This is to "Debbie" who seemed to feel the need to justify the tactics of debt collectors. Yes, I realize her post is from 2013, but I FEEL THE NEED TO RESPOND. A AAA rating with the BBB means NOTHING, especially since the rating is based on their experiences with the company, not the ratings given by consumers. A AAA rating has no merit. Just check out what every single person has to say about the kind of crap that HughesNet pulls on customers; HughesNet has a AAA rating.
When a debt collector calls someone - on their cell phone, at home or especially at work - and are told they have the wrong number or to "do not call me any more" than STOP CALLING.

If you tell a collector to stop calling you, it is VITAL, repeat, VITAL that you follow up with a concise and to the point letter saying the same thing and that they are to contact you by US Mail ONLY with notification of the debt owed, who it is owed to and any reference/account number associated with that debt. In the event that they start calling again, you are covered and can sue. It is important to be diligent because once they are told to not call, they can not call. Whether debts are in default or not, I believe that most folks would rather pay than be pestered by debt collectors, but when the debt collectors are JERKS and rude, people are more likely to dig their heels in and fight. If more collectors were more willing to work WITH people, instead of insulting, threatening and berating, they might be more successful

The Only calls I answer, are ones that I am expecting - "AND" from people/numbers I recognize - "AND" who I Want to talk to.
Problem Solved .. heh!

Called my place of employment. This is not allowed where I work. Now I am afraid I will lose my job!

>>> Then pay your debt <<<

You are an idiot for responding to a post well over three years old, and a shill besides.

Then pay your debt

I got a call form this number while I was at work which I couldn't answer.  They didn't leave a message, but called me back later the same day.  I answered the 2nd call.  The guy proceeded to tell me that I was listed as a POC for my husband, and he needed to talk to him so that he could authorize this guy to talk to me about why he was calling..... "third party disclosure".  He proceeded to give me an address, phone number, and year of bith of my husband for me to update/confirm- none of which was any of my husbands correct informatoin.  The caller still hadn't identified himself or what company he was calling from or the nature of the business he had with my husband.  I only told him none of the info was correct and that he must have the wrong person.  Very weird phone call, immediately put me on guard.  Be careful confirming information.

I got a call from the this morning 5/13/14.  They told me that the must have dialed the wrong #.  I'm not in debt and I've never applied for a school loan

I don't answer my phone when they call, But I am tried Of this craziness all the time calling my phone what can i do to stop this calls

They are a white collar criminal entity hell bent on violating federal law and will stop at nothing in their attempts to falsely raise the value of toxic assets for corporate Madofd styles hedge fund CEO's

Keep calling every day.

what do you think would happen if every person who owed a debt refused to pay a third party company you a$$ ticks would shrive up and die.

Obviously this is Coast themselves writing this to try and fool even more. PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO THIS SCAM OF A COMPANY. I'VE CONTACTED ATTORNEY GENERAL

Obviously this is Coast Professional themselves writing this review. Hahahaha

IF you have an Android phone, just save their number, and select the option "Send all calls to voicemail".

Solved. These jackarses have no business pulling the scam they claim its legit

The Dept of Ed makes available lists of people who are in default, deferment, or anyone who has any record of delayed or late payments to them - to any & all types of collection agencies. They are not selective, & get this info via cyber surfing I'm sure.There is no official phone call collection agency for the Fed. They just farm it out to any number of these agencies. These collection folks have little or no ethics, & frequently change their phone numbers & names in hopes to fool someone into answering the phone.
Their S.O.P. is to ask to speak to someone by their first name w/o saying who they are. If you answer a phone, and this happens just hang up unless they identify themselves first, & you want to talk with them. If you do, contact the department directly, and find who their rep is. Don't bother with these fly-by-night "collection agencies", or they will take your money without taking care of your debt.
Here's my multi-decades story--which BTW has never blemished my credit rating.  
I have been totally & permanently disabled since 1996, receive monthly SSI, have not been able to work since, but continue to get these calls. My educational loan was paid monthly until I became disabled. I am in my 50's, & my loan is older than 25 years. I guess my name still appears on some of these lists despite all these factors. So, I no longer ever answer, & , if I do by mistake--or b/c of their latest sneaky tactic, I immediately hang up.  Believe me, if the government  is going to do anything like garnish etc, you will be notified by registered mail.
I do not agree with Suze Orman here. She says this is the worst debt you can have because "It will never be discharged." That is correct, but pay it when you can provide for your family, and can still afford to make the payments. Try to avoid garnishment because the last I knew was that they could take up to 25% of your net pay. But, whatever you do, do not give these underhanded collections agencies any money.

Definite scam folks.  They called my work cell phone, which isn't tied to my name directly in any way.  Unfortunately these calls are far too common nowadays, and they look to take advantage of the elderly or people who just don't know any better, phishing for personal info.  Some of these companies will buy out an old loan or even closed loan and try to get you to pay money you don't even actually owe.  

Coast Professional has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau.  Maybe if we all file complaints with the BBB, something will get done.

yeah, such a good idea to give out personal info over the phone, I can't believe companies still ask!

I have not had a student loan in many many years, all paid off.  Not sure why they are calling but the man was so rude I couldn't believe it, if they are looking for money from someone rude isn't the way to get it!

I just received a call from them asking for my social last four numbers and/or my address. They said, "Oh you'll want this information, but we need to verify your last four digits of your social or get your address."  When I wouldn't give them ANY information, they were very rude and hung up.

"800-964-0881 Toll Free Calle"- Never leaves a message. "585-991-5207 Coast Professio"- recording " ...will be with you shortly..." then it hangs up. YOU choose to "robo call", I choose to SUE!

a few years ago a "collection" company started calling looking for non specific named people(my name in the phone book is very generic). I filed a complaint with the state atty. gen., some months later I received a check for $166.00 dollars because the company was breaking the law. Today I received a call from these idiots, I don't owe ANY "loans". Looks like another complaint to the atty. gen., and than another check to me. Thanks for being MORONS!

I don't even have any student loans and have been out of high school for 30 years! I get a rude call at 8:00 am today! Getting a hold of the Attorney General.

I never took a student loan out.  They keep sending me letters and I believe they are a scam. When I called to resolve their
mistake the first thing they asked for was my SS #  Of course, I would never give that over the phone to a stranger.
They claim to be a collector for the Dept. of Education.  I am well above the age of going to college so a loan was not
needed.

Please see Alfalfa's posts on page 1 and send them a cease & desist letter, report them and also read up on your rights.

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Section 809 of the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf requires 3rd-party debt collectors to give debtors written notice of debt (the key word is *shall*) :
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing?
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer?s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
****************************************
A Collection Agent May Not?

Here are the top 11 actions prohibited by the The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Misrepresent Him or Herself

  A debt collector may not misrepresent himself as an attorney or law enforcement officer.

Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass

  A collection agent may not cause a telephone to ring or engage any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with an intent to annoy, abuse, or harass anyone at the called number.

Threaten Arrest or Lawsuit

  A collection agent may not threaten a consumer with arrest. It may not threaten legal action that is either not permitted or not actually contemplated. In other words, a the threat of a lawsuit may be an empty one.

Use Abusive or Threatening Language

  A debt collector may no use abusive or profane language in the course of communication related to the debt.

Publish a Bad Debt List

  Publishing the consumer?s name or address on a "bad debt" list is prohibited.

Contact By Embarrassing Media

  A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer by post card. It may not use any language or symbol, other than the debt collector?s address, on any envelope when communicating with a consumer by use of the mails or by telegram. A debt collector may use its business name if such name does not indicate it is in the debt collection business.

Contact a Consumer at Work

  A collection agent may not communicate with consumers at their place of employment after being told this is unacceptable or prohibited by the employer.

Seek Unjustifiable Amounts

  A debt collector may not demand any amounts not permitted under an applicable contract or as provided under law.

Contact a Consumer Represented by an Attorney

  A collection agent may not contact a consumer after it learns the consumer is represented by a lawyer.

Communicate With a Consumer After Receiving a Validation Request

  If a consumer sends a written §1692g response within 30 days, the collection agent may not communicate with the consumer until it mails the consumer the requested verification of original creditor's name and address.

Communicate With Third Parties

  A debt collector may not reveal or discuss the nature of a consumer?s debts with third parties other than the consumer?s spouse or attorney. A collection agent may contact neighbors or co-workers only to obtain location information. It may contact a third party again if it has reason to believe the information the party provided previously is false.

Bills.com FDCPA FAQ

Below are questions Bills.com readers ask frequently:

Can a Collection Agent Call My Cell Phone?

  Yes. However, if you tell the debt collector it may not use that number because it is a cell phone, it may not contact you again at that number.

I Keep Receiving Dozens of Calls From Collection Agents. Is That Legal?

  No. Unscrupulous collection agents will use "block parties" or "office parties" where they contact a consumer, multiple neighbors, or co-workers telling them they need to reach the consumer on an urgent matter. This is not permitted under the FDCPA.

A Collector Says I Will Be Arrested if I Do Not Pay

  This was a true statement before the US Civil War, but has not been true since. People may be arrested if an aggressive judge files a bench warrant for a person who does not appear at a hearing relating to a lawsuit regarding a debt. However, in that case, the offense is the failure to respond to a court order, and not the existence of the debt. As stated above, it is illegal under the FDCPA to threaten a consumer with arrest if the consumer does not pay the debt.

Took the call once.  They did not identify themselves. They asked for "Sarah."  I told them I am not "Sarah" (I'm not and I don't even know a "Sarah"!)  and that they had the wrong number.  They are still calling two weeks later.  I will not pick up as this caller is not calling for me.  It is very rude that after being told that they have a wrong number they keep calling.  

called my work and got my phone number from my company.  refused to tell why they called me unless I gave them all 9 of my ssn...  yeah, no.   will get the letter telling them they can no longer call me at work together and send it certified signature required.

These people constantly call me and now they are calling my work number and I don't know how they got either my cell or my work phone. Then when I called back to find out how they got my number, the person representing the company b/c very rude, of course I hung up in his face.

Wow, I'm so impressed that the same people who gave an A rating to a terrorist group (a fake one set up as a sting) gives an A to phone terrorists. BBB ratings are for sale, so don't try to baffle us with BS. We're much too smart for that here, unlike the pathetic lowlifes forced to not only work for unethical collectors but to shill for them online in between calls.

LOL! And we pretty much know that the BBB is also shill laden and toothless these day's..

We know a shill when we see one!