Looking for money for magazines
Complaint
TK
Country: United States
Carol Patterson? What a joke! I was ALMOST SCAMMED! She also claimed to be a lawyer from NY. She knew I filed bankruptcy (HOW?) and when I tried to speak to her she wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. This was also for magazines w/ Allied Publishing. I called my bankruptcy lawyer and he advised me not to give her any money, But I had already given her my credit card #, had to cancel it so she wouldn't get the 450 she claimed that I owed. I didn't want to have to pay over 2500 so i decided that I would pay that amount. Thank god I was quick to cancel the card. I feel soo dumb!! She wouldn't forward any paper work to me or my attorney b/c she said it illegal. She wouldn't even speak to my attorney. She keeps calling me at work and I filed a complaint with the attorney general office. PLEASE DO NOT LET HER PUSH YOU AROUND and file a complaint ASAP!!! If you didn't get it in writing it's a scam!! She is very rude!! And you know what? She talks to herself. She pretends that another person is in the office, but she only talks to herself like she is important.
Comments
Some consumers believe she may be calling consumers based on publicly filed bankruptcy information. Neat twist, since it would probably be a violation of the bankruptcy decree for a creditor (attorney or not) to try to collect discharged debts, or to try to harass or force a consumer to reaffirm and pay them, but hey, if you are already falsely claiming to be an attorney, why should that stop you?
Debt collectors, whether attorneys or not, must follow FDCPA. If they are actually attorneys, they must also follow their state bar's codes of ethics, which generally also includes providing their licencing information on request, as well as further requirements to deal with parties in a fair and legally compliant manner.
Actually, "Carol Patterson" sounds like a female version of "Kevin Peterson". Same M.O.
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/V3sYSo08tQAk0AjJyBEmFg
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-993-2494
"sunny - 26 Sep 2007
Carol Patterson called me and told me she was an attorney working on my case along with some judges. WHAT CASE??? She told me a magazine company was sueing me for not paying them. That she would work with me to pay them a lower amount. WHAT MAGAZINES???? And you are right, she is rude."
"Concerned - 27 Sep 2007
This is fraud. Had her call me claiming to be a Attorney from New York. I called the Lawyer from New York ( the real Carol Patterson), talked to her Partner and was advised it was a scam that this lady has done this before. She gets your Debt info from the internet or somewhere, Then calls claiming to to be an attorney. If you get a call from her call you attorney general and file a complaint. She can be charged with fraud and impersonating a lawyer. The address that she claims to be from is:
1821 fifth ave. New York City, NY. 20119"
"Bernadette - 10 Oct 2007
Thank you. I called my Attorney Generals office and filed a complaint online. Come to find out we are not the only ones she is doing this to."
"Oh my God - 10 Oct 2007
Concerned: She gave me the exact same shpeel. Please give me your advise as soon as you can. She said if I do not pay by Thursday that the judge will have me arestted and put in jail. I just got off the phone with the Attorney Generals Office. Thank you so much. We can say Bye Bye now to Carol Patterson!!!!!!!!! Bye Bye"
"heather - 2 hours 32 minutes ago
this woman called me with the same magazine bull crap!! I spent 2 hrs on the phone with her after she called my mother telling her she was a lawyer and I owed money or I was going to jail. the funny thing is she answers the phone "hello" rather than a company phone! Should have been my first clue!! She even offered me a settlement and told me she would let me make a $150 payment and pay the rest in 3 days!! at the end of our first conversation I told her I needed to call my husband to find out what we could pay upfront. That was great and I told her I would call her back but she called me back first. I started to tell her my info and got a bad feeling so I told her I had to call her back. I talked to my father who knew what she was doing and had me call her back. When I did she said she had already turned it over to the courts. I asked if she could tell me what state she was out of and she said "no" and I asked her bar # and she hung up!!! Good Luck with this woman!! SHe is awful!!!!"
"Allied Publishing" may be related to an alleged attorney "Allan P. McCarty", although after filing a complaint with the state, one consumer reports that McCarty denies sending him any letters:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/238/RipOff0238963.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/238/RipOff0238960.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/272/RipOff0272303.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/272/RipOff0272303.htm
"Report: #272303
Report: 716 Services - Seven One Six Services - Allan P. McCarty
Category: Corrupt Companies
716 Services - Seven One Six Services - Allan P. McCarty Magazine Harrassment 7-1-6 All Even in PA Buffalo, New York
It started the same way with me. When my magazines finally came I started Paying. But the magazines came in spurts. Some months I would get all the magazines then some months I wouldnt get any. I stopped paying. Then the first time they called my place of employment everyday 3 times a day. They where also calling my 75-year old mother. So, just to get them to stop calling I paid.
I asked for them to one get my magazines corrected or stop them. They said they would extend my contract for one year at no extra cost. I said ok, the it started all over again. I was not receiving my magazines.
When they started calling me again for payment I told them the same thing that my magazines where not coming. Then from Allan McCartys office, Rebecca Weller told me that they put tracers on these magazines from the post office, and they where going to my home, and that my mail person was most likely taking them. I went to my local post-office and ask if there were any tracers on my mailing address. They said no.
Allan McCartys office is now threading me with being able to take ALL of my paycheck. Yes you heard me 100% of my salary to cover this magazine order. They have even called my bosss home saying Marshalls are looking for me.
Now I have cancelled this but I am still getting the same calls. I told them I would pay one more time & they should stop the subscription but then I why should I pay for something I was not getting.
They are still harassing me on a daily bases. If anyone out there knows how to stop these people please let me know by emailing me.
Thank you,
Lisa
Atlas, Pennsylvania
U.S.A."
If you are currently in bankruptcy, you have to make payments to your creditors thru the court. You can't just be paying everyone that calls and threatens you, nor can creditors who know you are in bankruptcy demand payment except thru the court.
If you have discharged your debts thru bankruptcy, creditors once owed those discharged debts are no longer owed them. It would be a violation of the bankruptcy order (contempt of court) for them to demand that you pay discharged debts.
"She knew I filed bankruptcy (HOW?) "
She pulled your credit report.
"She wouldn't forward any paper work to me or my attorney b/c she said it illegal. She wouldn't even speak to my attorney. "
Nothing illegal about requiring she work thru your attorney. That is what attorneys do. They represent their clients.
Deceptive statement used to collect a debt, violation of FDCPA. In fact, if she knew you were represented by an attorney and had told them to work thru him, contacting you would be another FDCPA violation, and probably a violation of NY state bar code of ethics as well, by this "attorney".
"She keeps calling me at work "
Illegal if you have told her you can't take calls at work.
"If you didn't get it in writing it's a scam!! "
Even if you did, it can be a scam.
In fact, if they thought they could take you to court over $2500 and win, they probably would have tried. If they get $450 out of you, they are probably money ahead, and they can then sell your remaining "debt" to the next scum debt collector, claiming you "acknowledged the debt" by paying on it.
Did you actually agree to buy $2500 worth of magazines, in an agreement where they actually disclosed up front what they now claim you "agreed" to? "This is your lucky day, TK. For the small sum of $2500, we can send you a bunch of magazines. "
Did you actually receive $2500 worth of magazines?
If it was really worth $2500, assuming you even received anything close to that amount of magazines (at, say $20/year/magazine, that would be about 40 magazines a month for 3 years), wouldn't they have at least required a written contract to be returned with your signature? These scams usually claim they sent some "information packet" allegedly documenting what you "agreed" to on the phone, which you can cancel if you change your mind, but of course you never get it in time to actually cancel, if you get it at all.
Hardly how you would do a legitimate contract between two parties if it was actually worth $2500. Not even a used car dealer would sell a $2500 car this way. Hence their collection tactics are a necessary part of their "business model".
File complaints with FTC, your state AG, the New York AG, and the New York state bar.
Are you saying they are trying to get $2500 (or $450) from you that you never ordered, and you never did business with "Allied Publishing", or that "Allied Publishing" is attempting to turn some small order into a trumped up amount, perhaps claiming by ordering that you joined some "membership club", or that you ordered a bunch of magazines that you did not?
Under FDCPA, all debt collectors (including "attorney" debt collectors) have 5 days after first contacting you to send you a letter about the debt notifying you of your right to dispute it and request validation. If you dispute and request validation, in writing within 30 days of receiving their notice, they must stop all collection activity until they obtain validation from the original creditor and send it to you.
Check your credit reports. If they pulled your credit report to attempt to collect from you, even if they have misidentified you, you may find their collection account on your credit reports, damaging your credit. You will then have to dispute the entry thru the credit reporting agencies.
BBB reports their mail returned, and that they have been believed to be out of business since 2002, yet they show 3 complaints in the last year. Address may have changed with no forwarding, yet this phone number appears to be active based on consumer reports, and engaged in the same line of "business" as the BBB report.
Nature of business is "magazine sales, call-center sales, collections",
consistent with a high pressure telemarketing "magazine sales" operation, associated with its own in-house "collection agency". One reported name is "Eastern Regional Settlement", sounding "quasi-legal".
BBB report:
"Miller Marketing
975 Hertel Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
Erie County
General Information
Original Business
Start Date January 1996
Business Started
Locally January 1996
BBB File Opened December 23, 2002
Principal Contact Mr. Frank Miller (Owner)
Complaint Contact Mr. Frank Miller (Owner)
BBB Member This company is not a member
Type of Business
Advertising Agencies & Counselors
Collection Agencies
Magazine Sales
The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.
Nature of Business
This business offers
Advertising/Marketing services,
Call-Center Sales,
Collection Services, etc.
Customer Experience
The Better Business Bureau opened its file in December 2002. Our file shows disconnected phone numbers, returned mail, or both. The company appears to be out of business. General information is available upon request which may assist you. Bureau reports are based on information in our files, and our record of customer experience over the past three years.
Customer Complaint Data
The company's size, volume of business and number of transactions may have a bearing on the number of complaints received by the BBB. The complaints filed against a company may not be as important as the type of complaints, and how the company has handled them. The BBB generally does not pass judgement on the validity of complaints filed.
Number of complaints processed by the BBB over the last 36 months: 3
Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 12 months: 3
Complaints Concerned:
Service Issues (2 complaints)
2 Company did not respond
Credit or Billing Disputes (1 complaints)
1 Resolved
<other BBB generic boilerplate>
Additional Information
This Business Operates under the Names
Eastern Regional Settlement
Miller Marketing
Addresses
975 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216, Erie County
Phones
(716) 873-5426
(800) 993-2494
(716) 873-2072 (FAX)
Reported on Friday, October 19, 2007
shows up as a current address for Quest Diagnostics, a nationwide clinical and drug testing laboratory. Address may therefore be obsolete as claimed by BBB, but 800 phone number may have been retained by "Miller Marketing" or its successor.
They are violating the law, both state and federal, all over the place, probably including felonies.
File written complaints with your state AG, NY state AG, NY state bar, local DA, FTC, and include full details of the original "scam" transaction, their later trumpted up "debt", and her threats. Include copies of similar complaints you can find on-line, to show they are "active". Also file a BBB complaint so they can put a warning in their system under both the company, and any phone numbers, so other consumers are warned.
If you have verified with NY state bar that this woman is falsely claiming to be an attorney, include that.
Make it hot for them if they continue.
What did "Christina Johnson" say?
What business name and address did she claim to be calling from?
What do they allege?