the number hassrassing me several times a day and when i pick up, it just handed up~!

any resolutions?

Called them and discovered they were trying to contact Susie Johnston.  They asked me if I knew her and asked me for her contact info.

Nationwide Credit, Inc. claiming they're calling on behalf of Amex.  They offered to set up payment plan and wanted all of my personal information.  What should I do?

Where the hell is the FTC?...what good is a DNC list if it isnt enforced?  If I find the MFs at 877-779-3471 who are calling me, I'll hunt them down and beat the ever-loving crap out of them.  Promise. I'm Serious.

I'm sorry to break this to everybody who doesn't already know, but there is nothing you can do to complain or report these scam calls-thanks to VOIP (voice over internet protocol).  Having cheap phone service over the internet is the WORST piece of "anti-technology" ever.  NONE of these calls (charity, debt collectors, etc.) are legitimate.   They are from boiler rooms in third world cesspools spoofing any number they want for caller ID.. Thay are all out to get your identity and STEAL it.  The "do not call" can do nothing, they are not from the United States and they are NOT LEGITIMATE.  Criminals do not play by the "do not call" rules or ANY rules, for that matter.  Best you can do is block the number and it will eventually go away.  NEVER answer any number you don't recognize.  You need to petition your phone carrier to prevent any toll free numbers from being allowed to initiate calls on their systems or to let you have the ability to block entire area codes (800, 877 etc.).

this number calles almost daily.  will not talk to answering machine.  i picked up once but didn't say anything and I could hear conversation in background. sounded like someone talking to maybe a supervisor and saying they were not sure if they were doing it right.  this call must stop.  can you help?

These morons are now calling my parents and harrassing them!! Asking them to take care of my debt!! Even when I have already made good on my agreements with them AND the credit card involved. They are animals who will say anything to get their money!! I am NO longer late on the account, they receive their $$ BEFORE it is due and they still want MORE!!

they called me ,877-793-3471, they know about all of my debt. they said they work with american express, collecting debt.   i called american express,  AMEX could not verify this number.  AMEX gave me
a number to call 800-869-2070 , regarding debt collection.. when you call that number it says,,,,hello welcome to amex client services.  
i left 3 messages. they didnt call back. yet

but....when i call 877-779-3471 they answer immediatly.....and say hello this is nation wide INC...call them after hours and THE ANSWER service says , thank you for calling nation wide CREDIT.  

they have two names ???

so the amex debt number is so busy , you have to leave a message.

but the other guys are not so busy and quickly lower your debt  in half.....    

too good to be true

I suspect Nationwide Debt collector routinely call the wrong people who live in the same city.  I once had a utility call me about a debt for a person of the same name who apparently who lived I understand at the trailer park across the street from where I lived.  It turned out he was married to a Louise, while I was single, never married, and could give them my account number which was in good standing.

I've been getting calls from this number and no debt collector is after me. I've repeatedly reported them to the do not call complaint. Hopefully it will stop soon.

It is always up to you about returning phone calls but see other notes posted by me in this dialog and especiallys see:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm as you have rights too, one of which is the right to never be called on a work phone as long as you once state (and document) that and are prepared to go to small claims court to punish the debt collection agency.

Most, if not all, cell phones can be programmed to ring silent to any number you enter in the phone book or mark as belonging to a group with a silent ringer that you create such as Bill Collector.  If it doesn't have silent ringer as a choice just record a long silence to answer rings from each number put in the group.

Yes, it is illegal for a collection agency to make false representations or to contact third parties other than your lawyer, your spouse and credit bureaus other than to gather contact information.  See http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm for federal rules and your state Attorney General or Court website for futher rules and easier lawsuit filings against debt collectors.

The ftc website in the next paragraph states:  "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." so you have grounds to sue the debt collector.

You keep a log of the calls and sue for $500 per call in small claims court usually under a state law, or $1,000 under the federal law.  American Express is so persistent in calling that their is chatter on the Internet about a group lawsuit against them but the maximum $500,000 for a group may not be enough to entice a lawyer.

You should be able to easily find online how to sue in state small claims court, but to file a federal claim first see:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm for further information.  Some people actually make a living from suing debt collectors, since debts are resold to other companies.  The debts do stay on your credit reports for as long as law allows and they remained owed unless the debt collector fails to assert a claim in court within the statute of limitations which varies by state.  But then even bankruptcy does not guarantee that creditors will not contact you.

If you don't owe a debt at all you night have needed to dispute the claim of a debt with the very first debt colletion agency letter you receive within 30 days, but laws vary by state.  If you go to http://www.naag.org and click on the little box within the faint colored map of your state, it will display the contract information for your attorney general.

Debt collectors have many other restrictions on them as well that many ignore until sued by a sufficient number of people to make it expensive to pay the judgments, since debt collection is a volume business.  For example the $25 billion in the proposed settlement of illegal foreclosure practices is so small in terms of the big national banks involved that only one had not already set aside a reserve for that large a settlement, so $25 billion is a slap on the hand and the $2,000 to be paid to those illegally foreclosed on who were evicted from their homes is a virtual insult that would not cover even a year of storage for most people who didn't lose their furniture to others taking if off the property.  Of course the violations by and large were only technical violations of law that would not have prevented foreclosure, except in the case of veterans who lost homes while away at war.

Keeps calling non stop

This number is from Nationwide Credit suppossibly working with American Express. But I cannot verify.

Trying to find out who owns this phone number.

Hired by: American Express

Send all settlement offers to:
Nationwide Credit, Inc.
2002 SUMMIT BLVD STE 600
ATLANTA GA  30319-1559
Tel: (877) 779-3471

I tried calling this number and they asked for my name and then Birthdate. Don't do it! Sounds like a foreign Indian? person answering, not much English

What is their mailing address so I can send them a Certified Letter?

Thanks

Its a credit collection agency, probably looking for me.  I don't pay the credit card companies or banks twice with my tax bailouts and monthly payments, forget them.

it says patient information but i think it may be a credit collection company too

whaaaaaaaaaaaaat ???

Apparently the Brits are looking for someone who does not live with me.  Listening to the recorded message on MY voicemail 'will acknowledge' that I am that person....oooh I just picked up a new identity. :-)

Message instructs to call 877-779-3471; however Caller ID recorded call coming from 402-858-0143 REPEATEDLY.  I hope they find that person real soon, this is getting annoying.

Hello this is a message for George Redford. If you are not George Radford please hang up or disconnect By continuing to listen to this message you acknowledge you are George Radford. This message contains personal and private information so you should listen to it in private. There will now be a three second pause in this message to give you an oppertunity to ensure your privacy for the remainder of this message. This is Mary Jones, a debt collector from Nationwide Credit. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Please contact me about an important business matter at 877-779-3471. Thank you.

this was an automated message left on my answering machine and there is no George Radford at my number. When I called the number back all I got was a busy signal.

Get this call every day for a debt I owe (and am paying off).  Not sure which card company.  But the balls of these people!  Its always some dot-head foreign accent you can't hardly understand asking for "Locatin Information".  WTF?  I just ignore the calls.

1) Never assume they have a VALID DEBT OR LEGAL RIGHT TO COLLECT
 
2) Debt collectors MUST FOLLOW your STATE laws regarding licensing.  Check your Secretary of State for licensing requirements for ANY collection agency that contacts you

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    
The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE

You can also post your questions here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum/   NEW URL!    

These links are to attorneys for those being scammed www.naca.net or http://www.consumerjustice.com/consumer/searchattorneys.aspx


Dealing with Debt Collectors
Http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm    
    
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

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




Time-Barred Debts
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt144.shtm

There?s no doubt about it: you are responsible for your debts. If you fall behind in paying your creditors ? or if you dispute the legitimacy of a debt ? a debt collector may contact you.

?Time-barred? debts are debts so old they are beyond the point at which a creditor or debt collector may sue you to collect. State law varies as to when a creditor or debt collector may no longer sue to collect: in most states, the statute of limitations period on debts is between 3 and 10 years; in some states, the period is longer. Check with your State Attorney General?s Office to determine when a debt is considered time-barred in your state. You can find contact information for your State Attorney General at www.naag.org.

Federal law imposes limitations on how debt collectors can collect debts, including time-barred debts. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a ?debt collector? generally is any person or organization that regularly collects debts owed to others. The term includes lawyers who collect debts for others on a regular basis, but it does not include creditors collecting their own debts.

The FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from engaging in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices while collecting debts. It does not erase any legitimate debt that you owe. To learn more about your rights under the FDCPA, click on www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm.
Collecting Time-Barred Debts

Most courts that have addressed the issue have ruled that the FDCPA does not prohibit debt collectors from trying to collect time-barred debts, as long as they do not sue or threaten to sue you for the debt. If a debt collector sues you to collect a time-barred debt, you can have the suit dismissed by letting the court or judge know the debt is, indeed, time-barred.

Whether a time-barred debt ? or any debt for that matter ? can appear on your credit report depends on how long the debt has been delinquent: debts that have been delinquent more than seven years cannot appear on your credit report, with certain exceptions. In addition, a debt collector may not try to collect a debt that has been discharged in bankruptcy, no matter when it was incurred. To learn more about credit reporting, click on www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcra.htm.
Contact with Collectors

Can a debt collector continue to contact you about a time-barred debt you don?t think you owe? According to the law, if you send the debt collector a letter stating that you do not owe some or all of the money within 30 days after you receive written notice of a debt, the collector must stop trying to collect until you?ve been given written verification of the debt, like a copy of the bill for the amount you supposedly owe. The collector can renew collection activities once you?ve gotten proof of the debt.

You can stop debt collectors from contacting you about any debt, regardless of whether you owe it, by writing a letter telling them to stop contacting you. Once the collector gets your letter, it may not contact you again ? except to say there will be no further contact or to let you know that the collector or creditor intends to take some specific action. Sending a letter doesn?t absolve you of the debt if you actually owe it; the debt collector or creditor still could sue you for the debt.
Future Collection Efforts

The best way to protect yourself from future collection on any disputed or partially settled debt is to get a form or letter from the creditor or collector that releases you from further obligation. To make sure the release is valid, you may want to consult an attorney. If you believe that a debt collector violated the law, you have the right to sue in a state or federal court within a year from the date the law was violated. If you win, you may recover money for the damages you suffered, plus an additional amount up to $1,000. You also may recover court costs and attorney?s fees. You also may want to report any problems you have with a debt collector to your State Attorney General and to the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC works 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 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. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. 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.
October 2004

The number called my work line way past the time I left work. It left a 10 minute voicemail where an automated voice just kept saying "Please hold for the next available representative" ON MY VOICEMAIL. Really? I don't have any debts outside of student loans and that's with the government. Can't imagine why they would be calling me.

Received two calls on my work phone number from this number--first one was over the weekend and no message was left.  Second one was this afternoon and a recorded voice left a voice mail saying that this is Dana Louis and she's looking for location information on (then there was a space with no name said).  She said to call 877-779-3471 and reference file number (and again she didn't leave any information and there was a space)!

I got a few calls. The caller stated they were looking for locaion information about medical information. It turned ot to be a collection agency and there was no medicial information involved. Could be an illegal call.