8662249824

Pat Oneil w/ Northstar called for relative no longer living with me.The calls have been going on for quite some time and despite repeated notofication that the person they are seeking is not around anymore, he continues to call.He has called me a liar and has claimed I was probably
the person he was looking for.He has went into detail about a credit card debt that we know nothing about.How do you stop idiots like this form harrassing you?

I think that everyone who works for Northstar have lost their minds!!  I have never in my life dealt with the most RUDEST people ever!!  They call 200 times a day, when you return the call they get smart, and even call 200 on SUNDAY!  Isn't that a violation of the Law??  I am researching a lot more and start a petition for action to be taken against Northstar!!

As I read the Fair Debt Collection act, they cannot call your relatives.  The Act states taht they cannot call third parties except the consumer's attorney, credit reporting agency, creditor, or creditor's attorney, unless specifically permitted by the consumer who owes the debt.  NOrthstar has been unremitting in calls to me regarding debts owed by my ex-husband, all of which were taken out after our divorce.  They have called his parents, his sisters, his niece, his sister's ex-husband and new wife, and his nephew.  They have called my house even when they have been directed very clearly not to.  These are bad, bad people.

I find it amazing that these people are able to buy a debt that is 11 years old, had been resolved 11 years ago, and now they want to collect on it.  Shame...I looked them up and found out the following....Report these crooks to the BBB........

BBB issues Reliability Reports on all businesses, whether or not they are BBB accredited. If a business is a BBB Accredited Business, it is stated in this report.

Find out more about this business:Reported on Monday, November 26, 2007 10:02 AM

Customer Experience
Business Contact and Profile
Additional Locations and Phone Numbers
Licensing
Customer Complaint History
BBB Program
Products and Services
Alternate Business Names
Government Actions
Advertising Review
Additional Information
Customer ExperienceBack To Top Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the BBB.

To have a "Satisfactory Record" with the BBB, a company must be in business for at least 12 months, properly and promptly address matters referred to it by the BBB, and be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints and law enforcement action involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the BBB must have a clear understanding of the company's business and no concerns about its industry.
Business Contact and ProfileBack To Top Name: Northstar Location Services, LLC
Phone: (866) 224-9824
Address: 4285 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225
     Google map  Mapquest map  Yahoo map  
Business Category: Collection Agencies
eMail: lleising@northstarlocation.com
Web Address: www.makeabetterliving.com 
BBB file opened: September 14, 2005
Business started: March 2001
Primary Contact: Ms. Linda Leising (Compliance Officer)
Complaint Contact: Ms. Linda Leising (Compliance Officer)
Other Contacts: Mr. Aaron Castle  (COO)
Ms. Barbara Crean  (Executive)
Ms. Ann Granville  (Executive)

Additional Locations and Phone NumbersBack To Top (716) 565-6926
(866) 328-8253
(866) 822-4256
(716) 565-6928 (FAX)

Customer Complaint HistoryBack To Top
The company's size, volume of business and number of transactions may have a bearing on the number of complaints received by the BBB. The complaints filed against a company may not be as important as the type of complaints, and how the company has handled them. The BBB generally does not pass judgment on the validity of complaints filed.

Number of complaints processed by the BBB
   since the firm's BBB file was opened in September 2005: 64
   in the last 12 months: 52

Complaints Concerned:
   Selling Practices  (1 complaints)
 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve

   Advertising Issues  (1 complaints)
 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve

   Service Issues  (21 complaints)
 6 Resolved
 15 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve

   Credit or Billing Disputes  (37 complaints)
 11 Resolved
 26 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve

   Delivery Issues  (1 complaints)
 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve

   Contract Disputes  (1 complaints)
 1 Resolved


Products and ServicesBack To Top This company is a collection agency.
Alternate Business NamesBack To Top The Northstar Companies, LLC

Government ActionsBack To Top The BBB has no information regarding Government Actions at this time.
Advertising ReviewBack To Top The BBB has no information regarding Ad Reviews at this time.
As a matter of policy, the BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.

BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.

BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.

If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted the BBB for a BBB Reliability Report.


ID: 22002202
Report as of: 11/26/2007 10:02 AM

© 2007  Better Business Bureau, Inc.

A couple links for those who have been contacted by Northstar:

http://www.naca.net/debt-collection-abuse/
http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm

Good post, Bill Collector.  Basically was the same thing I had planned to post myself, as I too am a bill collector.  However, I am a nice one, and I work for a bank, so I am not collecting in the same manner or environment as a place like NorthStar.

And yes, they can call your relatives.  That is why, if you notice when you take out a loan or line of credit with a bank or finance company, they will often ask for references: i.e. the names and phone numbers, and sometimes addresses, of close relatives and/or friends that they can use to try to track you down if they no longer have a good number on you.  When companies such as Accurint, or Experian as mentioned before, sell collectors your information, it also can include relatives information as well.  Skip tracers can also easily locate this information through such agencies.  

You can call relatives and third parties as long as you do not identify who you are with or that you are calling about a loan/debt/financial account.  It is only third party disclosure if you discuss the matter or account with someone not listed on the account, not if you just call to ask to leave a message for them or get a phone number for the consumer.  With the company I work for now, however, we are told that if a relative asks who we are with, we are to tell them, and we can only leave an answering machine message stating where we are from if the message is personalized with the consumer's name on the message lead-in (but NEVER to state the reason for calling).  

If you are not the person you are calling for, or are related to or know that person and would like the collectors to stop calling, the best way to do so is to write the company a certified letter stating so.  Merely telling them so doesn't always work, as state laws vary on how long verbal confirmation is good for, as well as the simple fact that sometimes numbers accidentally get called anyway or such requests get lost in the shuffle.

Just remember that (most) bill collectors are human.  Mistakes can be made and so on.  For the most part, it is just someone trying to do their job and make a living, and they are working with the only phone numbers and information they have to try and meet the standards to do so.  I cannot assure you that most, if not all, bill collectors did not plan to end up in that profession, it just sometimes the only thing you have to support yourself and/or family at the time.

I am a home-bound Senior on Disability.  This is the reason I have a debt in collection; I have not been able to work for over a year.  I have explained this to Northstar a number of times and told them that I just did not have any money!

For awhile, they were satisfied with that, but now they are leaving what I consider "threatening" messages on my phone.  "It will be in your best interest to return this call" and "If you ignore this message, further legal action will be taken".  They will not settle for a small monthly amount of $15 or $20, they basically scoff at that.

Every time they call, it is either before 8am or after 8pm...sometimes as late as 10pm!  They disturb my rest which is paramount to my recovery.  I can't turn my phone off, as I need to keep an open line of communication to my doctor and sons.

I agree with the past reports...this is the rudest, most inconsiderate agency I have ever had the displeasure to be harassed by!

I don't care much about what there policies are at this point. I don't care that they are working people trying to do a job either. We all have jobs. I have a job too. The difference is that mine requires me to be a little more professional.

These idiots have called me 4-5 times per week for over a month now. I told them that they have the wrong number and that I am not the person they are looking for. I have asked them to remove me from their lists and they always agree to do so. Then they call again the next day.

In my book that makes them liars. It's pretty obvious that I'm not the person they are looking for. I am a man for one thing and the person they are looking for is a woman. I don't sound very womanly on the phone as far as I know. If I show that I'm the slightest bit irritated, they become pretty rude. Making it clear that they have no obligation to extend any courtesies.

They have made no attempt whatsoever to aknowledge their error and still they harrass me almost daily.

Oh well, I suppose that if they don't have to be professional, then I don't either. I think it might be time to have a little fun with them when they call.

Be positive, dont get angry with them. Just make it a highlight of your morning to mess with them when they call. If they can waste your time, you can waste theirs right? After all, they have made it clear that they could care less about bothering you right??

Just put them on hold while you look for the person they want and never come back or simply hang up. Or, come back periodically and ask them to remain patient while you are getting the person. Then tell them you forgot who they were waiting for.

Childish? Nah. I think I can live with myself. All they have to do is take my number off of their list like they said they would.

according to the law they cannot tell you that they are a looking to collect a debt they can tell you its in reguards to a business matter but if you say dont live here then theyll stop calling you.

Northstar called my old work number from over 3 years ago.  My old office called me, and I returned the call.  They stated I owed a debt from 2003.  They would not give me information to confirm with the company.  I told them my last two credit reports did not show this debt and showed me paid in full.  Also the manager lied about a service I paid for to pay debt in full, she stated most companies in the car industry lie about gap insurance and it doesn't pay the car in full in case of an accident.  I called the company from my credit report and found out that I am paid in full after a week of trying to figure out this was a paid debt from 2003 which they are trying to wrongfully collect in 2008. Check accuracy of debt before you pay.  I am glad I did since I do not owe.

I received a call from Northstar 866-224-9822 and they asked for me by name, I thought it was for employment since I'm looking for work, they told me that I can pay them the loan I took out back in 1994, first it's over the time limitation and second I was a co-signer,then he proceeded to tell me I can pay for this loan since I had available credit showing, I asked him how do you know that? he told me I am looking at your Experian report, I was fuming, how in the world are they able to see my credit report, Northstar is not a reputable company and they use dirty tactics to get you on the phone and violate the law...
So that is how they get your information, through credit reports...

This company just called my house, refusing to provide any information about their company, but demanding I give them the last four of my social security number, the rep was rude and disrepectful. This company needs to be shut down, they are awful!!

I received a phone  call from this company saying I owed a debt from 2002.  How they got my cell number, I don't know.   I told them that this debt had been previously taken care of and asked for a manager because the rep was extremely rude.  When I informed the manager of how rude the person was and that I didn't owe, she proceeded to scream at me about how she'd show me rude. . . I hung up on her it got so bad.  I called back and asked to speak to the person in charge of the location and was transferred to a Mr. McCoy.  Upon telling him how I was treated he told me that no one had to be nice to me.  I asked him for the company name and address so that I could contact BBB and he only gave me the fax number (which I googled . . .idiot) before hanging up on me.

Ryan from Northstar called my mom looking for my brother.  Messages get more rude everyday, my mother finally called and ROBERTA was extremely rude to her. Mother told her that my brother did not live with and has not lived with her for more than three years and asked to be removed from the list. Roberta told her that she would not be removed because that is the number that he gave on an application just 6 weeks ago. Roberta hung up on my mother.  I called today and someone hung up on me when I told them that they needed to remove my mothers number from their system. I told her that if she continued to call then I would report them to the Federal Trade Commission and she said ma'am didn't you hear me when I said that this was in response to an APPLICATION, not a debt, so we will launch an investigation according to our company practices and look into the matter. I asked her what those practices were and she said that she could not tell me. I asked her when she acquired the account, she could not tell me. I asked what her name was when I started the conversation and she said Sarah Waters... by the end of the conversation she was Roberta. I'm not sure exactly what the heck is going on here...but not only are they rude but they are deceitful as well. Oh, I found out all this information through 2 phone calls, they hung up on me first. I never got to talk to Ryan. So, I was told that she was not going to stand for someone calling in and telling her how to do her job. I told her that just as a consumer standpoint---NOT AS A CONSUMER FOR HER COMPANY---that hanging up on people was just unprofessional and she said "ma'am neither you nor your mother are a consumer" I said "so that gives you the right to be rude to those who call in to you?" My blood is absolutely boiling. If anyone knows how to GET these people, post it, I'll try to monitor for responses. Oh, she also said that no one could get her for harrassment and that I needed to get my facts straight before I started calling in.

I wanted to point out what she told me again for those who have missed it. She said that it was in response to an APPLICATION, not a debt, that was submitted to them six weeks ago. THEREFORE they are not subject to the rules/guidelines--LAW---of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. I even CITED the violations they were making and she cut me off. I told her that this is the SECOND time that they are being placed on notice, today, I stated the date, the telephone number, my moms name that she is to be removed from the list. I'll call Washington if I have to!!!!!!!!!

When collection agency tells you they will only work with you when you put checks on file it is legit. They don't just go in your account and pull money out whenever but set up a monthly payment and then record the transaction per law. You probably tried to mail them $10 a month in food stamps. And they set the arrangement, not you. PAY YOUR BILL!

I also received several calls from northstar threatening me with an IRS matter and that they were going to take out a judgement against me. I tried to pay this debt over 7 months ago and they never took the money out of my account, yet they say the bank returned the check due to nsf, which was bull i had twice what they were taking out. I called my bank and they show that they never even attempted to take the money out. They do this so they do not have to take the settlement offer they made with you and try to go after you for the full amount. They harrass you calling non stop.

These guys used to call me every day awhile back for a debt that technically wasnt a debt and was taken care of with the company i had the problem with and the company acknowledged this and the calls stopped but recently i recieved a new set of calls.

   I used to get a little annoyed but i think its funny now. If i dont want to talk i just hit a button and the ringing stops and if im bored i pickup the phone and have some fun with em. These guys are wasting their time and the companys money calling you. They cant do much to you to get you to pay if you dont want to so thats why they get upset/frustrated or threatening on the phone. When they do that dont get angry in return, just laugh.

    Its funny! Play games with them lead em on maybe make them think youre the debtor without actually saying it then when they disclose the reason theyre calling say youre recording the conversation and youre calling the authorities or whoever handles this.  

 Just like when someone gets road rage and flips you off, dont get mad back. Just smile and blow em a kiss.

They keep calling and asking for someone who I've never heard of.  When I tell them that they just keep calling.  Very rude.  I've had this phone number for over a year.

North Star has called me twice now about a "business matter" with my ex-husband.  They even went so far as to tell me that he had used me for a reference and left my phone number with them as a contact number.  This I know isn't true since I haven't talked to him in over 15 years and I am recently remarried and moved to the other end of the state.  These people are doing skip traces on debtors and then lying to the people that they call.  Nasty tactics...not sure if it's illegal, but it should be since they ran a credit report on me without my concent or knowledge!