Merchant's Credit Guide Company Debt collection harrassment scam Chicago Illinois

Last year I received a "formal" letter from Merchants Credit Guide Co. at my house addressed to a Deborah Nash. None of my neighbors go by that name so I opened it to see what sent to my address. I found a debt collection notice from Sears for some $700. I don't have an account at Sears and certainly don't owe them anything. I tossed the notice in the trash thinking nothing of it since it wasn't for me.

Jump forward to January and I started getting these automated calls from a Chicago-based cell phone (312-470-2620) telling me that I must contact Ken Hughes at 888-249-4134. Well since I was often working odd shifts, these calls ended up on my answering machine. Hearing that they were all the exact same message, I researched the calling number and the number they wanted me to call. That led me to this Rip-Off Report site where I found similar experiences. I read other reports and decided to just ignore the messages.

Today, they called me twice with the same message as before. However, today I decided to call them back. I used my cell phone so their Caller-ID system wouldn't find a match in their system and spoke with "one of Ken Hughes' assistants" (I noticed the he has multiple assistants...) who was more than happy to assist me. I asked why I kept getting these automated calls and what was going on. She asked for the phone number that received these messages and I gave it to her. She asked if "Deborah Nash" was available and I informed her that I don't know a "Deborah Nash" and no one by that name is at my phone number. She said she would remove my number from her file. I'll believe it if I never hear anything from them again.

But at least that may be a way to stop them from sending those harrassing phone calls. I have also been filing complaints against the Do Not Call list for every time they called me.

Doug
Glen Burnie, Maryland
U.S.A.