I simply refuse to deal with companies/agencies other than the original creditors, especially when these so-called collection agencies can be nasty, abusive, and operate in a sometimes illegal manner.

I got a call today that asked me to call back at this number. This was an unusual call due to:
1. I never heard the phone ring
2. There was no indication in my "missed call" list of this call
3. There was no indication that there was a voice mail message
A while after I got this call, a friend called and left a message. That's when I heard the voice mail for this mysterious phone call.The message said "please call Rachel at IC systems regarding an important personal business matter --- 1-800-542-9121 X2381" (and that is the complete text of the message left). I was able to obtain the time of the call, but not the number it came from. The best available research indicates that IC Systems is a debt collection agency that sometimes deals on the illegal side of the FDCPA. I am well aware of the fact that companies often sell their accounts receivables (debts owed them) to third party agencies (often for a fraction of what the actual debt is), but, I would think that the company would have to notify the debtor that their particular debt has been so sold, and to whom it was sold. Also, when these so-called collection agencies contact you, they almost never identify the original owner of the debt, and they sometimes represent themselves as a collection department of the original company (for instance, if you owe the phone company money, and the phone company sells your debt to IC Systems, IC Systems will represent themselves as the collection department of the phone company. I still get calls and letters from the original creditor and a collection agency (if applicable). Is it legal for an original creditor to contact you after it sold your debt to someone else? Also, I would sure like to know how these collection agencies can get there phone number to not display on a caller ID device (or display as 000-000-0000 and/or 999-999-9999), and not show up as a restricted or unavailable call.

Who is this?? It says it is unknown and it doesn't show up on the web?

It is IC Systems, a debt collector

They will call from multiple numbers in different area codes trying to get you to answer their calls. IC Systems calls from over 120 different numbers including: 651-204-1341 800-779-1783 651-204-1316 605-204-1304 651-204-1329 651-481-6302 888-229-8848 651-204-1310 651-204-1349 651-204-1315 651-204-1348 888-735-0697 651-204-1345 651-204-1317 877-572-0159 651-204-1313 651-204-1304 866-858-2784 651-204-1320 651-204-1337 888-735-8029 651-204-1355 800-279-9525 888-312-3593 615-204-1320 651-204-1332 888-858-2784 800-988-4145 651-483-1867 410-968-7953 651-204-2554 651-204-1351 651-204-1314 604-204-1341 651-204-1366 651-204-1361 651-204-1374 651-204-1352 410-968-7955 877-221-3940 651-204-1377 866-903-1001 800-542-9121 888-241-8960 800-844-8001 866-350-8210 651-204-1387 800-561-5695 651-804-1374 651-204-1347 522-417-4563 866-483-8593 877221 651-204-1395 888-710-7271 651-204-9006 682-351-4950 661-533-5750 651-204-1392 651-204-1301 651-204-1093 800-561-4573 605-209-5531 866-389-2466 800-279-8189 813-464-2479 214-233-7251 651-204-1344 651-204-1365 651-204-1399 501-227-4734 866-873-1819 888-474-8332 500-000-0000 510-924-1676 651-204-1463 703-291-9016 202-367-9083 651-204-1299 651-204-1357 202-367-9845 202-367-9027 603-589-7206 202-367-9769 800-988-4154 651-204-1333 651-204-1306 202-367-9234 480-487-8109 800-711-0449 888-229-8896 804-234-9011 202-367-9813 202-367-9236 866-913-5380 712-941-5127 804-234-9008 651-204-1305 651-204-1312 208-991-1267 202-367-9278 651-204-1302 651-204-1321 651-204-1371 208-991-1279 208-991-1246 703-656-9977 651-204-1461 800-737-3122 202-870-5977 888-735-0516 651-204-1379 703-656-9842 651-204-1262 208-991-1256 512-293-3673

They robocalled alled asking for a different name than mine.  After calling twice in 30 minutes I called back to be put on hold for 30 minutes.

JUST GOT A CALL FROM SOME GUY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T LIVE HERE. I COULDN'T HARDLY HEAR THE MESSAGE IT WAS SO STATIC AND CRACKING ON THE OTHER END SO I LISTENED TO IT THREE TIMES CALLED IT BACK AND TOLD THEM NO SUCH PERSON LIVED HERE. HE SAID WHAT NUMBER IS THIS AND WHO WAS I LOOKING FOR?? I SAID YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT.IT'S YOUR JOB.!!! SO I HUNG UP ON HIM, TOLD HIM I RESEARCH HIS NUMBER AND ON THE INTERNET IT SAID BOGUS THINGS ABOUT THEM.THE FUNNY THING IS WE HAVE NO DEBT BUT OUR HOUSE CRAZY!!!

The SOL for reporting a debt on your credit report is 7 years from the date it became 180 days past due. It doesn't matter if it was sold 20 times, it's the same amount of time. If you find that happened on your credit report, you can easily fight it and get it removed.

If you set up a payment arrangement with a collection agency, that still doesn't start a new clock on the credit report but you have to make sure it doesn't start a new clock on the SOL in your state of how long they can collect and or sue you to collect the debt.

There is also nothing wrong with a settlement offer as long as you get something in writing saying that the debt will be reported as "paid in full" or "settled as agreed". Then there isn't anything for them to sell off.

Collection agencies will only go away if we all pay our debts on time. Creditors are not going to stop using them and as consumers get smarter, so do the collectors. The way to fight a collection agency is to know your rights and the laws.

One of Afni?s lowest tricks is the ?Settlement Offer? (Other low-order debt-buyers have started using this one too) They say you can ?settle your account? for a fairly small percentage of the original total (which often they have fraudulently inflated)  Not only does this reactivate the SOL for collecting and reporting on a dead account, but as soon as they get your money, these lowlifes turn around and sell off the uncollected balance to yet another debt-buyer!  Don?t fall for this scam!
  This financial leper colony has been around for a long time, but may be on their way out. It is no accident that these parasites deal almost exclusively in worthless, expired ?Junk Debt? these days. Over the last decade or so their business  practices have degenerated to the point where very few ?Contingency? clients will sully their reputations by dealing with them at all and even Verizon may pull the plug unless they clean up their act.  Keep it up, Afni, the F.T.C. is watching and we could all do with one less snake pit like yours!

they call every day. i answer the phone and then they hang up.  what a bunch of morons.

Got a call from Ashley - you must return my call today - this is not a solicitation - but this MUST be handled today!  Based on these comments - I'm ignoring it!  Thanks!

The calls I get from this place are legit. They are trying to collect on a Target store credit card.

Had a voice mail from female identifying herself as Allie.  That I need to call her ASAP.  No explanation of why or who she was with.  I google the phone number and read a lot of the emails that were sent in.

Still can't decide if it is legit or not.

they are collections, but must pick up on really old thing that have already been paid. My is froma hardware store from approx. 1987 and it was paid off the also try sending me bills for thousand on a account the has not had a balance in 22 years. Crazy!!!!!!!

I got a call from this number at my place of business and the woman left me a voicemail message identifying her to be Lisa from IC System with the most supremacy?s voice you can imagine.  She also told me that time is running out and it would be in my best interest to call her back!  These people have a lot of nerve harassing people at their workplace.

Yep. And they are called IC Systems:

http://www.icsystem.com/industries/financial/index.htm

They belong to the NOTORIOUS AFNI, Inc., who are scumbag bottom feeders attempting to collect on bogus Verizon/GTE accounts dating back to the early 90's.

Read more about them on Budd Hibbs's website. Stay OFF the phone!!

http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/AFNI.htm

This person keeps on calling me. I had tried to call back and from what the message says, it seems like a collection agency.