6077484686

"Katie Gotham" left a message on my work voicemail saying she was surprised that such a small amount went to a collections agency, but could I call back to straighten out this whole deal. It sounded fishy, so I Googled the phone number and found all of your comments about this company. I'm sure glad that I didn't bother to call her back. Get a real job, "Katie," and stop bothering honest people.

I just had the same thing happen, only my callers name was Chris Bennett. They're trying to say I downloaded an annual online subscription on a day that I was not even in the office. I was traveling to one of our other locations. After we had words, and I hung up on him, he called the CFO, Controller and Accounts Payable Manager.  I've turned it over to our legal department, but it worries me that not everyone has this resource to deal with unethical companies.

Joy Norton an employee at our Healthcare Facility was contacted saying that she owed over $100.00 for a publication that they said she had subscribed to.  She never did and never received the subscription and she has been threatened with legal action.  This is ridiculous.  I have contacted our legal department and they are looking in to it.

Same as above for the complaints.  I spoke with Valerie Oliver this time.  Following my call I filled out a form I downloaded from the NY Attorney General's office and faxed it to them.

Representative Chris Bennett continues to call my office for a gentleman who is an employee.  Mr. Bennett is rude and offensive and holds our organization responsible for this personal debt and has resorted to calling me the receptionist a [***] which I took very personal.  He has also offended our AP representative and is now harassing our CFO.

Lori Appleton called me also, from ICR.  I got on line immediately to find out about this and found over 100,000 sites about scamming complaints against this company and the Progressive Business Publications Company also.  I then contacted through the net also, the BBB in that area. Today I received a letter from both the BBB and Progressive. and Also a copy of Progressive letter in response to my complaint.  Well all is done and we are off thier mailing list and they are "graciously"removing our company from any further actions from ICR, oh how generous, sarcasm, and they cancelled our account, wow how unbeleiveable.  The only bothersome part is that the BBB took thier explanation and said only if i am dissatisfied with the outcome will they be taking any further actions.  If i found this many complaints against them why isnt anyone in authority doing anything about this company!~ Thanks for the ear, hope none of you experience this, what a waste of time  and hassle....My complaint should not be mistaken as just 1 complaint on the collection agency, My real complaint is with the Company: Progressive Business Publications of Malvern, PA.  They may be in tangent with this collection agency too!

We are a public library.  I was contacted by Lynn Gregory of International Credit Recovery.  Told we had ordered something from Progressive Business Publications in July 2008 and had never paid for it.  Also said bills had been sent to library director's attention.  No such bills were ever received, no such publication was ever received.  We will contact NY State Attorney General: Consumer Fraud Division.

We received a call from a female, using the name Lynn, the week of 4/6/09 accusing our company of not paying an invoice for internet Human Resource services.  Lynn said she was from a collection agency and used the "we know your birthdate so you must have authorized the service" approach.  She did not have a copy of the alleged invoice, a signed contract, or any supporting documents.  She could not/would not supply us with a contact at the alleged creditor, their address, or phone number.  She was very persistent and single-minded in attempting to solicit when were we going to pay her $399.  We never received services from the alleged company.  Her direct call back number is 607-748-4686.  We will contact Consumer Fraud.

Well my story goes hand and hand with everyone else's stories about this scam.  I was called by a "Katie Gottman" from New York and "Katie's" job is to collect funds from agencies like the one I work for when past due bills come up.  She said that I had signed up for this Grant Newsletter of 12 issues for 12 months.  After I explained to her that I know I did now sign up for this because I am not the person in this office to approve of such a subscription, she went on to tell me that the Progressive Business Publication Company called me in Oct. 2008 and that company explained to me that I was in fact signing up for this one year subscription.  The Company also told me that after the first two months of free subscriptions, if I was not satisfied with the subscription then I could have cancelled the subscription and avoided having to pay anything. (Of course none of this happened…)
Once I explained to her that NO ONE had explained any of that to me, she still insisted that because I confirmed this subscription by giving them by birthday (which I didn't do) that I was stuck paying the $240 bill.  “Katie” also said that if I did not pay the $240 today, that huge additional fees would be added onto the amount that our agency already owes.  Thankfully one of my bosses had a strong sense that this was all a scam and she called the “collection agency” back.  As far as I know, she has been hung up on at least twice and we are possible looking into taking legal action as well.

This is the company that Institute of Business Publications had call us to attempt to collect on a scam. Institute of Business Publications sent an invoice to us for a Safety Alert Newsletter that our Safety Manager had supposedly ordered.  He denied it.  He only vaguely remembers answering some questions from some caller.  I guard the switchboard but some people give out business cards with direct lines which are a big NO! No!.  Anyway, I typed up an affidavit stating he had not ordered anything from them, that we did not have a business relationship with them, we both signed it had our notary notarize it, sent it the newsletter and the envelope it came in to the Postmaster General Fraud Dept and to the BBB in PA.  The BBB never contacted us.  IOBP continued to send invoices which I date stamped and filed everything envelope, invoice and newsletters in my 3 ring scam binder.  After several months they quit sending the invoices but someone from ICR International Credit Recovery called for him and when I found out who she was, the fur flew.  She said she was the collection agency for IOBP and I told her she probably worked out of their office, she denied it, she said she had a tape recording of him ordering it.  I asked her what kind of a legitimate company they were if they had to make a recording of the transaction, none of our other vendors do.  I told her I wanted a copy of the tape, she asked if I would pay for it I told her the burden of proof was on her and I wasn't paying a dime.  They never sent the tape and they never sent another invoice.  When they call I answer the phone and immediately hang up on them.  Progressive Business Publications is right up there with them.  You have to write cancel on the invoice and fax it to them, get their fax number off of their website.  When they call I tell them that I am in accounts payable and we will not pay their invoice the newsletters were ordered under false pretenses on their part.  When they call they will not identify themselves as Progressive Business Publications, they usually say Progressive or the name of the newsletter they're pushing so ask a lot of questions.  When I find out it's PBP I tell them no one here wants anything from them.

BTW whenever you get a call from someone that wants to "update their data base" they may be one of these companies trying to get the names of the upper management so they can call the next day and get through to them.  I tell them I do not verify any info over the phone.  They may send us a questionnaire in the mail and at our discretion we will provide the info they seek.  Beware of Harte Hanks because they are data miners and will sell your info to companies like Institute of Business and Progressive Business Publications.

We have been receiving calls from the "collection company" about the Publications that my boss ordered. We figured out today how to get then to stop calling! My boss got on the phone and said that she did not place the order, she was told that they have a recording of her requesting the publication. My boss asked for either a copy of the recording or a transcript of the call. Cynthia Thomas the "Supervisor" said that she would just clear the account as it would cost her more to get a transcript of the call then she would collect. We will wait and see if they call again.

I think we figured out how to get them to stop calling!!!!
When "Valerie" did not get anywhere with me today her "Supervisor" called, Cynthia Thomas. My boss was final in the office to take the call as she was the one who "placed the order". Cynthia told my boss they had a recording of her requesting the publication. My boss was given her birth date as proof. She said "That is not good enough, I would like a copy of the recording of the call or a transcript of the call". When my boss asked for that Cynthia said she would just clear the account because it would cost her more to get the copies then she would collect! And then hung up on my boss. If they call you again try this! My boss was also told that there was an email agreeing to the order and she asked for a copy of it also, would not give email address, should have if email from her. Hope you can use the same tack and get them to stop calling you!!!

they did the same thing with my business, how do I file a comlaint with NY state Attorny General?  Thanks.

Bobby

their address is:
300 Main St.
Suit 11
Vestal, NY 13850-1545
TN: 607-748-4686

Progressive business Publications;370 Technology Drive,Malvern PA 19355

A company called International Credit has been calling my company stating one of my supervisors ordered a publication and they are looking for payment. They said they used his birthdate as reference for the order. They called my supervisor and asked for immediate payment by check or credit card. He refused. They called back and spoke to my AP clerk and asked for the same...she refused and hung up on them. They called back and got me, the General Manager. I spoke to Valerie at 607-748-4686 and she said we owed $561.00. I told her I'd call her back. I searched on the phone number and saw all of of this activity and the same crap they are trying to pull on us. I asked Val to fax me an invoice...she said they already sent 5 invoices. I said I would not pay until I had an invoice. She said she sent 5 and was not going to send any more. I mentioned my search on the web. She said all of the information on this site was from unhappy customers who were unwilling to pay their bills!!! She said she would send the invoice to corporate...I hung up. Our corporate office is in the far east...best of luck to these jerks.

You should also file a Mail Fraud report with the US PostMaster. It is easy to do just go online and fill out the form and tell them exactly what the company is doing. Scams that utilize the mail to further the scam is MAIL FRAUD.

Just got the call. I called back and left a message! I should've goggled first!

Received a call this morning about a pass due subscription on my business line.  I never heard of this so called company and I NEVER AUTHORIZE 30 DAY TRIAL ANYTHING.  
The call could not provide me with an address or telephone number of this so called Progressive Business Company.  AT THE TIME OF MY SO CALLED AUTHORIZION I WAS AWAY FROM MY OFFICE ON VACATION.
BIG SCAM.