This company called me too and the guy left a cell phone # to call him back, but when you call this cell number its forwarded back to the company and you'll hear : this call may be monitored or recorded."

I have received numerous non-stop calls from the phone number 402-682-3500. When I answer it, it is a recorded message telling me to "Please hold for an important message."
I simply hang up. I'm not taking any orders from an answering machine!

Calls once or twice a day to work and cell #'s.

I have gotten calls from these people every day this week.  I have a missed call on my cell and it says voice mail.  When I listen to the voice mail it is nothing.  So I answered today.  Told them to quit calling that I owe nothing.  And she said, well give me your name and number so we can verify.  I said You called me, you know what is is, so just quit it.  They hung up on me.

I am getting tired of this.

I keep getting a missed call and then voice message that says nothing from this number.  Have no idea who it is or why they are calling.  this is 3 days in a row

I get calls from this number a few times a week. I do not owe any money. This is the first time that I have looked up the number, because everytime I answer the number, I hear breathing on the other end and then by the second time I say "hello?" they hang up on me. ?

called from 405-682-3500 looking for one of my kids. Took a message from a Donna Frost, 402-201-2764. When I asked what company she worked for all she said was MCA.

In Omaha it rings through as a local number.

I get calls from this place at least 4 times a day.. They always call for my husband.. He owes money.. We have talked to the people that he oswe money and we have set up a deal that would get there money the first of the year and they said that was fine as long as we get out money. That doesnt give them the right to call 4 times a day every single day. I've gotten calls from this number at 9:30 at night when my kids are sleeping and if i dont answer they call like 3 more times and just leave a number. They just called me like 10 minutes ago for the second time today, I told them my husband was at work. When i asked who was calling they said Company IMC or MCI or something.. And she was like He'd know what it is.. I was like no he wouldnt and i would appreciate it if you stop calling or imma turn you over to my Attorney for harrasment. Theres no reason for them to call 3 4 times a day everyday especially after hours.. Im so sick of it. There annoying! The next time they call imma tell them that i turned you over to my attorney.. And you should be getting a letter in the mail in the next few days. Then i will see what happens. If that doesnt work then im gonna turn them in for good. I understand there just trying to get the money, but its ridiculous how there going about it!

I receive calls from this place at least three times a day. They do not leave messages and when I did pick up one time the guy told me why he was calling, I said I did not owe the debt and asked for a detailed bill listing what the debt was. He said for me to come down there and he will give it to me. I told him to send it I was not coming down. He kept saying so you refuse to pay. I kept saying no I dispute the debt and he said I have you down as a refusal and hung up. I am so sick of this place and he is bringing up debts there are 5 years old I don't owe! So sick of it. I just want them to leave me alone.

Merchants Credit Guide Co.
aka/ CFB Financial III, LLC
Paragon Way

223 W. Jackson Blvd., #900
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: 312-360-3000
888-249-4134  
866-352-0237
Fax:    312- 360-3024   1308 State Highway 37
West Frankfort, IL 62896
Phone: 618-937-4665
Fax:     618-932-6127

Also:
CFB Financial III, LLC
Barry P. Siegal, Agent for Service
55 W. Monroe St. #500
Record Office: 223 W. Jackson Blvd., #900
Chicago, IL 60606
Web Address: http://www.merchantscreditguide.com
Head Debt Collectors:

Daniel F. Burtis, President

Michael Fromknecht, President

Gregory Fuchs, Vice President

Edwin S. Burtis, Secretary, Treasurer

Kenneth Hill, VP Operations


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bud Says                         Consumer Comments Below

Rarely has one organization generated the number of complaints that this one has. Consumers nationwide are complaining about Merchants Credit Guide Co. attempting to collect on debts time barred by statute. Agency owner and President Greg Fuchs, Daniel F. and Edwin S. Burtis are a class action law suit waiting to happen. Merchants purchased and is attempting to collect on debts as old as fifteen years.

Merchants is collecting for its own subsidiary; CFB Financial III, LLC (IL LLC) on debts mostly time barred by statute, meaning they can no longer be litigated, nor placed on your credit reports. Merchants and CFB Financial can be sued for their illegal debt collection practices. Some Citibank accounts were originally charged off back in the 90s, which means Merchants likely paid just pennies for them. Their collectors are poorly trained, making threats of actions they cannot take and we are receiving many complaints of time barred debts appearing on credit reports. The good news is you can sue and may even recoup legal fees in your suits. These activities are not new or unique, just a different spin on an old consumer scam.  

Consumers contacted by Merchants Credit Guide are urged to NEVER send them money, they are a scam. All of the debts they are attempting to collect appear to be illegal. You do NOT legally have to pay on a time barred debt. If Merchants Credit Guide Co. has accessed or placed information on your credit bureau reports, they may have committed a crime. You may be able to collect a fee of $1,000 from them AND have Merchants Credit Guide pay your attorney fees.

You may want to consider legal actions against Fuch, Burtis and Merchants if warranted. Tape record their calls (where legal) as tapes go a long way in court settlements.
CAUTION: I recommend you NEVER disclose your bank account or credit card information to a debt collector, as you risk them emptying your account, or maxing out your credit card. If you feel they are reporting on your credit bureau files in error or need assistance in dealing with them, email  the details w/your location.  Assistance and referral to a consumer legal specialist may be available.  



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

I just got a call from these idiots and they hung up as soon as I answered.  It sounds like they're real lowlifes.

I too get several of these calls a day but never answer, waiting for them to leave a message. They never do. Their number is unlisted which is annoying. I am glad that I found this page. I am also glad that I have never answered the phone. There is no way they should have my cell number as it is a business number with no name identifier at all.

hell ya i get a call from the guy harrased me trying to say i owe i said if i owe send me a certified letter the guy said no unless they send certified they cannpt prove they send a letterhead i think they are tryin to scam people

I was first told that the caller was an attorney, that was filing a lawsuit, when I called him a liar, he hung up

I constantly get calls from this number. I ask who they are and after they reply I promptly hang up. They are idiots and not worth my time. I think I will buy a coach whistle for the next one. Maybe then they will get the hint!

I am a supervisor at a collection agency and have received calls from Merchants Credit Adjusters on my office line on multiple occasions for different employees. Jessica is generally the individual who calls and though I do not know if she is first party or third party she always neglects to state the company or client she works on behalf of.

The first occasion I spoke with her she hung up on me after I requested a second time that she block my work number, that this was the individual's place of employment, and she was placing their job at risk by constantly contacting them here. I called back and spoke with her supervisor who seemed confused about my claim so obviously the call was not documented. Today, several months later, I received a call from Jessica again for a different employee. I asked that she not call my office line again and she demanded a better number to reach the employee. I responded that I am not required to give that information and she responded by demanding my office's main line. I refused again and more firmly demanded that she not call here. She said okay and hung up on me rudely.

Think!

This is ridiculous. Merchants Credit Adjusters' representation of the collections industry is the reason all collection agencies have a bad reputation.

This type of behavior is unacceptable and though I would never hold my employees accountable for a bill collector trying to contact them here, Merchants does not know this. That their representatives would continue to harass individuals at their place of employment is for lack of a better word, stupid. How would they ever expect the individual to be able to pay their debts if they are terminated from their position due to constant 'personal' calls

This number calls and shows up on our caller id several times a day everyday. It averages about 25 rings a phone call. Beings we do not know who it is, we do not answer the phone. I am going to call my local phone company for instructions how to block this phone number out.

I refused to give the guy my name when he called the first time, and he screamed at me that he wasn't playing games. Definitely an as**ole collection agency.

Actually, due to privacy laws, they cannot say where they are calling from or why they are calling on a message.  It is personal, private information, and it could cause detriment to the debtor if others were to overhear.

Yes, I get at least 2-3 calls from this number on my caller ID per day.  They never leave a name of the company they are from.  Just wish they would quit calling.

I am.  At least twice a day everyday.

i do ALL the time!!!!

I bought my 10 year old grandson a pre-paind cell in Dec. 2008.  This number 402-682-3500 calls grnason's phone at least once a day.  I reported the number to the National Do Not Call registry, and the calls persist.

Today I was nearby when the call came in. No name showed up on the caller I.D.  I explained to the man that called (and asked for a "Michael)" that we know no such person, and that he is calling a child's phone.  The male caller became quite beligerent and never once identified what company he is with.  He then hung up on me.

I live minutes from Omaha, NE.  Thanks to those of you that identified what company this could be coming from, Grandma is planning a road trip to the business when they call again.

Once again I reported a complaint to the National Do Not Call registry.

It shows up on the Caller ID as "Omaha NE".  They left a message to call a local number - 682-3500 or a long distance number.  If they are a collection agency, aren't they supposed to announce who they are and who they are calling for?

Yes I'm getting this # too. Its for AAA Collection Agency.

This is Merchants Credit - a collection call