You may not care if they get in touch with the person they are looking for, however they are not making a lot of money and are doing a lot of work trying to contact someone, whom they can actually help. Being in debt is a sad and sometimes scary thing for people so they hide from instead of facing their problem, this in turn creates an even bigger problem. IF the person they are trying to reach is known to you, think of it has actually helping that person not the collector!

As an American Citizen who worked as a collections agent at Alliance One in another country I must tell you we have a difficult time trying to contact debtors and get them to make payments that are legitimately owed to our client's (Alliance One does not own the debt, companies like AT&T, Target, Ally Auto Finance, etc.) Contract Alliance One to collect on their behalf. I have read some comments here, and must say some collectors try to work with a sympathetic ear, and others are less tactful, but the main objective is to get a payment and HELP the customer improve their situation (i.e. get out of collections) The attitudes that people have when we call them requesting them to make payment on an account that is past due is unbelievable!
The amount of effort put in to avoiding collections calls is quite astounding. We do not get any lists of phone numbers to call from companies that we use to harass people. First we call numbers provided by the customers themselves on applications for credit, or whatever source the debt comes from. AFter that we do have the right to search for ways to contact these people including calling relatives, former known associates, neighbors, etc. We do not have the right to disclose information to these 3rd parties, but we can seek assistance in contacting the customer we need to speak to. If you feel you are being harassed it may be because your number was once owned by someone who owes money and its the only contact info we have, or you may live where they once lived. If you take a little time to talk with the agent calling, and not just bite their head off because they are trying to do their job and earn a living, I am sure your number can be removed from the account that it is associated with.

WONT TELL US A THING ABOUT WHO PUT IN A COMPLAINT ABOUT ME-I WILL NOT GIVE THEM ANY INFORMATION.

Someone from this # calls my house daily several times a day! I have told them over and over again that they have the wrong # and they still continue to call and pest the heck out of my family! I am sick of it! What do I need to do to put a stop to them calling?
Carla

These folks call from all these numbers:
(215) 354-5500
(866) 496-7495
(866) 786-2634
(866) 224-5545
(866) 718-7163
(866) 638-0858
(866) 570-6108
(866) 365-3228
(866) 887-2941
(866) 441-2276

Calls come to me through my Skype internet connection to ISRAEL.

Call comes once or twice a day.  When I answer the phone noone is there.

Pinchas Fuchs

This has been going on for the past two months from these numbers:
215.354.5500
866.496.7495
866.224.5545

Within the last 24 hours we received 10 calls from these three numbers.

We obtained our cell phone numbers three months ago. We informed the callers of this who proceeded to call us liars among other colorful metaphors. We will be  contacting our local law enforcement agency, FTC, State Attorney General's Office.

This has been going on for the past two months from these numbers:
215.354.5500
866.496.7495
866.224.5545

Within the last 24 hours we received 10 calls from these three numbers.

We obtained our cell phone numbers three months ago. We informed the callers of this who proceeded to call us liars among other colorful metaphors. We will be  contacting our local law enforcement agency, FTC, State Attorney General's Office.

I have dispute going on with Bank of America. They went ahead and referred me to Aliance Collection.
The same persons called my brother asking about me. They attempted to intimadate him but he was too cool. My brother called me and gave me the phone number. I called the number and talked to a woman. I told her I was not going to discuss the issue over the phone and it needs to be done by mail, that I want everything on paper. I also informed her that I did not know how they got my brother's phone number but not to be calling him. I politely told her good bye and hung up. A minute later a man calls me from a different number starts screaming at me, cussing me, stating that I hung up on one of his girls. When I asked him for his name he refused to give it to me stating that I will learn who he is in court after he has seized my house, garnished my wages, and had me sitting behind bars.  

These people call all hours of the day and night using different phone numbers, they call on week ends, they call as late as 9:30 at night, they call me at my job. I have informed them not to be calling me at my job, yet they continue.

Someone called early on a Saturday morning for my son.  My home number is not his number.  I'd guess this person is a collection representative or solicitor.

Alliance one called me today. it's 12:27 pst and I have recieved 5 calls. (Might I mention I have a 17 month old baby !) They are asking for a Kevin (I will not give last name) who doesn't not live here. I have had Chase call me in the past via automatic voice mail stating that this "kevin" guy owes almost 1200 bucks in past due Credit Card Payments. Every time Alliance One calls I try to explain that he must have been the previous owner of the house, or previous owner of the telephone number and that there is no Kevin here. Agressive woman states that "I am covering for him and I could be sued for that". It's all BS. I can tell. They want this Kevin guy but ask me for my Social Security number. Tell me I can be held accountable too. What they don't know is that my husband is a Police Officer and we know the law pretty well on harassment. If calls continue through the week we'll be filling a claim with the FTC or Local agecny for harassment.

We had Alliance One call us (although we didn't know who they were), and left a message and said to please call the office of Curtis Hunt (I think was the name), because their had been a summons of a legal complaint that had been forwarded to his office.  Then he gave a complaint # and said that he would like my husband's input about the complaint before he took action of legal filing. Then said if he didn't return the call that he would have no choice but to pursue the filing of the complaint.  We were confused because we didn't have any legal issues, so my husband called. We found out that it was a collection agency, but then the guy tried another scare tactic.  He asked if the sheriff had been to our home yet to deliver a letter.  When my husband said, "No,"  he said well, he was supposed to be there yesterday.  He did this to try to secure our bank account numbers which thankfully, my husband didn't have at the time.  I now just ignore the calls.  This number also shows up on caller ID from them...866-365-3228.

Be careful.  Alliance One Financial Management has a long history of abusive and illegal practices.  They will call from numerous locations and phone numbers.  Check the laws in your state.  Most states have statutes limiting the number of times per week or per day a collection agency can call you; then complain to your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, and whichever state department governs the conduct of collection agencies.

If, as in the previous note, they represented a legal claim had been taken, which has not - or they are not licensed to practice law in your state, they may be in violation of unfair business practices - or the unlicensed practice of law in your state, which may be a felony in some states.  Report them to your State Bar Association without delay.

These dumb bast*rds call and say a civil complaint has been filed against you.  Typically by a woman to get you afraid.  It is really just a creditor "Alliance One".  Voice mail says so when you call back this number. The caller will leave a message asking you to call him / her back at an 866 number.  They will not say who they are or what they are calling for. Instead act as if someone (not them) is filing a lawsuit against you.

Yep, I just got the same voicemail, a really fast name that I can't understand, no company name and that a complaint has been filed against me and to call them and give them my attorney's phone number and then gave an 866 number.  This is a first.

These dumb bast*rds call and say a civil complaint has been filed against you.  Typically by a woman to get you afraid.  It is really just a creditor "Alliance One".  Voice mail says so when you call back this number. The caller will leave a message asking you to call him / her back at an 866 number.  They will not say who they are or what they are calling for. Instead act as if someone (not them) is filing a lawsuit against you.

Debt collector on behalf of Bank of America credit card.

Yeah f****r, is like you are not one of them. Nice try to scare people by giving a scary scenario of your company's tactics to collect money. Don't listen to this ashore, i've been in collection agency not as an collector, as a IT professional, i had access to all the information regarding collectors tactics to scare people to get they money - this is just one of that. "Some manager from collection typed in they outbound number on google just to find out what people say about them and now he found himself posting here". Big f****ng deal.

They had  called me several times when I was at work and couldn't answer. They left me voice message.
I didn't understand what do they want.

Left message they were from a tax agency.  wants a call back.  Call is not even for us, but my stepson who has not lived with us for over 3 years.

God will punish those who cannot spell and don't even try ...

PLEASE HAVE THEM NOT CALL ME AT WORK ANYMORE.

The number is listed on caller ID. I never received any mail from them. I assume it is another wrong number. They have used another number that is listed as a toll free number. The recording says, "hold the line please, and a representative will be with you shortly." I do not do hold very well. I hang up the phone. Figure if they want me they will send me a letter. Whomever they are. I went bankrupt from being out of work for so long. I wish I had money to pay the bills. Matter of fact I wish I could find work to pay the bills. I am a full time student, trying to get trained so I can get a job. Just trying to survive.

YOU MADE A CHOICE TO IGNORE THE SITUATION - YOU GOT WHAT YOU DESERVED

You can handle it correctly or ignore it -

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

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 feel sorry for all of you.  I just got an internet phone number a couple of months ago and immediately started receiving calls from this company.  I do have a partial solution.  Amazon sells a "Call Block Computer w/Caller ID with Ring Control".  I have it set to receive only numbers that I know.  It has three "lists" built in which can be set to receive or reject calls.  The reject list "R" holds twenty numbers.  I just let the device answer calls from my "A" list which has all my friends, relatives, and businesses that I know.  This list holds 175 numbers. If that is not enough, I will start to fill the "B" list and set the device to allow calls to both "A" and "B" lists. The "B" list can be set to receive calls just at certain hours.  This device is sold by "Smarthome" through Amazon.  It's $70.
  Digitone Communications is making a call blocker that will be able to block an area code completely.  When that one comes out I will be trying it.  
  By the way, I have never had bad credit and have been fortunate enough to always make enough to pay my bills.  But I have a good friend, that owed on a Discover Card and was hounded on a regular basis.  I remember in the '80s when Discover was started with Sears.  And now they get 1.2 billion from the federal government in bailout money and yet aren't forced to help their customers who are having hard times.  The least they should have been forced to do is lower their rates.  So my taxes help a company I don't even like.  Fortunately, I'm getting old enough that I probably won't have to worry about any of this that much longer...haha.  Gee...maybe I should get a Discover Card, run it up and die...

pushy collection agency calling me 8:30 am on a saturday morning, asking for my ex husband.  i tell them we are divorced and i have nothing to do with him anymore, they start shifting conversation towards me now, saying i was a co-applicant on a credit card that was defaulted recently.  this was never the case,

the agent tries to push me to make a payment right then and there, without knowing any additional information, all but how much i had to pay right then and there.

first of all, they are thieves trying to put the blame on someone else, the agent tries to play it off as if i really was a co-applicant, calling me by my husbands last name "Mrs. so and so" meanwhile i never took his last name after marriage, and always put my own last name on all documents.  if i truly did fill out that form, it wouldnt have been under "mrs. so and so"

dont give these scam artists a penny.

Got three calls in succession and answered the second call. The heifer used a tone as if she were my best friend. I advised her that she had the wrong number. She called right back and said, "I asked a question. Is there a problem?" I told the cow she had the wrong number again, and then blocked the -----.

Jeanette called and left a message on my parents phone saying that there was a billing problem with one of my prenatal visits and that I needed to call the office asap so that we could get it straightend out.  I called the number as soon as I got the message wondering what in the world could be wrong.  Luckily, she was unable so speak with me but would call me back shortly.  In the mean time, I had my husband google the phone number and I find out that this is really a collection agency using my pregnancy to get me on the phone with them.  LOVE THE ETHICS, and thanks for the stree that you have just put on a 7 month pregnant woman!!!

Alliance One is a junk debt buyer and a real joke.  They will do anything and everything in the book to get you to pay the full amount on debts they purchased for pennies on the dollar.  They will threaten legal action which (they are not lawyers so this is a violation of the Fair Debt act)and have no intentions on filing.  They will try to get you to take out a loan to pay them off.  Send them a validation letter, keep of log of call and save all messages they leave, never give them any personal information or banking information and make sure all dealings are in writing.  Otherwise you are just asking for them to rip you off.