888-288-8241

X3D7.   Don't know who they are, gave a name Linda Smith.  Said she was from the Elite Mediation Check Division??? Don't know who they are.   Another number' 1-888-288- 8241

Elite Mediation Check Division has been harassing my friend by phone for a couple months. He called me and said they were looking for me.  When I called the number [not giving my name because I'd never heard of them before and was suspicious] they said the reference number was in relation to someone named "Sandra Vinson" and that she must have given his name as a reference. I think they are using Facebook to get information on people's lives and using it to harass people into making payments on others' accounts.  The reason I say that is that I have NEVER used my friend as a reference and the only connection we have is through Facebook.  

The company is horribly rude and refuses to stop calling my friend even though he has told them to stop calling.  I also told them we didn't know "Sandra Vinson" and to stop calling but they persist.

It needs to be stopped!

Someone I know received a call from this number and said her name was Louis White calling about a debt. She was trying to force my friend into making a payment on an old bill that was already being taken care of. She put this guy on the phone who said his name was John Foster and he was an attorney, very rude and hung up on her. Little do they know, I do this for a living and they are breaking several laws. The federal Trade Commission governs all debt collections acts and will have all of the information needed to stop the harrassment, file suit and prosecute to the fullest! Go there now, I am...Federal Trade Commission.

Federal Trade Commission Protecting America's Consumers

www.ftc.gov
   
**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 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 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. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. 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

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I received a call from this number by a man of the name John Swartz. He claimed he was an attorney and that I was going to jail. Now this is what he told my employee at my JOB. He told my employee to get her S**T together and that the police where on their way to get me. Now that my staff was told shocking statements they called me right away to tell me what's going on. I immediately called the number and John Swartz answered. I stated my name and asked what was going on. He immediately started yelling at me using profanity saying I committed a crime and was going to jail and my bond would be 55,000 dollars I asked him to please stop yelling at me and to conduct himself professionally he called me a b***h and that I was stupid and to go to hell. WOW! How unprofessional and rude and very disrespectful.. I encourage you to make a complaint to the FTC if you receive a call from this crazy company.

Like another post i made before seing this one.
I have recived a call from 512-623-1996. i was sleeping but the messeage was weird it was a guy's recorded vocie that claims to be from elite mediation and then felmales recorded voice that said my name and the file number to reffere when i call back. whats funny is that it the 888 number posted here to call back. i too had a very bad exsperence with them when you call the direct 512-623-1996 number you get a female how will use all things to scare you into having you pay. Ex: immidet jail, judge wating to sign off on warrent, bad check fraud, i called three lawyers on this and they told me they are scamming me to pay even if its a legit debt. they called last week on tuesday thats when i got the call and all this happend trust me its a long story of a 6 hour battle with them. because everytime i told them i didnt have it they would throw jail in my face so i would keep serching for the cash then finally at four pm i (one of many deadline times that day) i told them i contacted a lawyer. it got nasty then and they hung up. But today they tried calling me back I cant belive after what they put me through that day they would stop.
when i talked to them they claimed to be bucch berry associates and gave names like creg williams and angela russle. LAWYERS. but i did a week long serch and no luck finding the office or a reverse look-up they like dont exist. and the laywers i talk told did on there end a serch no luck ethier.
                            Who are they?