636-947-2321

These people are debt collectors. They call me constantly asking for my hubby. He explained to them that the debt they are referring to was paid off, but they continue calling.  They are rude.

A woman by the name of Thelonda has called twice in 2 weeks advising she is trying to get hold of a possible relative of ours.  The individual is an uncle who lives a few towns away and whose number is listed.  She had been calling him & he told her not to call anymore so now she's calling us.

OUTRAGIOUS!  Dan Sonag at 636-947-2321 can go to H#%!
He keeps calling me about someone who doesn't live at my home nad harrassing me about this guy paying him.  STOP, STOP, STOP the calls, put my number on the "DO NOT CALL LIST" and leave me the Hell alone.

i'm getting the same calls on my cell phone asking for someone I've never even heard of. Good thing I found these posts. I was going to call the number and get to the bottom of it but now I think I'll just ignore the calls until he gets a clue.

I'm getting the same calls on my cell phonefrom a woman named Pam asking for someone I've never even heard of. I get a call from this number and then a call from an "unknown" number EVERYDAY for the past 2 weeks at the same time. It's RiDiCulous!! I haven't picked up because I'm at work, but the unknown never leaves a voicemail.

A man by the name of Tom Martin called my house claiming he is trying to get hold of a possible relative of mine.  The individual is an uncle who lives many hours away.  I told him I would not give him any info, but I took his and told him I would let the person he was looking for know.  He gave me the following toll free number 800-521-3236.  This number is to a company called Client Services.  I saw on another web page that this company has had many reports made to the BBB.  There are laws they must follow and if they don't, you can report them!!

Contact:
Michelle L. Corey, (314) 645-3300 mcorey@stlouisbbb.org
Scott A. Nauert, (314) 645-3300 tpc1@stlouisbbb.org

January 19, 2005


The Better Business Bureau urges consumers who are contacted by collection agencies to understand their rights under the Federal Trade Commission’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Four such agencies have come to the BBB’s attention due to patterns of complaints alleging questionable collection tactics. These agencies include Client Services, Inc., 3451 Harry S. Truman Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo.; Central Credit Services, Inc., which is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and which maintains an office at 67 Charleston Square, St. Charles; Midwest Support Services, Inc., 3910 Old Highway 94 South, Suite 105, St. Charles; and Specified Credit Assn., Inc., 3450 Bridgeland Drive, Suite F, Bridgeton, Mo.

The BBB has received more than 250 complaints and reports regarding Client Services, Inc., in the past 36 months.

Complainants primarily allege that the firm attempted to collect debts from consumers who didn’t owe a debt, had rude employees, used improper collection tactics, improperly billed consumers, used vulgarity, and made threatening and harassing phone calls to consumers.

The BBB has sent letters to the firm bringing to its attention the number and pattern of complaints received. The BBB has not received a response.

John L. Kastner is listed as the president of Client Services, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s Web site.

A St. Louis man told the BBB the firm called him four times a day for three days in a row to collect on a debt which he said he had paid six months earlier. He said, “Mr. Billings swore at my wife, cussed at her, and said that he was going to destroy her credit rating. I told him on one occasion I have the documentation that this had been paid off. He (the collector) said, ‘I know people like you. I run into them every day.’ It was a harrowing experience.”

In the past 36 months, the BBB has received 100 complaints and reports regarding Central Credit Services.

Complainants primarily allege that the firm made harassing phone calls using rude and vulgar language, provided poor customer service, withdrew funds from customers’ bank accounts either in error or without their permission, and made harassing calls to consumers who don’t owe a debt.

The BBB has sent letters to the firm bringing to its attention the number and pattern of complaints received. The firm responded to the BBB by stating its complaint total is low in comparison to the amount of calls it placed and, among other things, complaints alleging rude and vulgar language are unsubstantiated.

Jeffrey Durante is listed as the president of Central Credit Services, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s Web site.

A St. Charles woman alleged that the firm aggravated her feelings about her family’s troubled financial condition and bankruptcy when it began making insulting phone calls to her at work regarding an unpaid store credit card. “Jason contacted me at work and said the next day the sheriff is going to come to my office and issue me a summons for failing to pay. He screamed at me, told me I was stupid, and called me an idiot.” The firm responded to her complaint by closing her account and referring the debt back to the original creditor.

Midwest Support Services has been the subject of 32 complaints and reports received by the BBB in the past 36 months.

Complainants primarily allege that the firm made harassing phone calls to their homes and made rude, threatening, vulgar, or insulting comments, provided poor customer service, attempted to collect a debt when no debt was due, damaged consumers’ credit in error, used improper collection tactics, and improperly billed consumers.

The BBB sent a letter to the firm bringing to its attention the number and pattern of complaints received. The firm responded to the BBB by stating that because it deals with consumers who fail to pay their bills, they lie about the firm to the BBB to make it look bad.

David Kelcher Jr. is listed as the president of Midwest Support Services, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s Web site.

A St. Louis complainant told the BBB the firm recently contacted her about a seven year old dermatologist bill she has proof that she paid. She said the collector threatened her and then refused to listen to her side, “He said he was going to ruin my credit rating right there on the spot. He hung up on me when I tried to talk to him about it.” The firm responded to the complaint by stating it will not remove the negative mark on her credit rating and will stop sending her letters and calling her when she pays the bill.

In the past 36 months, the BBB has received 27 complaints and reports regarding Specified Credit. The firm failed to respond to 17 of them resulting in an unsatisfactory record with the BBB.

Complainants primarily allege that the firm made threatening and harassing phone calls, had rude employees, threatened to garnish consumers’ wages, failed to provide services for creditors when requested, had improper credit or billing procedures, attempted to collect debts from consumers who didn’t owe a debt, used vulgarity, and failed to provide refunds when requested.

The BBB has sent letters to the firm bringing to its attention the number and pattern of complaints received. The BBB has not received a response.

According to the Missouri secretary of state’s Web site, Michael Varady is listed as the president of Specified Credit.

A St. Louis veterinarian who used the firm to collect on delinquent accounts told the BBB he was shocked at their response when he called them to request a payment, “When I tried to call them, (an employee) got on the line and chewed me out. He called me one profanity after another. This went on for five minutes. Then they told me ‘don’t ever call this office again’ and slammed the receiver down.”

The following is a list of some highlights of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of which consumers should be aware:

Debt collectors may not falsely imply that the consumer has committed a crime or that he or she will be arrested if the debt is not paid.

Debt collectors calling outside parties to obtain information on the whereabouts of a person who owes a debt must not reveal that the subject person owes the debt. The collector may only contact these parties once unless the information provided is incomplete or erroneous.

A debt collector is allowed to make consumer contacts only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time at the consumer’s location.

If a consumer notifies the debt collector in writing that he or she refuses to pay a debt or that he or she wants the collector to cease contacting him or her, the collector must cease except in rare circumstances.

A debt collector may not harass, oppress, or abuse any person in connection with the collection of a debt. This includes the use of obscene or profane language, causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person called.

If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the 30-day period that the debt or a portion of it is disputed, or if the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the collector shall cease his or her collection attempts until he or she obtains this information and it is mailed to the consumer by the collector.

Consumers who have questions, disputes, or whose rights may have been violated regarding a collection agency may contact the Federal Trade Commission at (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) or at www.ftc.gov. There is a copy of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act available on the FTC’s Web site. Consumers may also report their experiences or file a complaint with the BBB by calling (314) 645-3300 or visiting www.contactbbb.org

They left a message looking for someone,
hey don't be calling me I do not owe you
anything...Bad-bad !!!

I got a call from these people and I wasn't sure who they were, but it was nice to find this site. The calls have been made to my cell phone so I just saved the number that called me as a contact with a nice name like "life is wonderful" so each time I see it I get a good feeling. Then I programmed the ringtone for that number to be silent, so I dont even hear their calls. Hope this helps someone else out there not to be upset by collection agencies. =)

I received a call today from this number from a person looking for my wife that had called me from 1-800-521-3236 on 9/11/07. Guy had an attitude and didnt say who he was with either. I never answered the phone, let voice mail get it because ID showed Unknown.

The caller asked me was this my address I told him no, then he asked "is this you last four of your SSN, I asked him why, then I said if that is not my address I wasn't going to tell him what my last four was".  I don't even know these people.  And I do not live at the address he gave me.

i got a voice mail from them today(i don't pick up numbers i don't know), saying they received my resume i submitted and wanted to speak to me.  i never submitted a resume to them though, and i'm not sure how they got my contact info.  they will not stop calling me and i've informed them that i'm not interested, w/ no luck.

wtf do i do??

I've had the same experience as "confused..." A daily call with a message regarding my resume posted on Career Builder. Then a second call about 2 hours later with no message. I checked their website and they are hiring for their call center which is close to my house. I am searching for a job, but not for them!

Said they found my resume on Career Builders - true enough - but i will not contact them - tks for advice

Caller's name was Brandy

Getting calls last couple days from a Valerie Maddox at 800-521-3236.  Only know the number cause of message left.  Caller ID says out of area.  In FLA it is illegal for unknown callers.  All callers on caller ID must identify themselves.  Assuming it's for this collection agency being discussed but I will only respond in writing!

Amber from Client Services keeps on calling my number and asking for a person who I don't know is. There is no such person in my family.

Amber calls everyday including weekend. I am absolutely fed up.
Until today, the caller ID shows "unavailable".

today was the first time this number showed up

rude, about a debt, called everyone that was tagged to my ssn. debt was taking care of and still tried to get me.

I wasnt home and they didnt leave message

called the first time "unknown name" second time called 636-947-2321 showed on the caller id. I stored the number under A$$holes on my cell phone. How in the hell did they get my private cell number? Most of my family doesn't even have my cell number! I reported them to the BBB just a few minutes ago. I suggest you all do the same.

i have been constantly called on my home phone as well as my cell and had payments attempted to be taken out of my bank account and caused several backlashes that the firm was not willing to reimburse.very rude remarks were made to me as if i was a irresponsible teen and when i tried to comment back i was hung up on only to be called back again. now i am recieving threatening phone calls that are scaring my young children.("mam you should have talked to me when you had the chance and now i am going to embarrass you and have all your friends,family, and neighbors come after you!!!") that was the last message i recieved!!