800-869-2331

This idiotic bill collector (claiming to be a Law Firm) uses automated calling to call me, then I can't understand the recorded message, then they say if you stay on the line, you have "acknowledged" that you are the person they were calling.

Of course, you have the right to stay as long as you like on your own phone line, and staying on certainly does not (at least in this universe) acknowledge diddley.

Certainly an UNPROFESSIONAL debt collector.
And harrassaing.

THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS

HANDLE IT CORRECTLY AND THEY WILL END UP PAYING YOU

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE

You can also post your questions here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum/   NEW URL!    

These links are to attorneys for those being scammed www.naca.net or http://www.consumerjustice.com/consumer/searchattorneys.aspx

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    
The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

Dealing with Debt Collectors
Http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm    
    
Statute of Limitations by State – always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm

Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm


From Federal Trade Commission Website – FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you’re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor’s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn’t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they’re told (orally or in writing) that you’re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don’t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector – in writing – to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do that:
Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a “return receipt” so you’ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people – but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don’t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don’t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don’t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not:
    use threats of violence or harm;
    publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
    use obscene or profane language; or
    repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    misrepresent the amount you owe;
    indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren’t; or
    indicate that papers they send to you aren’t legal forms if they are.

Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:
    you will be arrested if you don’t pay your debt;
    they’ll seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless they are permitted by law to take the action and intend to do so; or
    legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don’t intend to take the action.

Debt collectors may not:
    give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
    send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn’t; or
    use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt – or your state law – allows the charge;
    deposit a post-dated check early;
    take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
    contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?
Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don’t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?
If you don’t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.
Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don’t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?
Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:
    Social Security Benefits
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
    Veterans’ Benefits
    Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Service Members’ Pay
    Military Annuities and Survivors’ Benefits
    Student Assistance
    Railroad Retirement Benefits
    Merchant Seamen Wages
    Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Death and Disability Benefits
    Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
    Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance
But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?
You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can’t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney’s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector’s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?
If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General’s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General’s office can help you determine your rights under your state’s law.

For More Information
To learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government’s portal to financial education.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
February 2009

File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General
State Attorney General is every state they have offices

Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY – use this SPECIAL Link  www.NYDebtHelp.com
This special website was created by NY AG Andrew Cuomo specifically for reporting illegal debt collection practices.  HE’S CRACKING DOWN AND SHUTTING THEM DOWN!
    
Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html  If the company is listed under agencies – report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.   You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0

These are sucker lawyers, FULTON FRIEDMAN & GULLACE

Fulton Friedman Galacy (sp?)
Columbia, Maryland
Supervisor Tom McCarthy x459
Henchmen: Tim Augustine, Some guy with an Indian accent who is rude for hanging up on me, the nice one; Forest.
Still no help at all.

Main Office
Fulton Friedman, 28 E main st. ste. 500, Rochester NY 14614

These guys are taking over an account that has been settled for a year, however the original debt collector (who's now out of business) never told anyone the debt was settled. Now these guys are calling me. They would not agree to have the phone call recorded because they know they are in the wrong. I can tell you that i have been working my ass off to fix my credit and people that treat me the way Mann Bracken and now Fulton Friedmann have (all from Maryland) really piss me off. It's funny how its now my responsibility to notify everyone my debt is paid when the original creditor paid Mann Braken loads of money to do it...and there out of business. These guys should pay for my anxiety meds since their the ones creating the stress for NO FING REASON! Yeah, i got the satisfaction letter NOW STOP F***ING WITH ME!

They also buy debts that have been discharged by bankruptcy and other tactics.

They have been calling my house for a year and it's the wrong number. It's Fulton Friedman and Glacey
They tell me it's 28 E Main St #500 Rochester NY

2 years this company has called my cell phone.  Someone has to stop them.  This is so unjust.  How do I stop this?

FFG appears to be using an autodialer.  Calling a cell phone using an autodialer by a debt collector generally violates the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and you may be able to recover $500 to 1,500 per call.  Attorneys who sue Debt Collectors under the FDCPA often take these cases without requiring money up front.  Find one because TCPA cases can yield some significant money.

Yes this company sent me a list of my assets that they sent to my county seat and said they were going to attach a lean or take them Im still waiting for that day cant wait to show up in court with these freak in morons sadly they will never show dam the luck.

They call constantly, beginning at 8:30 am EST. They will call, leave a message on answer machine: then call again 2 minutes later! Highly harrassing!! They call several times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner with a recorded message. I have counted more than 10 calls in one day before!! Do they think I am answering?? I have since then turned volume off on my phone! My friends know how to reach me!

They call me every day. Sick of them.

These people are rude, they do not even speak to the credit card companies inregards to settlements. We have been told by someone in their office(the only nice one working with them) that this company chooses the settlement number.  And once we did settle they are still calling for the remainder. Very rude...they refused to allow me to speak to a manager...and once we told them that we talked to CITIBANK and CITIBANK was willing to take the settlement we offered these people became even ruder!!!

This company is horrible be aware.  I had an old credit card acct that i settled on them with. Made a payment arrangement w them and I call them each mo to make a pymt. The problem is they  put my acct on auto pay (which i told them not to do)  and they keep charging me double because i call them each mo to make pymts to them.  Wish i would have never settled w them. I would you think twice.

This company is horrible be aware.  I had an old credit card acct that i settled on them with. Made a payment arrangement w them and I call them each mo to make a pymt. The problem is they  put my acct on auto pay (which i told them not to do)  and they keep charging me double because i call them each mo to make pymts to them.  Wish i would have never settled w them. I would you think twice.

OH no its the amiture 3 Heibs from Bumfu%$ you should see the fat cow that runs this show Oh my God an all time 3 bagger eating corn thru a picket fence nose as big as the US down right pig face you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy. I mean this women is butt AS$ ugley rode way hard and put up wet. You guys really need to get a new gig man 2 years and you light weights still are messing up. Oh yes the women I mention knows who she is and everyone else in all the offices know as well in fact when this gets passed around the office that laughing you hear down the hall honey is your career dissipation hog call Holy christ are you one ugly women. FFG Freakin Fat Girls. Come on girl you can do better, I mean try harder babe you suck.

Oh no its the 3 Heb's Shyster,Gunknife, & Theif on the amiture hour. They all attended the Rocko Shool Of Law where they earned the fine piece of parchment so so framed and placed up on the wall of your local sweat shop calling center. The big fat Blond "Alice The Goon" lookin bit%& in the corner office runs ruffshot over all the crackheads they hire to make phone calls. Check out all their pending cases were they over stepped the law and well went a bit to far and bended it just a little to much hell if they didnt rep themselves in court on these cases they would be broke oh ya they have gone broke and just re-set up shop under another name. PASS THIS ONE AROUND THE OFFICE BOYS and telll the fatty she needs to get laid.

We get calls most every day for a party that does not live here and is unknown to us. I would like it to stop.

They call me constantly!! Who are these people and why are they calling?

Not sure who these guys are, I do know that I had an outstanding debt with Dell- I was dealing with another company out of Texas which I finally got tired of and discussed a payoff offer. I ended up paying 1100 of a 1400 debt and the next thing I know I have these clowns call me and now the its 1600. Asked why account was transfered and why it is now 1600 only answer I got was accumulated charges and no record that 1100 was paid to first collection agency. Auto. message is funny at one time it will be my name and the next it will be some other persons name.  I think I may just need to pay for an attorney.

This number continues to call me each day, without identifying who it is.