6077484686

My story is similar to all those I've read Valerie Oliver is calling "from a collection center" to an employee of our company, has her birthdate as "proof" this is our debt and is offering for us to easily and conveninetly clear this up with a credit card.

ICR's Katie called me two weeks ago and left a message. The message referred vaguely to an outstanding bill now referred to them as the collection agent. I had no idea what she was talking about. But I was concerned at the mention of a credit collection deadline.

We played phone tag for two weeks. Today I finally talked to her. Katie was actually very pleasant. But the story she told was one I knew nothing about. I asked to know what company was billing me. The answer was Progressive Business Publications, but she wouldn't give me a contact number. I grew quite agitated, wondering what this was all about and worried that my little foundation's credit was about to be damaged.

Katie promised to fax me the file. Two hours later it still had not come. I googled the publicaiton in question, Foundation and Corporate Funding Advantage and there found the phone number. I called and spoke to PBP's Robin. I told Robin my story. She traced my record.

Sure, she said, she had evidence that I had subscribed to this on a trial basis last July and that they had already sent several issues and five invoices. I told her that I had absolutely no record of any of this. She then asked if my birthday was on May 4. I said no. She then said that she would arrange with ICR to withdraw the collection item and would fax me a confirmation about this today.

I called ICR's Katie back and told her all this. That seemed to settle it.

This episode got me quite upset this morning, anxious as I was about a mysterious unpaid bill that seemed very plausible to me. I was very glad to find this website and hear all the rest of your stories. Now you have one more to tell.

Pardon me for saying so, but "to hell with PCP and ICR".

Caller by the name of Jamie just called our office today stating that a fellow employee had authorized this charge and they were going to file a claim against us if we didn't pay.

Got several calls from ICR with the same story.  Thanks to this forum, I know how to address this issue.  I asked for the name of the caller, the collection agency, the creditor, and the address and fax number for sending correspondence. Also ask about the amount the collector claims you owe.  I have that right and the collection agency is required to disclose this information.  They didn't want to give me that info, all they wanted to know what the problem was so they could fix it.  I told them I wasn't interested in fixing something that wasn't a problem in the first place, I wanted to file a complaint with the FTC and the Attorney General's office.

I verified the area code and the prefix and they both work for the address.

International Credit Recovery
300 Main Street, Suite 11
Vestal, NY  13850-1545

im stuck in the same situation right now, my dad is just furious because we just been billed another $40.. so can someone give me a brief summary on what should i do to get out of this? email me at v.blooded@gmail.com
thanks

Does anyone have an address for these idiots? I just got off the phone with them. Extremely unprofessional. Also, would not give me any written materials from Progressive or themselves. I would like to send them a letter to assure they stop contacting my company.

Sorry, I missed the post with the address. Thanks Jam.

Best of luck to all!

"Valerie Oliver" from ICR of New York has phoned my business several times.  At first, very similar to the other stories, acting as if she was sure we had overlooked it and she would "hold the invoice from collection" if I would pay the debt.  I told her I knew of no such debt or company and to provide me written proof of the order.  Obviously nothing came.  This is insane harassment and fraud and needs to stopped.

glad I googled this number and read the comments. I have been out of the office for past week. My voice mail hasdailey messages from Valerie from this number stating that I owe $$to a company- Not stating/referencing a
certain company or invoice # - glad I didnt bother to call her back.
Beware!

Received a call from Linda Gregory, who said she is the manager of International Credit Recovery Inc., located at 300 Main Street, Vastal, NY.  The purpose of the call was to let me know that CFO magazine had handed in my subscription account for collection for the "CFO Newsletter", which I had not subscribed.  They said that I had provided information for the subscription.  When asked what information I had provided, Linda said that I had provided my birthdate.  I pointed out that that information anyone could acquire.  When asked if I provided any other information, she said that is all they needed.  I mentioned that I had look at the issue on line but did not subscribe.  I also mentioned that they had tried to invoice me and that I sent the invoices back indicating that I had not subscribed to the issues.  After the third time they quit sending invoices and no more newsletter arrived.  Linda said that I owe the company $280 for a one year subscription.  However, she could settle the invoice if I agree to pay $130.00 within the next twenty-four hours.  I asked her to send me a copy of the invoice and to provide information on the account.  She said that she would fax the information to me.  She wanted me to give her my credit card number so that she could the account within the twenty-four hours.  I said that I would wait to revceive the faxed information before I would provide any additional information.  Also, I was going to check ou information on the web.  I also mentioned that this seem like a scam.  I did not order the newsletter, I am not a CFO and why should I pay for something that I did not order.  I also stated that I was going to contact the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General for Maryland.  She stated that her advice was that I should not gert personally involved in this account.  She also wanted the name of the CFO of the company that I work, which I told her that I did not know who was the CFO for the company.  Although, she knew the name of the company, I did not provide the name.

I also received a call from a "Katie" from International Credit Recovery. She left a voice mail telling me that an invoice was put in collections and that I was the contact person. She stated that it was an invoice that wAs probally overlooked and that it can be cleared up right away. So after two days of phone tag she finally called me back and told me that my business owed $299.00 from an invoice back in September of 2007. I asked her what invoice and she told me Subscriptions from Progressive Business Publications. I asked to fax me over an invoice which prompted her to start becoming masty and told me that I needed to pay right now. I told her I wasn't going to pay and that I never gave any confirmation that I wanted a subscription. She stated that my "Birthdate" was the confirmation. I indicated to her that she was wrong and she insisted to tell me that she had the entire transcript of the inital telephone conversation to which I replied back and said to her "Where on the transcript does it say yes I want to be a customer please send this to me" I also said I never received and type of invoice and that this was sneaky. We started arguing over a faxed invoice to which she stated that she wasn't going to send me one. She also asked for my CFO and I told we don't have one. I gave her the name of my direct boss to which she said she will call back and ask for her. I shortly hung up on "Katie".

I'm glad I found the other testimonials and I urge anyone who has this happen to them to not give any money because it's a scam.

Also they will say the your "Birthday" is confirmation that you agreed to the publication...that is totally B.S.

Got a call from Amanada from ICI claiming that I had agreed to receiving publications from Progressive Business Solutions and that she had a transcript and my birthdate to prove it. I asked for copies of the bills or a record of my conversation and she would provide neither. She directed me to my accounting office, she was totally evasive. I told her Progressive is a scam and she refuted that they were in business for 30 years. She said it seemed that I wasn't going to pay that she would do nothing else....
She clearly has conducted hundreds of these calls before and was looking for some poor soul to provide her a credit card number. Don't fall for this scam.

This is a total scam and they almost had me.  I actually gave Cynthia Thomas my credit card information.  However before she could charge it I called her back and did not give her authorization.  She said it was to late and if I don't pay now I will have to pay $300 down the road and this was going on my credit report!  I told her there will be a check in the mail...yeah she'll see that check.  I also cancelled my credit card.  Cynthia if you're reading this give me a call...actually don't, I will be calling you everyday for the next 3 weeks.

Same type of call received. PBP had turned over this account to IC for collections. This was for a subscription to their OSHA Safety Pub. Tiffany Jones said they had sent invoices for 6 mos and rec'd no pmt. She did have the name of an employee here, but he is listed on our website contacts.

I called her back and an old woman answered the phone, said "Wrong Number" and hung up on me. So I googled the number and found this site.

What a scam.  Spread the word.

Progressive Business Publications re: Customer Service Advantage, 800-220-5000. Other numbers: 607-748-4686 1-800-528-1356
BEWARE, Complimentary Subscription?!! Pushy "courtesy" collection agent call, nothing received, want payment, wanted bosses number, wanted to bill my company directly, called on a business line. Says collections not associated with company, but described so called publication in detail.
Lots of reports of fraud. 300 Main Street Vestal, NY 13850.

We did recieve invoices, to which my boss said he never requested the publication.  I googled the publisher, and got contact information, though I somehow didn't come accross this site or related ones.  

I phoned (got voicemail) and emailed Progressive Business Publishing, letting them know that not only had we not requested the publication, they did not have the name of our business correct, nor did the have the right spelling of the contacts name.

Today I got a call from Chris Bennett from International Recovery, asking for the person who the have a misspelled name for, to which I told him that he was not in today.  He told me that on such a such date (like Oct. 10th), that Jons (though they call him John), yes the s is pronounced in his real name. Had a phone conversation where he requested having a year subscription, and they gave me his birthdate as proof of that he ordered.

To which I responded that we had also started to recieve a second newlster, that we had also not subscribed. He said, oh which one is that? I told him, to which he said, "oh, I can get that cancelled".

Which blew his, "I work for an unrelated credit bureau, not PBP." cover out the window.

I also told him that we were Jim's Blank and Blah (same formula, different names) Not the Jim's Blank, Inc. that was listed on the invoice.  

He said that it was John's (not Jons's) responsiblity to report the right names to them.

To which I told him that once he reports it to a real credit agency, to let me know, at which point we had more than enough information to properly contest it, then hung up.

Has anyone had it show up on thier credit ratings?

Second call from Tiffany Jones regarding an invoice for $230 that she wouldn't give me any information on.  This call she refused to talk to me - said I was rude to her the last time.  (boo hoo) Said she was going to report me to our Controller.  Which she did.  She's supposed to be faxing his office a copy of the invoice, which they will send to me.  This was two hours ago - no fax yet.  Poor Tiffany

Tiffany Jones of 607-748-4686 called stating that we were delinquent on an invoice for a safety newsletter publication we never received. She stated that the invoice was going to be sent to a collections after our Accounts Payable department requested that they show proof of authorized acceptance of publication or copy of recorded conversation which is commonly done during verbal transactions. We have received no verification thus far.

We have called the 607-748-4686 back and they just place us on hold. The suspicious behavior of this company is more prevalent when "Tiffany Jones" says she's not Tiffany when answering the phone. Did she forget her name?

International Credit Recovery
300 Main St
Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (607) 748-4686

Received a call from Progressive Business Publishing almost a year ago. This is a VERY slick scam!

I am an "IT guy", so I am inundated with offers for "complimentary" subscriptions to trade publications. I NEVER pay for these annoying and mostly useless newsletters and magazines that are nothing but ads for HP, Dell, Cisco, etc. or some useless opinion column written by God-knows-who. Most of them, especially the newsletters, go immediately into the trash unopened.

This caller started with the usual "this call may be recorded for quality purposes", etc., offering to renew my complimentary subscription to some publication. I always ask these types of callers to confirm that it's FREE and COMPLIMENTARY. I don't mind getting them if they are free as occasionally one may have worthwhile information in them. Then, the clever part...she said something to the effect of "I just need to verify your mailing address"...which she knew and had correctly...then she said "just to verify I am speaking with (my name)....please verify just the month and day of your birthday...not year". Like an idiot (I'm an IT guy...I should know better but it sounded innocuous enough...it wasn't my SSN or credit card number) I gave it to her. Once I hung up the phone I thought to myself "what a clever phishing attempt...I'll bet they cqall back at some later date and ask for something like "just the last 4 of your SSN"..and over time they get what they need. I'd be ready for that and not give them any further information.

Fast-forward almost a year and I receive this call from Kathy Rema at International Credit Recovery about $299 my company owes them. My company is a huge, household name and I do a lot of payments for IT-related things so it was plausible we were late with something. That's when she told me it was for this publication and that I agreed to a complimentary one-month subscription and that it had been my responsibility to cancel within 30 days or I would be billed for the full year at $299. That conversation NEVER happened and if I received an invoice...it was inside one of those newsletters I toss in the trash unopened.

Don't fall for this scam!!

DO NOT FALL DOR THIS!  If you look up both ICR and Progressive Business Publications on the Better Business Bureau's website, they BOTH have unsatifactory ratings.  They use the fact that they have your date of birth as how you accepted these newletters.  If this happens or has happened to you, file a complaint with both the BBB and FTC.  I guess they thought these would get overlooked when it came to big companies but they thought wrong.