800-455-0260

Yes in bad economic times crime does rise. So criminal debt collectors are trying harder to steal more money. Collection Agencies are organized crime.

Man claiming to be Dennis Mitchell left a message on my PARENT'S answering machine where he told them that I owed one of their clients money and that if I called back tonight by 8.30pm I could avoid further action. I am aware I got lab bills from their client, Spectrum Laboratories. They did not properly file my insurance which was state funded at the time I had labs done and now are seeking me to pay for their mistake(s). Not gonna happen. I am going to have to write another letter with my pharmacy name and phone # that sent the correct insurance paperwork originally. Lab Corp was able to process the same exact insurance information for my labwork that was done through them so Spectrum has no excuse for not doing the same thing. If I owed it, I'd pay it...but I don't. I don't think they should have been able to leave the information about my debt on my PARENT'S answering machine. That's private!

You probubly work for stern you sick prick!

Im sorry you have to work at stern and associates where they yell at people all day and you think so poorly of these people who are trying to pay their bills!  Im also sorry you have a AA from whatever school you went to.  Im a graduate of Wake Forest and make more in a week and than you or Dennis or whoever can make in your life.  YOU contacted me on a cleriacal error and when I tried to give you my card number you yelled at me!  You people at Stern and Associates need to shut your mouths and stop using these people as outlets for your anger that you have bulit up because your lives suck so badly!

they are not allowed to do that

CHECK YOUR STATE GOVERNMENT WEBSITES TO MAKE THEY ARE LICENSED AND BONDED IN YOUR STATE - IF NOT THEY CANNOT COLLECT IT.


THESE ARE THE LAWS THEY ARE BREAKING - FYI IT APPLIES TO ATTORNEY'S OFFICES THAT COLLECT DEBTS AS WELL - DON'T LET THEM TELL YOU IT DOES NOT.

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
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

Bob I am a doctor and people would be more willing to pay if they weren't being spoken to exactly like that!

If you pay your bills then why the hell are you looking at this site to begin with?  Dont worry I have copied your posts from all the "non employees" on here and I will be taking them with me to meet with all of the federal agencies and doctors offices I can find.  Good luck finding new jobs!  Glad Im too rich to work....your clerical errors brought me here.

Dont worry honey they did the same thing to me.  My Insurance DOES pay everything because I have tons of money.  Guess They dont understand that we are rich and they are working class idiots that call people and yell all day!

I am a former employee of this agency.  Take it from me, it is easier to either not answer the calls or just be brutally honest with the collector (with all due respect).  The calls stop eventually.

Good luck finding a job in the mean time.  Don't let collection calls get you down.

Poor economy or not, unfortunate things happen and financial hardship is not always the result of laziness.  I would hold off before accusing anyone of being single-minded when you are so quick to judge a person in a bad situation.  Try Econ 101 again and add a little bit of common sense and/or decency.

I went to get my hair done yesterday and there was a lady sitting next to me going on an on about this guy that had called her about a medical bill and how rude he had been. And then she said who he was an where he was from and i was completely shocked. She told me her daughter wanted her to go to this 800 website and look at all the complaints and put in her own. I decided i should look too.

I'm so shocked and just can't believe none of this because I am embarrassed to admit that I had a medical bill  to in the Spring and I also talked to Dennis.  But I don't have anything at all to complain about. When I talked to him, he was very nice and I knew that I couldn't pay it all at one time but it also would have been wrong for me to not pay my doctor at all. He told me i could send in a payment each month with I got my disability check and that its what I did. It took me 4 months to pay it, but I was glad I could. I even called Mr. Dennis back when I made my last payment and he was happy to send me a receipt that my account was cleared.

I asked that lady why she thought he was so rude and she only told me that he kept asking her to make a payment on her bill. That didn't seem to bad to me. Maybe she was just embarrased to that she owed something to someone. All I know is I don't think Mr. Dennis was rude with me.

I looked up the Stern place on this site before I called and I was very afraid to deal with them after reading all of the comments.
So as it turns out, my insurance only paid barely HALF of what my total bills were for several unpleasant trips to the hospital. To top it off nobody even notified me that I had anything to pay until I get a threatening letter from these people! It is very frustrating to have something go to an ATTORNEY without you even being aware of it.
I talked to Dennis as well & he wasn't what I expected (kind of nice/funny) although I did end up having to start up payments in order to nip this in the bud (I learned about ignoring bills the hard way). OH well still was easier than dealing with the god damn hospital.

the people called to us from 919-755-3900 were crime business and crime people but I wonder, why the  police over there can not do anything to them or teaching them lesson about a word ((respect)) ((polite)) ((impolite)) ((annoyed)) tell them what is meaning those word above.

I have something to share:
Out of thin air, Stern and Associates put a collection notice on one of my 3 credit reports, TransUnion, on 6/2011.
I called them to find out what it was all about, and was sent a primitive-looking log of some Lab work bill that was supposedly perforned on 7/2007.  This is over 4 years old!  I never heard of the Lab's name, or aware that they did any work for my Doctor.
Well, the statute of Limitation in North Carolina is 3 years.  There is no chance in the world they can collect on me.
On my finding out about this Statute, I called Stern and told them to clear up my credit report.  They said not until I pay the amount.
I think I figure out how they work: Negative info on your credit report will stay there for 7 years, meaning that even if they cannot collect the debt, as it was expired by law, they make you pay something to clear up your otherwise clean credit report from what they had put in there.
I called the FTC and they said they would look into a pattern of such practice from the company.  Hurray!

I can say without any doubt that the other posters who left negative comments about Dennis Mitchell at Sterns are 100% correct.

He is unnecessarily rude. He even insulted me for no reason, basically said I was worthless, and then said *I* had a bad attitude. Geez

He must be a very unhappy person who just enjoys creating more misery.

If the people who hire Sterns had any clue about this guy they would use another agency. NO ONE is going to make any effort to pay when they are being treated like scum by such a pompous, arrogant jerk who is making NO EFFORT to work with you or listen to what you have to say.

I just got a rude call from him too and I have been paying on my account.  He said I had to pay more than I've been paying.  When I said I was on a fixed income, he said it didn't make any difference, I had to pay what he said I had to pay.  He wouldn't give me any information I requested and hung up on me.  He hinted that he would sue me if I didn't pay.  I will contact the company who hired him and his bosses to let them know how he treats people.  Rude, rude rude.

Has anyone actually paid off a debt and got it removed from their credit report?  They are not willing to send it to me in writing but state that they do remove from your credit report if paid in full.  Has anyone had any experience with this?

Yes, if you pay the debt in full they will remove it.  I had to take care of a medical bill through them about two or three months ago (wasn't a hastle whatsoever; not sure why alot of these people had any problems).  If you want the paid in full letter, send a self addressed stamped envelope and they will mail one out to you (at least that is what I had to do...understandable to a certain degree what with rising postage costs I guess).  Now, it did take the credit bureaus about a month and a half to remove the debt listing, but it did come off completely.  

Hope that helped!

Wow... If this does not apply to you what concern is it of yours. You evidently can't be too successful considering the fact that you have the time to sit on a website and post things that have nothing to do with you so you say. If you are so successful why or better yet how did you find this website.  You had to be looking for something concerning this company or debt collection. So my advice to you (since it appears that you are looking for it) you really need to get a life "Mr. Successful".... LOL... I bet.. Too funny....

You obviously have anger issues!  I teach school and have a career and you have no idea what has happened in my family with our income situation!  Not all bad people who debts!  You can lose anything at a snap of a finger!!!!  Disability with a child anything! Death!  You must not have a lot of life experiences or you wouldn't post such hateful things.