Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Called, but left no msg. No caller ID name. Called number back and received automated message.

Calls occasionally and does not leave a message. Never donate over the phone since the telemarketer actually recieves most of the donation instead of the actual charity. It's sad and I refuse to donate to any charity that uses telemarketers.

Only keeping my land line for 911 emergencies. The ringer
is turned off and the phone is in a room that's rarely
entered. On the Do Not Call List for all the good it does.
Let them waste their money;  I never answer and only
occasionally check Caller ID and messages. The heck
with them!

Called at 9:24 on a Sunday morning; I thought this was extremely rude.

says they are trying to collect a debt

I'm glad I found this site.  I received a call this morning and google'd the number while it was ringing -- glad to find out it was charity and ignored it.  I give to red cross, st jude, my church, and the food bank. I will not give to any other charities.

I wrote an eMail to: vfwfundraising@vfw.org after reading on their website's FAQ section.

"To whom it may concern,

I have received several calls from telemarketers on your behalf. I was writing to ask to be removed from your marketing services. How would I go about doing this?

Thank you in regards to this matter."

Hopefully I will hear back from them in the next few days, when I do I will update here.

Telemarketer for the "charity" Veterans of Foreign Wars asking for donations. She was very polite when I told her I didn't have money to donate to them, I forgot to ask to be removed from their list. If they are anything like the other "charities" that have called me, because I have refused to donate, they will be calling more frequently...

On the caller ID the name came up as Unavailable.

File a complaint at https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforma/form1088

You will get a response.

For those who are plagued by calls from Oxford Management, I think I found a cure:

I sent them a Certified Letter - Return Receipt Requested, to Oxford Management Co., 4180 Okeechobee Rd., Ft. Pierce, FL  34947, with a copy to Julius Genachowski,Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th St., SW, Washington, DC 20554.

In the letter, I simply gave my telephone number, asked that they cease and desist forthwith from any future telephone calls to my number.  

I have not received a call from Oxford Management since they received the letter.  (I never received a courtesy response from Mr. Genachowski, but that's your US Government at work for you.)

Good luck.

Actually, they say they are something like, "Zonn, a for-profit company calling for the Veterans of Foreign Wars."  They did not say they were calling directly from the charity.

I never give to any charity that uses telemarketers.

I put a block on this number

Also called us on Thanksgiving morning.  Pretty cheesey.

Call at 10 AM on Thanksgiving Day.  Caller ID was "Toll Free".  We never answer such calls.  Blocking the number.

Thanks so much for posting this.   Your hard work will save me a lot of headaches.  I would also like to point out that some companies/organizations will pick up 'zombie' or dead debt and try to get you to agree to pay it.  I was contacted by someone with an erroneous 20-year-old debt.  And after being forced  through a  bankruptcy  last year, organizations somehow picked up on debts  cleared to try to charge me again I suspect...(I've had my share of  bad luck too like  so many others)  INEVER ANSWER calls that don't leave a message or that leaves  a suspicious  message.

Debt Collectors ? Collection Agency's do NOT fall under Do NOT Call registry, as they are not telemarketers.  However, they do constantly violate other Federal Laws, because us American's don't know the laws to protect us.  They are counting on that.  

- Federal Law says you don't have an obligation to Collection Agencies or Debt Collectors; you can send them a written letter and they cannot contact you after that.   This includes Attorney's in state's other than your state of residence.  The only Attorney's that can sue you, have to be licensed in your resident state.

A word of caution:  Some Law Firms do have Firms in other states, and Lawyers licensed in other states, so you have to do a little research before sending a Cease & Desist (Do Not Call & Go Away letter) to make sure they aren't in your resident state or you're likely to get sued by these #%#&*@!#%&@$^*.  

Once a debt collector makes contact with you, they also have to contact you within 5 days after the first phone call, letter etc., and give you validation/proof or judgment of the debt.  You are not required to ask for it.   They never do this!!!!

This law is known as the Fair Debt Collector Practices Act.  You can get it at FTC.gov; as well as other Consumer Protection Laws.

Most collection agencies, purchase your delinquent debt for pennies on the dollar.  Guess what? It is no longer your debt!!!  You don't have any agreement/contract with the debt collector or collection agency.  Your only agreement/contract was with the original creditor.

Do NOT agree to any payment arrangements, or you'll be creating an agreement/contract, where upon initial contact by the Debt Collector, one didn't exist.  The collection agencies are counting on you not knowing this little bit of information.  

The best advice I can give you is, do NOT talk to these idiots - they will leave you in a frustrated heap on the floor.  They lie, and will tell you whatever they need, in order to get you to commit to paying them.

The lies are illegal, but they honestly don't care, they're probably on commission for how much they collect from you and others like you.  

If you do answer the phone, do NOT give out your employer, social security #, DL #, Credit Card and/or Bank information, or any personal information.  Tell them to send you a written statement & you'll respond. Then hang up.  When you get that statement, google, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and you'll probably find a letter you can send them   Or:  send the letter I?ve enclosed that I use.  Sign and mail that letter Certified Mail, so you have a signature and confirmation of delivery!!!
RE
Account #  
Amount in Dispute: $  
Account #  

Dear  :

I am in receipt of your demand for payment.  However, this Notice is to confirm that I do not wish to be contacted again by you, and that you are hereby put on Notice to Cease Communication pursuant to 15 USC Section 1692c(c).  Failure to comply with said Notice shall result in a complaint filed and submitted to, the Federal Trade Commission, and possible legal remedies in an appropriate United States District Court.

In addition, PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT, I am not waiving my right to dispute the alleged debt asserted herein, but at this time I am under no obligation to respond.  

Sincerely,



Your Name
Address
City, state Zip



Certified Mail#:  


In the Law of Novation: if a debt is purchased by another, for that to be a legal owed obligation, a new contract / agreement has to be written and signed by all parties.  Google Law of Novation and read up!!!

No I am not an attorney, just a well knowledged, educated consumer.  I have spent the past 2 years studying various Federal Consumer Protection Laws.  

I wasn't just satisfied knowing I could send a letter to a Collection Agency/Debt Collector and they had to go away.  I read that in the Fair Debt Collector practices Act law;  I needed to know why, what law tells me the reason why I can.

Everything I have typed, I have learned basically on my own through reading, studying, printing out and binding the laws and underlining/highlighting them.  Not to mention the knowledge I have gained on my own fighting two lawsuits without an Attorney.

I was sued by a Collection Agency, and waiting for a Court date. The Collection Agency Attorney, sent us a letter willing to dismiss with prejudice our lawsuit, if I dismiss our Cross/Counter Claim for Fair Debt Collector Practices Act violations.  Oh, I forgot to mention, we do not have an Attorney representing us; and I have not had any legal experience, in the past whatsoever.

I have read / printed & bound, my State's Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Civil Procedure - Evidence.  I catch Attorneys on violations of State Rules of Civil Procedure all the time.  And our Judge's let them get away with it.

And for those of you who say pay up and quit being a deadbeat; it appears that you have never had your life turned upside down, because a good job, not high paying by any means, but a supposed secure job, got your hours cut by 3/4.  

And then a couple years later, as you are just recovering, you lose that job.  And when you are in your 50's, a new job is not so easy to come by.  And when that happens, then what?  

Or what about a major illness, guess you've never had that either - too bad.  Maybe if you did, you'd understand why and how people end up getting in financial straights. Not because they chose to, or decided they were going to find loopholes to get out of paying obligations etc.

What if the money isn't there to pay these debts to begin with?  We've been barely able to pay a mortgage, let alone credit cards etc. It's easy to tell someone else what to do.  I hope someday, something throws your secure little world off its axis, and you find yourself in the very situation as some of us here. Maybe then you'd learn it isn't such a cut/dry situation.

Oh, we've struggled.  And the job last hasn't exactly been replaced.  We're still behind in our Mortgage and trying to catch up, as with our other legal obligations.  I can't work because of various health conditions, or I would, including a part time job at least.  My husband started his own company with the tools of the trade, and now contracts for copier, computer, IT technical jobs as he has a computer science degree, and has years of experience in the others, especially the wide format copier / printers / computers.

People, please read the Fair Debt Collector Practices Act; if a Debt Collector violates any one harrassment or other law in there; Federal Laws says you can sue them for $1,000.00 per violation.  Do it, and then THEY can pay off YOUR obligations!!!  

Again I am not an Attorney - but have learned these by my own experiences.  There are Attorneys you could talk to, and I would, if any violations of the laws have occured in your circumstances.  I am posting this strictly to help others maybe have a piece of mind, if they are up all night worrying about financial problems, and sick to their stomach in worry as I have been, and still are in some ways. I am again just a well informed, knowledgable consumer, who has spent hours studying the laws, because I had no where else to turn for help.  If anything I have written, causes you questions, please seek the advice of an Attorney.

Certain situations such as Mortgages and Car Payment loans usually do not apply here; so you may need to seek the advice of a Lawyer for your individual situation.

If anyone should need help with Lawsuits regarding Collection Agencies/Debt Collectors and/or Credit Cards; I may be able to help you.  Please contact me at tlcpetmommy@gmail.com.

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Must of changed or using a different number. Veterans of Foreign Wars. When are these "charities" ever going to learn that all they are doing is annoying people & making folks far less willing to give?