866-716-1544

Rec'd a call from the above number stating they were from my county court and charges were pending against me. I or my lawyer needed to contact them. Found out the above number was not my county court house but Mercantile Adjustment Bureau. When called back found that it was someone using my name/number. Told them of this but they keep calling. Beware and notify your police of this as I have.

I just got a call ...Same details, stating they were from LA county and there was a complaint against me. wth!

I recieved many calls from this number ststing they were from my county as well.  I had my Lawyer check them out and they are a debt collector stating they are from an Attorney's office.

I received threathing calls from this number from a lady who identifyed herself to be a lawyer, stating that I had better call her back or there will be consequence, and all of this was left on my voice mail back to back.  These people are so rude and misleading.  Something should be done about this company.

calls all times day and night - no messages left

he was rude and obnoxious and the person he wanted was unknown here but he still wanted me to take a message - became more rude so i hung up

I rec'd a message on our answering machine from this number today. The lady said this message was for my husband ( she said his name ) and that he or a legal representative needed to call her back RIGHT AWAY about his file that had been assigned to her office. She left her number 866-716-1544 ext 3034 and said she was from Mercantile.... We tried to call back but rec'd a recording that they were closed. I am thinking this must be a scam b/c we are not late with any of our bills...plus she did not go into any details about what "file" had been assigned to her office. Is it legal for these people to make these kind of phone calls???

I received a call from a woman that had my daughter address and ask about a person I never heard about. She said they were investigation this person. I call back the number and talk to another woman, she would not give me any information about the call. She said they represent number of companies.

I received a call from a  very distant relative byway of my ex-husband.   He was told that she was trying to help me with a pending legal matter.  Stating and she needed my information from him so she could contact me.  explain to him that if she was truly trying to help me she would not be calling him.

She had left a message on my phone with threatening demands for me to return her call.

This must be a third-party cut throat bill collector.  What a horrible  desperate business to feel the need to lie and threatened to make a dollar.  This kind of business should be illegal.

I'm glad that this website he says so we can try to protect the innocent general public.

Sincerely,

Not Scared!!!!!

Lady keeps calling saying that my county is suing me. Get a recording everytime I call the number back.

Can't understand her name, but she leaves an extension #, a claim #, and that it's in regards to a claim filed against me here in my current county - where I only lived for 2 months. Weird.

pay your bills and people wont have to call you.

i enjoyed my experience with two good collectors at mercantile adjustment burea. I got my self into this i will get myself out.  The collectors are people like you and i, just doing their job.

stop hiding from your responsibilities and pay your bills.

If you can afford an attorney then why dont you pay your bills too.

some of us Do pay our bills, you collectors are still rude and arrogant! Maybe more prople would pay their bills if you weren't so pushy and nasty!

Got a call from that number too, lady named 'Maria Lopez' called my parents house!?! Siad she wanted to help me with a claim falsely filed against me, but wouldn't give any other details to my mother, just acted extremly rude!

don't just love it when CROOKS tell you to pay NON-EXISTENT BILLS?  

CON ARTISTS EXTORTIONISTS

JUST FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM AS INDICATED BELOW

HELP THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CLOSE THEM DOWN

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

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/start.html


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.


Mercantile Adjustment Bureau, LLC

6390 Main St

Williamsville,  NY 14221



Phone: 800-480-7094      866-809-7506

       and 716-929-8200     Fax: 716-929-8251

Also:

303 West Avenue    Rochester, NY 14611

Phone: 800-836-0592  &     585-328-2200

             

Fax: 585-463-2090     585-463-2085

Head Debt Collector:

Robert E. Roth, CEO
Jeffrey P. Miller, President

Web address: www.mercantilesolutions.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bud Says                         Consumer Comments Below

When we say Buffalo, NY is the debt collection capital of the world, we are not kidding. When we further state the majority of the debt collectors working there are involved in some type of criminal activity, we are not kidding either.

Here's another ‘Buffalo Style’ collector engaging in the same egregious acts of lies, threats, extortion and pretending to be a law office that has become so common from the thugs working there.

They even went so far as to fax us phony documents validating their crime.

Debt collectors and future prison inmates: John Barzak at: (716) 929-8255 877-230-8414 ext. #8243.  According to their story, ‘In-house Attorney Robert Cavelli’  would be filing a lawsuit today if monies were not forthcoming immediately. Unfortunately for Barzak (?)  and McCallie (?) there is NO attorney by that name with a law license in New York State. That did not stop dumb & dumber from faxing the information on Mercantile letter head, then dutifully discussing their business with us on a phone line, where they verified their statements FOUR times.

I wonder if Bob Roth & Jeff Miller will make them employees of the month?

Mercantile Adjustment Bureau is a member of the American Collectors Association (ACA), which means their collectors are trained in accordance with the FDCPA and understand the ramifications of lying to consumers extorting money they are likely not entitled to and making false threats.

They join the ACA to give themselves credibility which does no exist, then hire these criminal debt collectors for the same cycle of lies, threat and extortion.

Anyone being contacted by Mercantile Adjustment Bureau is warned NOT to believe anything they say or do because they are liars and con men, out to steal your money.
CAUTION: I recommend you NEVER disclose your bank account or credit card information to a debt collector, as you risk them emptying your account, or maxing out your credit card. If you feel they are reporting on your credit bureau files in error or need assistance in dealing with them, email  the details w/your location.  Assistance and referral to a consumer legal specialist may be available.

Very interesting.

We have "collector" posting three times on 8/29, then "responsible" on the same date with an obvious shill message.  The only four posts that are not complaints.  What an amazing coincidence.

Collector, let me start by saying you are obviously a DICK. One day when a tragic event like oh, I don't know maybe your spouse being blown up at work and being burned over 40% of their body and you find yourself unable to pay your bills even though you have always had outstanding credit,always paid on time but then find that most creditors could give two sh**ts about you, then maybe just maybe you will have the right to judge.You have no idea what events can lead to someone not paying their bills. Now, I don't doubt that there are some that just don't because they don't want to but most have a reason. Until then shut your mouth, you sound cruel and stupid. Have you ever heard the expression what goes around comes around??? What about karma??? You people are like buzzards, feeding off of the spirits of people who are hopeless. I believe there is a special Hell for people like you. Enjoy.

"We are all prisoners of debt"