8005033852

I used to work for a collection agency. If your son is a minor, you may want to talk to a bank or financial person and have his credit pulled. it's possible that someone either stole his information, or the company is reporting him to the bureaus which they aren't supposed to do for children. I did find out however, if this is unresolved by the child's 18th birthday, the child will then be held liable for the debt.

This number has been calling for the last 2 months.  Day and Night.  We have caller ID so we don't answer, just let the machine get it.  Who ever it is they just hang up and call again later.  You think they would get the hint that we know who is calling.

I recieved a call from this number to a family member that does not, nor has ever lived under my roof.

I have found out when you call in to the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY, this is where they get all the phone numbers at.  I have Majic Jack and still get calls some are for me but others aren't. They have a first or last name like mine but that's it.  I'm also tired of the calls but as you say, I don't even pick my phone up.

They've been calling my cell phone every morning for over a week now. I finally added them to my block list this morning so I won't have to ever see this number again. If they had something worth saying, they had plenty of chances already to state their business on my voicemail.

You call my phones (home or cell) you play by my rules: if you call repeatedly and can't be bothered to leave a voicemail, then you go on my block list, simple as that.

And as far as I'm concerned, I don't owe any debt to anybody anyhow.

They have been calling me since October of 2009, looking for someone else.  They usually call from (800) 303-6606 and just hang up, but sometimes leave robo messages saying to hang up right away if I'm not the person they want.  What a stupid system.

I never pick up since I read how these companies accuse you of being a liar or just call even more.  I figured that ignoring them is best.  There's nothing they can do if no one ever answers, no matter how many times they call.  At least the calls are less frequent, down to once a day and not every day anymore.

They do call from multiple numbers, some with a PA or NJ area code, some toll free.  They are trying to trick people into answering the phone probably.  It could also be a scam of somebody pretending to be a debt collector to scare people into giving out information.

It's obvious that it's a toll free call if it's an 800 number.  I never saw a Caller ID like that.

Calling at unwanted and unreasonable times incessantly sometimes 30 a day

If you keep getting phone calls from a debt collection agency and you are not the debtor it is a violation of a Federal Law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (also known as the FDCPA).  Yes, you may sue the agency for a violation of this act. Call a lawyer that specializes in this area and sue them. The attorneys that I have used will sue them, attach their fees and court costs to the lawsuit. In addition to receiving a fine from the Federal Government and paying the attorneys fees, you will probably receive a settlement as well for the harassment.

they call me EVERY day! sometimes more than once! i never answer. they left a voicemail once saying that i need to call back to refer to a file. they say that they are Academy Service,  have no idea who or what that is. all i know is that they're some kind of collection agency, but i don't have any debt! i answered once to see what they wanted but it was voice automated and it took too long to talk to a person so i hung up. i have a pre-paid phone so its a waste of money for me to even answer. i also have these other numbers calling me so its not just them. i think they're all working together because its all the same deal. the other numbers are: (888)220-8589, (856)668-4530, and (347)401-3614. i haven't heard from those numbers in a while, but this (800)503-3852 is calling me the most lately. all month these numbers have been calling my cell phone everyday! i hope this helps, i'm pretty sure i'll have new numbers calling me pretty soon. i've been getting these type of calls for 2 years now, but this month its been everyday! i'm actually starting to get sick of my ringtone!!!

I receive calls every few days from this number and if you pick up no one answers.I received a call this morning on February 9th 2010 and I called the number back and a man answered.I told him to quit calling me or I was going to the DA office,Better Business ,and I was on the no call list and all he could say was what is your name,and he knew my phone #,but then he wanted my address and I would not give it to him He asked if I knew a Carol Hill and someother name and I told him no and to quit calling me or I would file charges and he hangs up.
I am so sick of this ,I just don't know what to do,but this company is infringing on my privacy.they wake me up calling and go to bed with them calling.Sometimes they call 3 times a day and then maybe goes by a week and then they start again.I googled the number 1-8000-503-3852 and came up with the Academy Service Collection Service.This needs to stop

I receive calls every few days from this number and if you pick up no one answers.I received a call this morning on February 9th 2010 and I called the number back and a man answered.I told him to quit calling me or I was going to the DA office,Better Business ,and I was on the no call list and all he could say was what is your name,and he knew my phone #,but then he wanted my address and I would not give it to him He asked if I knew a Carol Hill and someother name and I told him no and to quit calling me or I would file charges and he hangs up.
I am so sick of this ,I just don't know what to do,but this company is infringing on my privacy.they wake me up calling and go to bed with them calling.Sometimes they call 3 times a day and then maybe goes by a week and then they start again.I googled the number 1-800-503-3852 and came up with the Academy Service Collection Service.This needs to stop

I received a call, in fact dozens and dozens from this place. Informing me that Im responsible for my husbands ex wife (nearly 26 years ago divorced) bills. wtf
anyhow, they still call. so thinking of turning them in

Just took a call from this number.  They were asking for my ex-husband (15 years too late) and when I told the caller that we were divorced, he could only tell me that the debt was taken out in 2007!  What a scum my ex is to use my number! At least the caller said that he would take the number off.

I called back after missing a call from them. He said he would fnd out why they called then 10 seconds later he disconnected me

Okay if you've ever had a Premier Bank Credit Card, that is who they could be calling from, I had one thru them and they sold the debt to them, just an FYI, I did find that out for those who are wondering who Academy Collections could be calling representing, hope this helps.....

I believe this is a bill collector from Danbury Mint.  I had ordered something I did not receive, and I happened to get a letter about it today from the same address listed here, hope this helps you figure out why they are calling.

Calls everyday and when I answer, no one is there.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/11/academy.shtm

Nationwide Debt Collector Will Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Charges

Academy Collection Service, Inc. and its owner, Keith Dickstein, have agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Academy and its collectors misled, threatened, and harassed consumers; disclosed their debts to third parties; and deposited postdated checks early, in violation of federal law. This is the largest civil penalty the FTC has obtained in a debt collection case.

“These defendants are responsible for their debt collectors’ abusive practices,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They ignored people's complaints and rewarded the collectors who broke the law. This is not a business model that the FTC tolerates.”

According to a complaint filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf, Academy collectors violated the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) while collecting debts, and Dickstein failed to stop the violations. The complaint also names Edward L. Hurt III and Albert S. Bastian, who oversaw Academy’s Las Vegas collection center and who are not part of the settlement with Academy and Dickstein.

The individual defendants allegedly participated in, or had the authority to control, Academy’s practices. Academy’s collectors allegedly engaged in false or deceptive threats of garnishment, arrest, and legal action; communication with third parties about consumers’ debts; and calls to consumers at their workplace when the employer prohibits such calls. Other practices included frequent, harassing, threatening, and abusive calls; unfair and unauthorized withdrawals from consumers’ bank accounts; and early deposit of postdated checks consumers submitted for debt payment.

More than 1,000 complaints against the company were filed with the FTC, various state attorneys general, the Nevada and Pennsylvania Better Business Bureaus, and the company itself. The FTC alleges that, without sufficient investigation, the defendants dismissed consumer complaints or did not properly discipline collectors, and that collectors who were terminated for FDCPA violations often returned to work within a few weeks or months.

Under the settlement, Academy and Dickstein will pay a $2.25 million civil penalty. The consent decree bars them from misrepresenting to consumers that nonpayment of a debt will result in the garnishment of wages, seizure or attachment of property, or lawsuits, or misrepresenting that Academy representatives are attorneys. The settling defendants are also prohibited from improperly communicating with third parties about a debt; using false, deceptive, or misleading representations in debt collection efforts; communicating with a consumer at any unusual time or place, including the workplace; or harassing, oppressing, or abusing any person in connection with debt collection. The settling defendants are also barred from making any withdrawals from consumers’ bank accounts without obtaining the consumers’ express informed consent, and they cannot deposit or threaten to deposit any postdated check or other postdated payment instrument prior to the date on the check or instrument.

In addition, the consent decree requires the settling defendants to clearly and conspicuously disclose to consumers that they may stop Academy from contacting them about the debt. They also must notify consumers that they may contact an Academy physical address, e-mail address, or toll-free phone number if they have a complaint about the way the company is collecting the debt.

By a 4-0 vote, the Commission authorized staff to refer the complaint and consent decree to the Department of Justice for filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The complaint and proposed consent decree were filed on November 14, 2008. The order was entered on November 18, 2008.

NOTE: The Commission issues a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public
interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. This Consent Decree with Academy and Dickstein is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by these defendants of a law violation. A consent decree is subject to court approval and has the force of law when signed by a judge.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

MEDIA CONTACT:
   Frank Dorman,
   Office of Public Affairs
   202-326-2674
STAFF CONTACT:
   Leonard L. Gordon or Deborah A. Marrone,
   FTC’s Northeast Region
   212-607-2829

I have received several calls from this number, obviously a collection agency.  I have informed them they have the wrong number and have asked them to remove my number......

E-mailing them a C&D letter won't work. Try mailing one through snail mail with a Return Receipt Requested also. Once you get the receipt back confirming that they have, in fact, received your letter hang on to it! If they contact your daughters number again, after having received the letter, you can file a complaint against them and even sue.