.

I haven’t checked my credit report lately, but this alleged “debt” had better not be on my credit report!

Warren also told me that I could phone the Customer Service Department of the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages at (808) 593-8300.  I phoned there, but only a recording came on stating to leave a voice mail message.  I'm sorry, but this is NOT good customer service in my opinion.  I wanted to speak with a live human being and not leave a voice mail message for some anonymous person to listen to and probably never respond to.

It is evening now here in Honolulu.  I just phoned both of the telephone numbers that the two employees with Joseph Mann and Creed gave me.  These two phone numbers do appear to be working business phone numbers with outgoing voice mail recordings on them.

It will be interesting to see if Linda Simpson, the supposed supervisor at this company, ever phones me back or mails me a letter apologizing for their error in alleging that I owe hundreds of dollars to the Verizon Yellow Pages.  Somehow or another, I have the feeling that I never will hear from either of these two women again either by phone or U.S. mail.

As someone in a previous note on this web site recommended, people may wish to report companies like this one and employees like the ones who phoned me to the office of the attorney general of their state.

I plan to telephone the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii tomorrow.

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,
A very concerned consumer in Honolulu, Hawaii

I believe that this is threatening collection calls as well.We didn't plan to have money trouble and an account has been sold and resold.

A lady from this number 216-588-1139 called me today saying that she is calling from a dept collection agency.  I ask her who is she collecting for and she gave me  a name GMC COMPANY WITH A PO BOX in OH.  She said that we paid money to her before and we owe for some kind of yellow page listing.  I know this was a scam and so I keep asking her a lot of questions until I hang up on her.

Receiving calls for a couple of days. They also got my other number. They sent a letter, also. Actually not gambling for me but an item I bought some years ago that was paid in full & the account closed. I guess they check someones credit and then look for a big amount (around $500) and then they make sure it's years ago (you probably already threw the receipt/credit card bills out). Best advice don't give any info or "that person doesn't live here anymore", and/or tell them that you will report them. Get more info from these posts for more help. Thanks, 800Notes.com!

google this , " Petition Against Joseph, Mann and Creed " to get your name on a petition for a class action lawsuit against this company.

yes this lady called today and i answered she was talking about my car insurance being switched 2 a different company and that i have 2 pay 500 dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i did not know nothing ok i never owed anything becuz i just finish paying my car insurance anyway!!!! so i don't understand how these people can try and scam u like this!!! which hasn't happened yet though they just said i owed money but really i don't becuz i payed off everything!!! so this IS DUMB!!! NAME OF INSURANCE TRAVELORS OK!

2165881139, this number called stating it was joesph mann and creed and its a debt collector, i didnt answer but called them back and nobody picked up probably due to the time i called, this seems very rediculous to me something should definately happen here

Wrong number. Person sounded like a young child