National Action Financial Services Won't stop calling us looking for someone we don't know. Calls both cell and regular phone since August Williamville New York

if they do not owe anyone any money?

"I would contact them by certified letter asking for a settlement"

That is just an absolutely ridiculous statement from an apparent collector.

Bob,

I know that you being a debt collector depend on speaking with people or you would not have a job.

HOWEVER, it is you that is 100% wrong on this, and I have proven it overe and over again, and it is how I walked away fro 34 credit accounts in 2001-2002 of $170k and have ran them all but one past SOL. This would not have happened if I ever spoke to one of them.

Furthermore, look at all of the people on here that get screwed over immediately after speaking to a debt collector. This is because collectors tend to lie and also intimidate people into affirming a debt that may have been legally uncollectable. Who does that help? YOU.

Finally, you are not in business to help anyone but yourself and the company you work for. You are not here to help the consumer. AND, paying an old collection account will actually hurt a persons credit more than help it, as the negative is now more recent.

There is overwhelming evidence that it is better to never speak to any third party debt collector on the phone. It is best to do everything in writing by certified mail.

And, I have dealt with your agency! I never spoke to you or anyone in your firm, and you never got paid. So, once again, my theory is now proven to work.

I am an employee of NAFS and everything steve says above is true exept the part about ". NEVER speak to ANY debt collector. NEVER. There is no reason to and it will never do anything positive for you"
Sorry Steve but your wrong.
You absolutely should talk to us because we can work with you for resolution of your debt.That is of course if you truely intend on making resolution on your debt.

Tracy,

EVERYONE working in any capacity as a third party collector is bound by the FDCPA.

The mount you can sue for in FDCPA and FCRA violations is up to $1000 [punitive] per violation or combined violations, plus attorney's fees court costs, actual losses.

As far as certified letters go, they are the ONLY proof of communication that will stand up in court other than a live witness. Phone calls never existed.

I can even beat a certified letter if it is not sent properly, as could any first year attorney. It happens every day.

Not only do you have to send a certified letter, you need to put the certified # on the letter itself, and keep a copy for your records. This proves EXACTLY what you sent.

I have fought too many of these battles, and I have won every single one of them in the past 5 years. I know exactly what I'm talking about as my track record indicates.

Advice for Patrick.

1. NEVER speak to ANY debt collector. NEVER. There is no reason to and it will never do anything positive for you.

2. Upon first contact by any debt collector, IMMEDIATELY send a CEASE COMMUNICATIONS letter by the means above.

3. Immediately upon any violation by any collector, such as harassment. Fully document it and sue. It is easy money.

Good luck.

I work at a collection agency. I am not a bill collector, but skip trace for auto reposession. Though my job is not specifically covered by the FDCPA, bill collectors are. It is a good idea to send a certified letter, but you don't have to. A record of calls received, dates and times and what was said is sufficient to sue. You can receive up to $5,000 for each time they called you after you said it was the wrong number. There may be a number of business hours they are allowed to update their system before legal harassment kicks in, but it is not more than 5 business days and that is a stretch.

I would contact them by certified letter asking for a settlement, include your phone call log. If they ignore you, get an attorney. I know that where I work, the 'compliance department' is rabid in monitoring phone calls and make sure everyone stays in bounds of the FDCPA. Even using certain words like 'proceed', even in a context other than legal, gets a write up for the rep. NAFS is out for the money, no matter how they get it. They need some fines and they need to compensate you.

Patrick,

In most cases you must tell them in writing not to call you anymore.

See my report at http://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff215225.htm.
In that post is the text of a letter I sent to NAFS. I hope you find it useful.

I did NOT sign the letter that I mailed to NAFS. I do not want them to know what my signature looks like. That way, someone could not forge my signature onto a document (such as a contract) then claim that I owed a debt.

Good luck!