False Claims and Harrassing Calls on the Job

ComplaintsCollection AgenciesAllied Publishers and Allied Data

Complaint

0
Sutton Family
Country: United States
Sharon of Allied Data has called my place of business after REPEATED requests NOT to harrass me on the job.  Allied has been asked NOT to call in front of witnesses and continue to call.  Today, 12/10/09, she called again and left a voicemail message which I am emailing to the Better Business Bureau as well as the FTC.  This whole situation has been a nightmare to the tune of hundreds of dollars, undelivered magazines, and endless harrassment.

Comments

  • 0
    ALLIED DATA / ALLIED PUBLISHERS SCAM
    | 1 reply
    Sharon of Allied Data has called my place of business after REPEATED requests NOT to harrass me on the job.  Allied has been asked NOT to call in front of witnesses and continue to call.  Today, 12/10/09, she called again and left a voicemail message which I am emailing to the Better Business Bureau as well as the FTC.  This whole situation has been a nightmare to the tune of hundreds of dollars, undelivered magazines, and endless harrassment.
    • 0
      Carroll Cromer replies to ALLIED DATA / ALLIED PUBLISHERS SCAM
      Did they Leave a pre-recorded message saying that they had put out a warrant for your arrest? The message also said they would freeze your bank account as well.
  • 0
    tj
    They are running a "magazine subscription" scam, using deceptive offers to get some "agreement" that they later claime is a "verbal contract" for hundreds of dollars of magazine purchases at inflated prices.  The terms they later claim were "agreed" to are typically deceptively (or not) disclosed up front, in violation of FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule.  They then use threats of suing to extort what they now claim is owed.

    Your complaint of undelivered magazines in connection with these scammers is also typical.  You might give the actual magazine publisher a call and see if there is even any account set up under your name.  They appear to send a few magazines themselves to get the scam going and create the appearance of a "contract".

    Contact the New York Attorney General, as they appear to be located in Buffalo NY.  They are reported to cease calling when told you have filed a complaint with the NY AG.

    Conmplaints against them and similar or related "companies" appear here.
    https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/EOCyDbSpRAC7TgjJ3Y3HJg
  • 0
    tj
    Their goal is to intimidate you in order to extort payment, without regard to the legitimacy of their alleged "agreement".

    They can intimidate and threaten the best by calling when and where it most inconveniences you, or threatens to embarass you.

    This business isn't about "selling magazines", or "collecting a debt".  It is about extortion.  That is why the magazines are undelivered.  Delivery is not required to extort.
  • 0
    tj
    BBB report on Allied Publishers.

    http://www.bbb.org/upstate-new-york/business- ... uffalo-ny-6371/

    This type of scammer has generally used an associated "collection ageny" to extract payments.  Often these are people in the same company, maybe at the same desk, although there are a couple of Buffalo collection agencies that appear to be closely connected to this company.

    Although there is an Allied Data that is a debt collector in Houston, that does not mean that they are connected to these long-time "magazine subscription" scammers.  If they are shifting from phony "collection" tactics to outsourcing to licensed debt collectors, it would be interesting to know who they are using.

    What information do you have on "Allied Data"?  Address, phone number?
    (Individual aliases are meaningless.)
  • 0
    Terri Manis
    I have been scammed by these people too, they are saying that I owe them over 600.00 and are going to file papers with me in magistrate court as early as tomorrow.  They harrass me at work, that is how this stupid thing started to begin with, I was working and busy and saying "yeah, yeah, yeah".  It is not in my personality to not hear someone through when I am working a switchboard.  Can someone email me and let me know what I can do to stop this non-sense?  terri.manis@gmail.com
  • 0
    Beth
    I have been dealing with this for over 5 years now. They doubled up my oder on me & want me to pay for it. They claim they have me on voice record. After all the threatening and phone calls the same guy doesn't even remember talking to me 2 months prior. When they call now I just hang up on them. I have had enough!
  • 0
    tj
    File fraud complaints with the New York Attorney General.
  • 0
    KMK
    Call the NYSAG Office. Speak with G @ 212-416-8830. They will send you a form to fill out. They are aware of this company and it seems to be climbing the ranks within their fraud dept. I just had a very enlightening phone call with the Attorney General's office and have begun the fraud application. I also requested a copy of the "tape" they have of me agreeing to the terms. They will not distribute the tape, but did let me listen to it & I recorded the whole conversation with my voice memo on my phone. And you can't hear me say ONE WORD! Theyre equipment didn't pick up my voice so I don't know how they will prove anything to begin with. Secondly, I commonly use my nickname, short for my middle name, which is what they have the subscriptions booked under. The threat of reporting to my credit rating agency is kind of hollow considering they don't have my actual LEGAL name and never got my SSN. Bottom line, Call the NYSAG & DON'T PAY THEM ANOTHER DIME!!!!
  • 0
    tj
    This is basically an extortion racket.  The recording and the threats of credit damage are all aimed at obtaining money through threats.  The more abusive and threatening they are, the  more you know that is all they can do.  They don't need your legal name or SSN to put damaging accounts on a credit report, but it is not likely they would actually do so.  They are looking for easy suckers, and if you don't bite, they will just keep calling others.

    Fraudulent telemarketers play doctored tapes to intimidate and threaten you.  They don't make them to actually use in court, just to imply that they might.  The recordings generally fail to even establish any "agreement", and often fail to meet FTC TSR rules, but most consumers don't know what those are, so they can be conned.

    They are looking for suckers, and if they can make up a phony tape of you, they can do the same for the next victim just as easily.  That is far less risky than actually using these fabrications in court.

    Be aware, though, that if you disputed with your bank, and your bank customer service tried to "three way conference call" to "resolve the dispute", they might try to convince your bank using a recording.  Some bank employees are really stupid, and some consumers don't know how to dispute when their own bank is giving them bad advice.  

    This is not a "business dispute", it's just a scam doing fraudulent telemarketing.  Treat it as such.
  • 0
    Chris35
    I worked for Allied Publishers years ago. They are located in Buffalo, but I worked out of a home office in Queens. It was nothing but scamming people. Actually tricking people into taking multiple orders of the same magazines and then constantly calling and harrassing them at their jobs to get more money out of them. Sometimes I would call them at their homes at 9am on a Sunday, or 9pm on a weeknight. I knew what I was doing, but I needed the money, especially when my boss starting paying me a salary AND commission. But it left me in a state of continual depression, scamming and ripping off innocent people for a living! I finally got out of the business about 20 years ago. Can't believe these thieves are still in business. They should be in jail.
  • 0
    tj
    Similar complaints:
    https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/EOCyDbSpRAC7TgjJ3Y3HJg
    https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/Qsg1QTbsHwD10gjMUgi-ig

    Looks like they primarily prey on the unsophisticated, kids, and old people.
  • 0
    Lyshaj30
    | 1 reply
    I was at work when they called me as well, I was completely mislead. I'm thinking I can try this for $26 and cancel if I didn't like it, no big deal right? WRONG!! The next thing I know I'm getting billed for over $400!!! I tried to cancel many times but to no avail. They started calling me at work and harassing me with legal action and wage garnishment. A women by the name of Mary, who stated she worked for an attorney that was collecting my "debt", was incredibly rude. She called my place of business 7 times in one day.  She screamed at my associates, threatened them even. She is completely crazy!!! I have submitted a complaint to the BBB in hopes that I can get this harassment to stop. This company needs to be shut down immediately! I find it hard to believe that no one has done so yet!! With all of the people they are scamming and lives they are disrupting they should not be allowed to continue. I'm very confused and concerned as to why this is still going on with so much evidence against them. :(
    • 0
      tj replies to Lyshaj30
      They are running a "chicken billing" racket, trumping up "subscriptions" made through deceptive telemarketing..  It's a common Buffalo area scam.

      Reports are they flag any "account" where the consumer has filed an AG complaint, and immediately stop harassing.  They are looking for easy suckers.

      Contact the NY AG.
  • 0
    Noneya
    | 1 reply
    Add me to the list!  "Mary" has called me numerous times threatening me also!  Just got off the phone with her as a matter of fact!  And I told HER that calling other people at my place of business is illegal and that I too will be reporting her to the BBB and FCC!  That shut her up - but for how long!  These people are totally out of control and need to be stopped!!
    • 0
      tj replies to Noneya
      Contacting your coworkers is illegal, but ALL their demands are illegal, so what do they care?
      They are faking "debt".  It's a shakedown racket.


      Contact the NY AG.
  • 0
    j in AZ
    Contact your Attorney General. They have a simple form you fill out. Allied Publishers is contacted by the Attorney General's office and the calls stop. I even received a letter written by Allied Publishers, forwarded by the AG that said they would cancel the subscriptions and  I would not be obligated to pay anything.
  • 0
    phea
    | 1 reply
    Wow has anyone found a publishing company thats LEGIT.
    • 0
      tj replies to phea
      Just go straight to the magazine publisher's website directly.

      Their rates for consumer magazines are typically $10 to $15 a year, a bit lower if you pay for a couple years, and many offer a pro-rated refund if you cancel at  any time.

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