I just received a message from some girl (that sounded very annoyed) saying "ya I just got your message and your request and I'm a little confused as to what want"
I have NO idea who this is and I have not made any inquires. Nice try lady, I'm not calling you back after reading all of this.

This number has called my parents house asking for my son who is a minor..kim young has called and left nasty messages...others have called without any info other then my son has to take care of this situation...thats great he's 8.. ..ill be calling them tomorrow and they better not call my parents house again.

888-617-2234 called and asked for a former employee. I told them he moved back to Germany. ( From the US)

She said 'ok thank you' and hung up.

Don't know the reason for the call, but by the looks of the notes here, is probably a debt collector.

rude yes, she refused to give my husband their mailing addres, insisted on bnak information for a direst withdrawal, I was furious when I found out, are they for real or will I get my checking account cleaned out????

Called one of my work telephones. (It's forwarded).  Caller ID said "Unknown" so I answered "Law Office". He identified himself as "Ron Bates" (interesting different last name) and asked for me. I said this is the answering service and could I take a message. he proceeded to give me the number to call 888-617-0269 and when I asked if he was a debt collector, he said "I cannot confirm or deny. Why are you asking me that?" and my response (Anyone Can use this response substituting "law firm" with company name):
You are calling a law firm and it is against the law for you to be calling Ms. * at his/her place of employment. Do not call here for Mr/Ms again"
that is sufficient to lay the ground for a TCPA lawsuit if they call again.

I don't know who this company is or why they are calling, but we have passed this on to the FTC for REPEATED violations of calling a person at work.

Omg...I received a call from same number everyone is talking about. First  of all they answer like its their home, 2nd they refused to tell me who they are, 3rd she asked what number had they been calling me on, I said the one I'm calling on now, she replied NO its not because we have caller ID and that number isnt in our data base, so why dont you give me the real number. Wow...was she rude. When I asked again what was the companys name, she said, "Hold on in a agitated loud voice." I dont know who they are, what they want but I'm not in their data base so maybe they called the wrong number in the first place. Thank God because I certainly dont deserve to be treated like that and none of you do either. Everyones having trouble paying bills, they really dont have to make it harder. Good luck everyone : )

I received a call from this number and the name left was Kim Young, never leaving the company name she was representing.  She sounded very agitated and urgent, saying that I spoke with an associate in April. I called the number back she left and it was for DMI.  I googled them and found nothing, so I googled the number and found this site.

Imagine if YOU spent your time in a productive non-judgmental way. Instead of bagging on people when you have NO idea what their situation is. For most of us, we are one paycheck away from being hounded by predatory collection companies. You might want to consider that next time before your "fingers" make you look bad, or worse...STUPID.

STOP CALLING ME

I AM VERY UPSET THIS NUMBER KEEPS CALLING MY CELL PHONE ASKING FOR A DARNELL AND THERE IS NO DARNELL.

imagine if you spent your time working

this number belongs to a collection agency so if you get a phone call from them call back and clear up the reason you are being reached.

This is an important call from Ron Tyson, "I have some important information for you that you may not be aware of"

This sounds like a junk debt buyer scam to me. They guy won't even leave the name of the company he represents in the message so beware. I too have received phone calls from this number. I have no intention of calling them back. I have no outstanding debts so I have nothing to worry about.

I do NOT recommend calling this number back.

I received a call from this number, (715)831-0977 a person by the name of Kelly Johnson who couldn't even pronounce my name right. She left this 888-617-0269. I called the 715 number, and the gal who answered said Advanced Financial.

screw ron tyson. if he can't even leave the name of his business or the reason he needs me to call him back, then why should i call him back?!
i bet ron tyson isn't even his real name.
and why when i google search the number 715-831-0977 does it give me results for a funeral home?! weird.

I received a call from this agency regarding a small bill I acknowledge that I genuinely owe.  They called 12/16 and asked for a payment arrangement by giving them a post dated check.  I asked them to please call back in January as my husband just got laid off and I don't know when his first unemployment check will arrive, so I don't want to commit to a date the funds will be there, when I don't know if they would be there on the date we would have to pick today.  The lady on the phone was EXTREMELY condescending and said "Ma'am, you are telling me that you refuse to pay for services rendered by my client, when you know perfectly well that you owe them.  I said "No, I am NOT refusing to pay, I am asking you to call me in January when I will know more than I know now, regarding what date the money will be in my acccount."  She CONTINUED to say I was refusing to pay, and I had to literally SHOUT at her that I am not refusing to pay as she kept on repeating over and over statements like - "How dare you not pay your bills, when you know you received a service?"  I finally had to SHOUT - DO NOT CALL ME BACK until January - and hung up the phone.  I have NEVER been treated so rudely by ANYONE in my life.

It's a collection agency, But I should add the person who called me from here was extremely rude and I had to hang up and call back to speak to a supervisor because they refused to transfer me over.

It's just a 3rd party collection agency, they don't even have any information other than the fact that you owe something and who it's too.

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

I read all the comments on this page before I called the number back today.  Thanks "Rediculous" for getting me all worked up for nothing!

Honestly, I am not going to get into details because who knows if the infamous "KELLY" patrols this website....but she is totally unprofessional and quite frankly rude. How are you planning to get money out of me when your an a** to begin with???? And when you call it is like someone is picking up the phone at their house. "hello who is this?" arre you kidding me? what kind of business is this...how would i even know where my money would be going!@@?@#@?


Oh yeah....and those good reviews up there are clearly written by advance financial staff....I doubt there would be such a disparity in the way they actually treat the people who they call

Got a call from this number 888-617-0269, I guess the number has been re-assigned to another company now because it was not the company I was expecting it to be.  Anyways it was a relief to find out what it was about.

I have been getting calls from "Kelly Johnson" who leaves message to call back this number 1-888-617-0269.  Now she has started calling me from different numbers and being real rude saying I must call her today because she has left me so many messages.  The funny part is I have tried to call the number she gives back and it says the number is temporarily unavailable...  But it is good to know it is some sort of collection agency, I thought I was in some trouble or something...LOL

just received a call from this number. The rep neither identified himself or his company. Instead, as explained above in other posts, he used awkward phrasing and tone, to make it seem like it was someone that I've dealt with consistently. Truth be told, I do have an outstanding medical bill, but I still can never get over sleazy phone tactics.

Same problem here, an unprofessional guy called, and was looking for someone who and was convinced i knew the person.  His caller id number was marked private, but he did give me this number, I called it back and spoke with the same person.  So it must be a direct like to a guy named Frank, who says he works for GRS.

this wierd, unprofessional guy keeps calling here for my son. he says some bizzare things to try to get him to call back. my son has no credit history so it can't be for him, but his dad died about 6 months ago, if he had any debt, that is probably what they are looking for.
the guy is a real idiot!

I received a call from this number only to get a message saying no reps were available and that they would have to call me back. I called the number back and stated that they had called me and wondering why. They asked for my name and I told them. They then asked for my case number and I said I didn't know what he was talking about. They then looked up my name and found my sister's name on file and that she had provided my number because she didn't have a phone at the time. I asked if this was a collection agency and he said yes. He gave me his local number and name and asked that I have my sister call him. He was very unprofessional throughout the whole process and awkward to talk to. What a relief to know that I wasn't the one owing money though. Your best bet is to give the people a call back. What's the worst that can happen?

If you don't want calls from these jokers - tell them to not call you again. If they ever call you again - that's a breach of North American telephony Contract and you can sue them for in excess of 1 million dollars ( seriously )

A collection agency. They had Always been Polite and understanding. I'm fighting with UI right now and can't make payments. So I was pretty shocked when the woman I just spoke to after tricking me out of my Cell number went from polite to B****! in 0.2 second. The kindness of the last 3 girls left me off guard for this Rude chick. I was going to pay it in larger chucks (If able) soon as I get back to work. I want to pay it off. Always did. It was a 400.00 dollar medical charge I had Never expected. After this threatening chick. I'm making min, payments and sending a leter with every one making it clear why any extra I might of been able to send went to another bill instead of them.

I've recieved about 8 or 10 calls from these morons ... for someone else. I called them to ask them to stop calling me. The lady that I spoke with was rude, arrogant and miserable.