877-796-2497

When I answered 'hello' her reply was 'yes, how can I help you?' I told her that she called me. She then replied that it was an automated system and asked if this was ****** *******.
I hung up!
That was the 2nd call in an hour

Number is constantly calling here but no one ever answers when I pick up! When they called after 9pm last night I got mad and dialed the number back. A woman picks up right away and says "Hello?" as if she's answering her home phone. I told her I just got a call and no one responded. She said she was looking for someone I've never even heard of before. (I've had the number for many many years...I have a good gist of who had the number before and who gets collection calls). After I said I had no clue she politely told me she will take our number off the list. We shall see...

They violated FDCPA laws by calling you after 9 PM local time.

Also bear in mind that you can sue them for FDCPA and TCPA violations if they call you again:

Under the TCPA, a consumer has a right to file a lawsuit and recover $500 for each call that violates the TCPA. The TCPA can also be used in conjunction with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in some situations.  

Generally, the TCPA does not apply to debt collectors making collection calls to debtors. However, if you are subjected to calls from a debt collector and you are not the debtor, you may file a lawsuit against the debt collector under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the TCPA.

This right was recently recognized by Judge Legrome D. Davis in a case called Watson v. NCO Group, Inc.  NCO Group is a debt collector that uses automated prerecorded collection calls.  In this case, Mr. Watson alleged he was getting hundreds of calls from NCO Group after he got a new phone number. Mr. Watson claimed he owed no debt to NCO Group, Inc.  Mr. Watson filed suit under both the FDCPA and TCPA.

David Israel, defense lawyer for NCO, argued that the TCPA should not apply to debt collectors.  Judge Davis rejected the argument made by David Israel. The judge ruled that Mr. Watson had a right to sue NCO Group Inc under the TCPA for $500 for each call.  Judge Davis wrote;

[The] Court is convinced that a non-debtor's rights are in fact violated when he is subjected to repeated annoying and abusive debt collection calls that he remains powerless to stop.

Judge Davis' ruling was based upon his interpretation that collection calls to non-debtors violate the privacy rights provided by the TCPA.  

So what can you do if you receive "wrong number" calls from debt collectors?

1. Sign up for the Do-Not-Call registry.
2. Save the calls captured by your voice mail or answering machine.
3. Contact a consumer lawyer.

http://consumerlawyer.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/the-do-not-call.html

this company keeps calling me at work and leaving voice mail on company phone!!  even after they were notified that I had filled bankruptcy!  this is illegal and is being forwarded to the attorney general!

This number keeps calling me and not saying a word.  I now know to report her or them and hopefully avoid a scam.

we keep getting these phone calls from this number that yall are talking about here.
we get them sometime 2-3 times a day when me,my wife,or her cousin answer and say hello no one answer's back i think it's totally outrages too call some one and not answer.
they scare my wife and it really bothers me when they don't say anything at all. i wish that they would just stop calling

This appears to be an automatic call center system calling. I have asked them to stop calling me because the person they are looking for does not live here and I do not know. I have received at least 10 calls per week. Representatives are ignorant and have no customer service skills. They hang up on you when you try and get your number deleted. One guy was nice and apologized. He  said he would take my phone# off the list and today I've received 4 calls and it's just 3:45 pm now. They are a nusance and very annoying. HELP!

Correction to Caller information...

Just received a call from this number

I let it go to our machine ...

It says they are calling about a debt

Our caller ID said 216-220-5232, but the number to call back on was
877-796-2497 X2416

Phone # on my caller ID said Portfolio recovery.  I answered knowing what they wanted.  Had things go bad after divorce in 1994.  Have worked had to regain credit since them.  Received a call couple of weeks ago wanting to collect on a Sears account from 1999.  So when I answered today they asked for me by my old married name.  I said yes then before she could get another word in I asked her the date of this, when she gave it to me I said statue of limitations and to not call me anymore.  She had to read her little speach about collecting money.  All I said was statue of limitations the again.  Then she tried to talk and I said I wanted their address to file a complaint and she started to go on about having to pay this and I said I don't have to do anything.  Then I hung up.  I usually don't answer these phone calls unless I'm in the mood to give them a hard time.

Since divorce I have recovered my credit and worked hard to do so.  Bought a new house in 2006 so when I checked my credit report at that time this account wasn't listed at all.  I will need to check my credit report soon to make sure they haven't put this account on them.  Have heard stories of these type of collection agencies changing the dates of old account in an attempt to collect.

Only answer the phone to give them a hard time, can be fun at times.

Debt Collectors – Collection Agencies –   do NOT fall under Do NOT Call registry, as they are not telemarketers.  However, they do constantly violate other Federal Laws, because us American's don't know the laws to protect us.  They are counting on that.  

- Federal Law says you don't have an obligation to Collection Agencies or Debt Collectors; you can send them a written letter and they cannot contact you after that.   This includes Attorney's in state's other than your state of residence.  The only Attorney's that can sue you, have to be licensed in your resident state.

A word of caution:  Some Law Firms do have Firms in other states, and Lawyers licensed in other states, so you have to do a little research before sending a Cease & Desist (Do Not Call & Go Away letter) to make sure they aren't in your resident state or you're likely to get sued by these #%#&*@!#%&@$^*.  

Once a debt collector makes contact with you, they also have to contact you within 5 days after the first phone call, letter etc., and give you validation/proof or judgment of the debt.  You are not required to ask for it.   They never do this!!!!

This law is known as the Fair Debt Collector Practices Act.  You can get it at FTC.gov; as well as other Consumer Protection Laws.

Most collection agencies, purchase your delinquent debt for pennies on the dollar.  Guess what? It is no longer your debt!!!  You don't have any agreement/contract with the debt collector or collection agency.  Your only agreement/contract was with the original creditor.

Do NOT agree to any payment arrangements, or you'll be creating an agreement/contract, where upon initial contact by the Debt Collector, one didn't exist.  The collection agencies are counting on you not knowing this little bit of information.  

The best advice I can give you is, do NOT talk to these idiots - they will leave you in a frustrated heap on the floor.  They lie, and will tell you whatever they need, in order to get you to commit to paying them.

The lies are illegal, but they honestly don't care, they're probably on commission for how much they collect from you and others like you.  

If you do answer the phone, do NOT give out your employer, social security #, DL #, Credit Card and/or Bank information, or any personal information.  Tell them to send you a written statement & you'll respond. Then hang up.  When you get that statement, google, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and you'll probably find a letter you can send them   Or:  send the letter I’ve enclosed that I use.  Sign and mail that letter Certified Mail, so you have a signature and confirmation of delivery!!!
RE
Account #  
Amount in Dispute: $  
Account #  

Dear  :


I am in receipt of your demand for payment. However, this Notice is to confirm that I do not wish to be contacted again by you, and that you are hereby put on Notice to Cease Communication pursuant to 15 USC Section 1692c(c). Failure to comply with said Notice, shall result in a complaint filed and submitted to the Federal Trade Commission, and possible legal remedies in an appropriate United States District Court.

Your representatives have also been trying to contact me,  however, I only do business of this nature via mail. Therefore, I am requesting again, that you cease and desist from calling me or contacting us in any way.

Please remove the phone numbers XXX XXX-XXXX. The calls constitute harassment at this point, which is causing a major disruption in both my business and personal life as well as being an invasion of my privacy, which I will not tolerate.

If you continue to contact me, I may file a complaint with the Attorney General. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, which branched from United States Code Title 47 sect 227, implemented a do-not-call list from solicitors, which mandates a solicitor to abate phone calls to customers who have requested in writing to cease all phone communication.

In addition, PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT, I am not waiving my right, to dispute the alleged debt asserted herein, but at this time I am under no obligation to respond.  


Sincerely,

Your Name
Address
City, state Zip



Certified Mail#:  


In the Law of Novation: if a debt is purchased by another, for that to be a legal owed obligation, a new contract / agreement has to be written and signed by all parties.  Google Law of Novation and read up!!!

No I am not an attorney, just a well knowledged, educated consumer.  I have spent the past 2 years studying various Federal Consumer Protection Laws.  

I wasn't just satisfied knowing I could send a letter to a Collection Agency/Debt Collector and they had to go away.  I read that in the Fair Debt Collector practices Act law;  I needed to know why, what law tells me the reason why I can.

Everything I have typed, I have learned basically on my own through reading, studying, printing out and binding the laws and underlining/highlighting them.  Not to mention the knowledge I have gained on my own fighting two lawsuits without an Attorney.

I was sued by a Collection Agency, and waiting for a Court date. The Collection Agency Attorney, sent us a letter willing to dismiss with prejudice our lawsuit, if I dismiss our Cross/Counter Claim for Fair Debt Collector Practices Act violations.  Oh, I forgot to mention, we do not have an Attorney representing us; and I have not had any legal experience, in the past whatsoever.

I have read / printed & bound, my State's Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Civil Procedure - Evidence.  I catch Attorneys on violations of State Rules of Civil Procedure all the time.  And our Judge's let them get away with it.

And for those of you who say pay up and quit being a deadbeat; it appears that you have never had your life turned upside down, because a good job, not high paying by any means, but a supposed secure job, got your hours cut by 3/4.  

And then a couple years later, as you are just recovering, you lose that job.  And when you are in your 50's, a new job is not so easy to come by.  And when that happens, then what?  

Or what about a major illness, guess you've never had that either - too bad.  Maybe if you did, you'd understand why and how people end up getting in financial straights. Not because they chose to, or decided they were going to find loopholes to get out of paying obligations etc.

What if the money isn't there to pay these debts to begin with?  We've been barely able to pay a mortgage, let alone credit cards etc. It's easy to tell someone else what to do.  I hope someday, something throws your secure little world off its axis, and you find yourself in the very situation as some of us here. Maybe then you'd learn it isn't such a cut/dry situation.

Oh, we've struggled.  And the job last hasn't exactly been replaced.  We're still behind in our Mortgage and trying to catch up, as with our other legal obligations.  I can't work because of various health conditions, or I would, including a part time job at least.  My husband started his own company with the tools of the trade, and now contracts for copier, computer, IT technical jobs as he has a computer science degree, and has years of experience in the others, especially the wide format copier / printers / computers.

People, please read the Fair Debt Collector Practices Act; if a Debt Collector violates any one harrassment or other law in there; Federal Laws says you can sue them for $1,000.00 per violation.  Do it, and then THEY can pay off YOUR obligations!!!  

Please email me at com.gmail@mommypettlc (tlcpetmommy) for help with individual questions.  Again I am not an Attorney - but have learned these by my own experiences.  There are Attorneys you could talk to, and I would, if any violations of the laws have occured in your circumstances.  I am posting this strictly to help others maybe have a piece of mind, if they are up all night worrying about financial problems, and sick to their stomach in worry as I have been, and still are in some ways. I am again just a well informed, knowledgable consumer, who has spent hours studying the laws, because I had no where else to turn for help.  If anything I have written, causes you questions, please seek the advice of an Attorney.

Certain situations such as Mortgages and Car Payment loans usually do not apply here; so you may need to seek the advice of a Lawyer for your individual situation.

© copyright 2010 rcmeek All Rights Reserved

Jean left message at my emplyment voice mailbox

We too got the same phone calls for a person we do not know.
Clever but they say, "Hang up if you are not this person" So we did. But they kept calling.
They only give their name, but their outfit I think is Clinical Medical Group to which there is no listing on the internet.

We have received a continuing phone taped message saying "This is a call for Scotbe Hansen.  If this is not you, hang up..."  and something about if you listen to the message it is admitting I am Scottbe Hansen.


We are not this person so I at first hung up. Then they called again and again and again (at least 6 times).

I finally listened to the message and then spoke to a rep who went silent.  I called again and the rep sai she would remove us from the list.

This is outrageous.

No one there.  Just a dead in call when you answer.  I do not owe anyone anything but they keep calling.

These people have screwed up my credit where I am attempting to refinance a mortgage.  The mortgage company said they cannot tell me what the bill, that I supposedly owe, and that I would have to straighten it out myself.  It turns out that the bill is my 30 year old sons but it is on my social security number. I had my son call Pinnacle and they said the only way they could get the bill off my credit record was to pay the bill.  He does not have the money now and I am not about to pay someone else's bill.  I am considering suing the company for causing me credit problems..

Somebody keeps calling me from this number.  When I finally get to speak to someone, I find out that they have the wrong number.

I received a phone call from this company Pinical Financial Group about an old debt. I talked to these people in the past and they said that they are collecting on old debt from T-Mobile. They gave me the last 4 digits of that person's SSN. I said that you have the wrong person. On 6-28-11 I received another call. Tried calling the number on the recording. That number is 800-777-0096 and continued on with the following numbers 250054. Not sure if this is the extension number for James. I tried calling that number and once it is connected I get a busy signal.

I think it's Pinnacle Financial. Collections for medical bills.

I didn't recieve a call but they did send a letter to an address that i have been gone from for 5 yrs now. Luckely i happen to know the people that live there now and they gave it to me. So the letters says someting about a link revenue resources which i have never heard of and then wants me to pay them for i don't know what. i searched on line and i didnt find any proof of this company. its not on my credit report and i wanna know what it is. i called the number on it and it says please hold for the next rep. i want answers.