866-441-4732

I didn't answer this call from a toll free number.

Someone named Annette Smith calls from a 866-281-4135 number and indicates that she is trying to reach me and would like me to call 866-441-4732.  She also gives me a reference number to use for the call.  I have not taken the bait!

Annette Smith keeps calling me as well with reference number.  I tried to call to clear it up and they person that answered just said "customer service".  I asked for Annette Smith and she told me their computers are down and they are unable to look up any accounts then told me to call back in 30 minutes.

no company name when they leave message,  no company name when the automated attendant answers "thank you for calling, please remain on the line and an associate will assist you"

fishy

I've been getting several calls from this Annette Smith, demanding that her call be returned.

Even though I later found out who owns that number, I never returned any calls. Why should I?

Privacy laws would only allow Ms. Smith to talk to that specific person to whom that meaningless reference number refers to.

And if she wants to have her calls returned, then she should identify her company and request the specific party she wants to talk too.

These calls come in every day, and have been coming in for at least 3 weeks.

The frequency of these calls borders on harrassment, especially when the caller doesn't identify her company and does ask to speak to a specific person.



Her listing a reference number is meaningless w/o knowing to whom in our household that number applies to.

Various people are gettting these calls in Patterson California.  We have a council woman named Annette Smith so people are upset not knowing whether it relates to her.  Of course she knows nothing about these calls.

I receive phone calls from this and 1-866-281-4135. Yep, its Annette Smith demanding a return phone call.  Although half of the message is blocked out.  Of course, it seems to be the part where I would learn the name of the company she represents.  The number of calls averages out to be four to five per day with some calls coming 20 minutes apart.  I found a fax number for SKO Brenner based out of New York behind the above number and I have mailed three letters to Cease and Desist.  They have ignored every letter and the calls continue.  For those that received calls from this number--when did the calls finally end?

Got the same message, I called and they said I have overdue procativ account that I need to pay.  they mailed me 2 letters and I need to pay now.  I never received any letter, and I pay my account automatically and know that I paid.  They said to send them my bank statement showing I paid already.  I was like ummmm, no, so I said well I will call proactiv, they said dont bother you will just be directed back here.  I said I have the right to call them and I did, they (proactiv) said I am current and they never show me to have been overdue or anything.  They do use SKO Brenner and their billing department is contacting the issue.  IT IS A SCAM!!!  Do not call them!  It is not actually SKO Brenner.  They picked the wrong person to tell to fax my bank statement and CC information!

this company has been calling our house for weeks. Just Like everyone else no company name. they say to please return  call to Annette Smith.  They do ask for my Stepson who does not live with us an hasn't for  a couple of years.  this is a little unsettling. I'm getting pretty tried of the calls.

Bogus collection agency!

i got several calls from this number and the person who calls rings ONCE and then hangs up before i can get to the phone. i have tried to call the number back with no results. the number goes to a voice mail and tells me to hold then silence. no hold music, no nothing.

These people will not stop calling me. Trying to figure out who it is so I can send a cease and desist letter. Every 20 minutes or so they will call. No voice mail half the time. When they do leave a voice mail, half of it is cut out. Annette Smith asking that I call 866-441-4732 and then a reference number by an automated voice machine.

I get a couple hours of a break before they start calling again in 10-15 minute intervals. Worse yet, it's my cell phone. Don't these people know it's illegal to call a cell number? Anyone know who this is for sure and what address they can be reached at?

After some research, I found out who this is and wanted to post it on here for everyone else.

SKO Brenner America
841 Merrick Road CS9320
Baldwin, NY  11510-9320
Phone 516-771-4400
Fax 516-771-7810

I will be faxing them a cease and desist letter quickly. Hopefully it works.

If you tell them to cease contact with you in writing and refer to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), they will be in direct violation of the law if they continue.

I just got a msg just like everyone else, to return call to Annette Smith at 866-441-4732 with a reference #. I called & they wanted me to confirm my first & last name, address.  I gave them my first name and told her to look up the rest with ref#. She said nothing pulled up with ref # & she needed my last name. I asked name of company and she just said it was billing dept and needed my info to see if they had an acct for me.  I refused to give her any of my personal info unless she could tell me the name of the company. I asked for Annette Smith and she said she was not there. I told her I just got a msg from her 2 min ago. She said I know but she is not here.  I told her they can call me back then but I was not giving any personal info. She told me to call them back when I was ready to give them my info.  After looking up the number online and seeing all these posts, I'm glad I didn't give any info.

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

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/start.html


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

I am getting 5-6 calls a day from them no message left and when i call back the phone cut's out and I get disconnected. What action has anyone taken against this as it has been 2 weeks for me and they just called me again, liek you said 20 min apart.

Exxcellent~ Thank you so much for the contact info!

What a joke.  This number has been calling me for several weeks.  I finally called back yesterday and gave my reference number.  They did the same crap that they have tried with everyone else.  Somehow they were calling my girlfriend first and they told her that she owes them $159- Now I'm curious how they got my name and number.  I gave them no information and told them to put me on a DNC list.  She gave me crap on the phone when I asked for her to do this.  This is nothing more than a complete scam and I'm shocked that no one has shut them down yet....

Same as everyone else. I have been getting these calls from good old Annette for the last 3 or 4 days, many times a day. I'm just going to let my answering maqchine pick up until they give up.

I too have been  receiving calls from Annette Smith Never identifies what company she represents or the reason for her calls Leaves a bogus reference number and calls multiple times a day

I have tried repeatedly to call this "Annette Smith" person who does not appear to exist nor does her Co. ASs soon as I ask who they are we somehow get disconnected can you say SCAM! Stop calling me on my cell phone 10 times a day unless you want to identify yourself and who you supposedly represent I have reported you to the Fereral Trade Commision and from what I have read I am not alone