I've had a number of calls from Global Arms Group and the State Revenue Office asking me for my address. When I press them for any details at all, they cite the Privacy Act. In addition, the Sate Revenue Office number comes up on my display as "Private Number". This seems unlikely for a Government Department.

The ARMS Global Group is a debt collection agency with branches in all mainland states and one in Auckland, NZ.  Their main call centre is based in Brisbane.  They collect debts for many Pathology Companies, Banks, Insurance Companies, Utilities and other types of debts (ie gyms, government debt, etc).  The privacy act and it's legal interpretation on Debt collection means that all inbound and outbound calls require confirmation that the collectors are speaking to the correct person.  This requires a confirmation of address and DOB (if available).  Breaches of the privacy act are regarded as regarded seriously by the law and the clients it represents.  Therefore to give a company name, someone can then Google ARMS figure out their a debt collection agency and figure their husband, daughter, flatmate,etc has a debt (obviously you can now Google the number, but they can definitely show they have taken reasonable steps to maintain a debtor's privacy).  This is why they can only say they are calling "on behalf" of said client, and only give out their 1800 number to leave a message.  You can blame the company if you wish, but it's only their compliance with Australian law that's preventing them giving out more information.  The quality of the debt is based on what they get from clients so if it's a mistake it's really not the collection agencies fault(not saying that a collection company cannot make other mistakes :) ).  As much as any debt collector does not want to order another invoice or letter of demand sent to the debtor, if you insist you definitely have the right to request and receive one.  FYI the first 4 digits of the reference number is the year and month in two digit form referring to the month the debt was loaded (ie 1306XXXXXX means loaded in June 2013).  Obviously if you have your own rules about confirming private details to private numbers that's your own prerogative but it won't help if you don't deal with the debt and it's escalated to something more serious than debt collection.  Hope this helps the next guy or girl.

Yes do pay our bills - as I think everyone on this has too - but a phone call from Arms Global with no paper trail;  saying we owe money (often after hospital admission of a family member) when NO invoice has been issued ever, and any pathogy as a public patient in hospital on a health care card should be bulk billed - as many have said - received no invoice - no bills outstanding - smacks of fraud, and double billing

New update for this 1800 089 845 number
this time claimed to be calling from the State Revenue Office.
I have gone through comments for this number and seem like it a scam alert.

Keep getting calls from QML Pathology who keep saying there is an issue.  First ask for date of Birth.
I'm sick of these fraudulent calls trying to get identity information.  I  havent been to any pathology and dont owe anyone any money.
They give you a call back number 1800 089 845 and give yu a reference no.  Sounds like the scam menntioned all through this blog.

Pretty simple guys - Pay your bills and you won't receive a call.

Just got the 1800 089 845 call.  Same old story as other people have posted.  They want my details but they will supply none themselves.

If this company is really a company, surely they could get their act together by now and be open and honest when calling people.

who call to me? and why?

Tammy,

Are you a scammer trying to vaildate yourself?? If they are serious why quote the Privacy Act when they rang Chris, he is entitled to ask for verification about who is calling him.

Repeated calls from this number, have supplied details tehy have asked for, DOB, address etc. Asked for an invoice to be sent, never received one now or in the past. Sure that this is a scam, when asked for any details from them they cite Privacy Act, yet they seem to want plenty of my details.

They say bill must be paid now by credit card (not sure if any bill actually exists) . WOW you want my credit card details yet will not identify yourself due to Privacy Act, is this a joke or what!!!!

Send and invoice regarding so called debt and I will pay, if a debt actually does exist.

The ACCC guidelines advise that people who work in recoveriesa are able to contact people between the hours of 7am to 9pm.  Also you sound like the kind of person who when contacted during business hours would turn around and yell and complain about someone contacting you while you are at work?

I don't understand peoples problems? I had to deal with this comapny on a few occasions and haven't had a problem.  I'll be the first to claim i pay all my bills but no one is perfect and sometimes you miss one or two especially when it was a minor bill like a pathology matter whihc mine was.  I got a message i called and i when i asked what it was about i was informed it was a private matter between myself and QML pathology and to discuss the matter i need to confirm details.

I confirmed the details and was a little embarrassed I had an outstanding account so i paid it via credit card over the phone and took the invoice i was sent and got money back from medicare.

I guess i'm just wondering as this company had a legitimate reason to call me and I'm guessing most of the others on here why are you avoiding the matter?

Maybe turn off Today tonight and all the other hack journalist shows that make you believe everyone is out to get you and you are not safe unless you stay inside your homes and don't do anything and live a little.

Why should anyone answer a blocked number and hand over private information to someone that wont indentify themselves.  It is the most idiotic thing ive ever heard.  I answered a blocked number from this debt collection agency some time ago in regards to an unpaid pathology bill.  I had changed home addresses, however supplied the agency with my PO BOX address so they could resend the invoice for me to pay.  I have not yet received anything in the mail to that affect! I am now getting phone calls at 7pm at night from a 1800 number requesting i call back without identifying who they are.  
Dont harass people out of business hours you f**king pests, resend the invoice to the postal address given and it will be paid.  Alternatively, call back during business hours and indentify yourself as a debt collection agency and majority of hard working australians will call back wanting to clear any minor debts.  Letting ppl know you are from a debt collecting agency is not forfeiting the privacy of any other company/business. Majority of ppl will not call back a random number on the chance it is a phone marketing company or the like.

Amazing....they wanted payment IMMEDIATELY via credit card (smart!!) and they refused to send me an invoice saying that it has already been sent to me twice.......nice!  Of course I did not give my credit card details :)  When I called Western Diagonstic, they confirmed that the invoice was sent to the wrong address.....very good.  Well, the previous invoices and the one after this particular one was sent to the right address :D  Who the hell messed up and I had to bear this stress for $106??????

I got a call from 1800089845 where the man introduced himself as from "Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology" and mentioned my wife name to speak to her. When i asked the details, he said as per the privacy policy, they should not share.My wife again called the number with the reference number where they were collecting personal details including Date of birth and address. She refused to speak to them further. later we came to know that the number belongs to ARMS group.

No idea, how they got my number and my wife's name.

I received a voicemail message from this number today and was apprehensive about calling them back. Glad I did as it related to an outstanding amount due to the State Revenue Office. They had been sending notices to an address I hadn't lived at for over 10 years. It is all legitimate, jus the bloody govt department didn't know where I live!

I rang QML using the website phone number and spoke to their accounts dept. I spoke to a different woman who was able to bring up my details and confirm the street address had been changed in their system. She was also able to confirm the name of the hospital I attended and the date of the admittance. The reason for all this run around was put down to the wrong post code in their system. I also paid the bill.

A guy called me about a private matter between QML pathology and me (we are not listed in the phone book). He would not give more information on this private matter, quoting Australia privacy laws, until after I confirmed my street and dob. It was a bit too cloak and dagger for me and I was concerned it was a phishing scam, so he gave me this number to call and a reference number to quote.

In the meantime I googled 1800 089 845 and found this forum. I also googled QML and confirmed they do blood tests around the country.

I called them back and the call went like this:
Machine: You have reached ARMS Global Group. All phone calls are recorded for security. Please hold for the next available...
Girl: Hello, can I have your reference number.
Me: Reference number.
Girl: Hello sir. I noticed you just called my colleague.
Me: Yes, I assume so. Is this about a debt?
Girl: Can you confirm your street name first in suburb X?
Me: Yes, the street name is Y.
Girl: And your DOB?
Me: dd mmm
Girl: Okay. Thank you for confirming the details. Sorry but I couldn't provide any details until we got these two points confirmed. This is in relation to a debt for amount $$$ that QML has referred to us to collect from you. They sent you two reminders and one final notice for an invoice originally sent on 25 sept. Would you like to pay by credit card?
Me: Sorry, hang on a sec.
      At this point I checked with the family finance organiser as to said letters... response: "We didn't get any letters from QML or I would have paid them."
Me: Hi. We didn't get any letters from QML.
Girl: Well, they sent them in september and you didn't pay. So they way this works, is that you pay us now.
Me: Well, we got an invoice from the hospital in November, and paid that, so maybe the billing dept works slow in QML. Anyway, we didn't get any letters, and I'd really like a paper invoice before I pay any money.
Girl: Well, we can request they send one out after you pay now. Are you sure you didn't get anything?
Me: Right. I'm positive we didn't get them. Where did they send them?

      At this point the girl provides me with the address on file, but with one small difference.

Me: Hang on a sec, you just said Qld, but I'm in Vic. You rang me on an 03 number...
Girl: Oh. They've been sending it to the wrong address.
Me: Yep. Have you got a contact name and number for the accounts dept in QML?
Girl: Ah. Here it is.

  Got the name and number for QML accounts dept in Murrarie. Also matched the switch from the number I googled.

Me: Thanks. Any other info?
Girl: Here is the QML invoice number. You will need to call us back within two weeks.
Me: Sure. Once I sort it out with QML, I'll call you back. Bye.

I'll call QML and post the response here.

I received a call for a Samantha Howard with a reference number. I am not samantha Howard and have no unpaid debts.

I won't be calling them back and believe the last poster is probably correct and that is they may be into identity theft. This may have once been the ARMS contact number, but no longer is.

I have received at least 5-6 calls from this person who claims that he is from victorian revenue department and keep asking for my personal information. He called at several different times of the day and was very rude on the phone. One such instance I refused to give details and asked for a call back number. He gave 1800089845 with a reference number. When I called this number it's the same guy who says on the phone "can I start with your reference no"?  I strongly suspect these go be identity stealers than anything,  I checked www.armsglobal.com.au - their listed contact 1800 numbers do not list the number above.  I also called Victorian state revenue department and talked through this incident. They confirmed that they don't call anyone outside the business hours and they havent outsourced any of their functions to anyone.

So people, do watch out and check for all social networks in which you are sharing your details without any restriction.

A computer got ur name wrong so these guy doing there job are creeps? you have a resposibility grow the f up.

Dead s****. Pay ur bills

What is wrong with you people? PAY YOUR BILLS AND YOU WONT GET CALLED!!! It's as simple as that.

Here's a tip, don't use a male escort agency if you're married. Problem solved.

I have now called them again as I did not want to be hassled anymore. It turns out that the account I said had been paid is recorded by them as unpaid. He said once I contacted the pathology people to get back to them again. Once I contacted pathology accounts lady (who I'd already confirmed with that all bills were paid previously) she apologised and said she would be emailing their management to clear it up so that I don't hear from them again. The first person at Arms Global was actually quite nice and helpful and the second one was a little abrupt, but am sure they hear all sorts of crap from people all the time about "why they can't pay their bill" blah blah blah. I explained that it had freaked me out somewhat, especially when I had in fact paid this bill back in July. Best to just call the number and get it sorted as you may in fact not owe anything and there has been a miscommunication somewhere along the line. It is a real company not some scam trying to get your money.

They have now left 2 voicemail messages. I only rang back the first time. i answered the mobile just now and just got beeps. Ridiculous. I checked with hospital and pathology from recent tests and stays and accounts are all paid so I will not be responding to these weirdos as I can't think who else I owe money to, especially as I don't recall receiving anything in writing first stating it will be passed on to debt collectors. Suspicious!!

mechanical voice that got my name wrong. No comment as to what it's about. I'm so glad to see i'm not alone in getting pressure from these creeps.

CAller would not identify from which company he was from despite repeated requests. Claimed privacy act.

Had a strange message left on my phone, with this number & a whole heaps of other digits at the end. Rang them back after reading this website & the guy was very elusive & evasive, refused to give me any information, just wanted my details & credit card number. I asked for the overdue account from the pathology company to be sent to myself, as I had not received any. However, the man refused & when I said I would go into the pathology place to sort it out, he told me I couldn't do that & I had to pay it right now today with my credit card. I refused to give my credit card details & rang up the pathology account enquiries & they are sending me an account.

I recieved a call from this number on my land line,came up as private number...went to my message bank as I did not have a chance to answer.

Message was stating my 16 year old daughters full name and this number and other numbers vie electronic voice recording.
Tryed calling back but engaged.
Who is this number and how did they get my daughters name.....very angry !