Payment on account
Complaint
Lowell Patterson
Country: United States
We received a complaint from TRS saying we owed additional monies regarding our account with Bose, Inc. We have a top credit rating and would like to keep it clean. Payment was sent to Bose and the check was returned for insufficient funds, which was an error, the funds were "unsettled" when the check came in. TRS is claiming that we owe the amount of the check plus a $25 fee for the returned check. It was Ameritrade's fault for not having the funds settled at the time. Also, the person who called us on Sunday was belligerent and unyielding when we told her what had happened. She would settle for nothing less than the full amount of the check plus the $25 fee. We did not know if it was a legitimate call since our account had been compromised before and had cleaned out our bank account. The person who called from TRS was Vicky Wilson, TRS Recovery Services, at 1-800-366-2425. What should we do? We had the check resent. lp
Comments
Since you have resent the check, I assume you sent payment to Bose directly. When you get a collection letter from TRS, dispute it in writing, mailed certified, since the account was already paid with no amount owed when they attempted to collect it a second time.
For TRS to legally add $25, a check return fee would have to be part of the original disclosed contract terms.
After verifying through your own bank (Ameritrade) that the payment has cleared, Contact Bose to pull the debt back from TRS. It might help if Ameritrade were to notify Bose that is was their error.
To TRS you are just another dumb debtor, so that is how you will get treated. To Bose, you are also a current and future customer.
In the future don't pay accounts like this with checks, since they are more subject to screw-ups. Pay them with a credit card (and let them pay their merchant fee).
In addition, don't finance through the same company you are buying from. If you must, do your financing using a credit card through your bank, to separate issues of payment on your financing from issues of merchant delivery, rejecting defective merchandise, etc.
Harassing calls, threats and use of obscene language can pressurize you to the edge and moreover, a collector may embarrass you by contacting your employer or even be pursued to disburse for a debt that is not rightfully yours.
There are limits on how far telemarketers can go, that is why we provide information on how to put an end to telemarketer calls and more efficiently, how to correspond with them about your account and/or to dispute a collection action and can teach you what are your rights in terms of privacy.
You can find out more information on our website: www.spgconsultants.com
By informing each other, we protect each other
Been in the telecom industry, I can tell you spoofing is illegal, you can always use other resources to follow thru. You may want to contact The US attorney general, the FCC as well as the FTC. Also if this is interstate you can actually contact the FBI.
Based on the law, they cannot contact you at your place of business. They are only legally able to contact you at your home; you can also send a stop and desist letter via certified mail.
Record their conversation, when you speak to them if you do, many of them have no clue of the law and make drastic mistake threatening people. They can't make any statements in which they can destroy your credit, call your family, call your work and or tell everybody that you have debts and you do not pay, this is protected by the law. IN this case now you have the upper hand, as now they open the door for a lawsuit, almost any attorney will take this type of cases on contingency. Is an infringement of your rights and punish by law. This people use scare tactics to scare people and even collect many times the same debts that have been paid previously.
The reality nothing that they can do, if you do not or can't pay, they must take you to court and get a judgment against you, then they need to be able to collect.
You want to get even, call then day in and day out, to their numbers use redial, and have anybody that you know do the same, do it day in and day out, that will shut down their PBX system, if they do it to you do it to them.
Yes annoying, but effective if hundreds of people do the same and saturate their phone lines.
Remember their 800 are free to you, they pay for it, call put them on hold and have your friend do the same, do this every day as much as you can. IF they have the right to harass you, you have the right to do the same to them. They called you first! Block your number if that makes you feel more comfortable. You are not subject to the same laws , do not talk to them, that is what they want, if you call back and talk to them they are verifying that you are acknowledging the debt regardless of the purpose of the call as they will not believe you are not the right person.
Here are some of the biggest scan bags in the industry, and believe me they are all scan bags at the end. They count on you to be afraid of them.
RGS Financial
http://www.rgsfinancial.com/
P.O. Box 852039
Richardson, TX 75085-2039
RGS Financial, Inc.
1700 Jay-Ell Drive
Suite 200
Richardson, TX 75081
Call their 800 numbers is free to you but not to them.
They use many spoof numbers if any, as many times they use no caller ID on purpose but they leave you a number to call. Always keep the recording particularly if they are menacing and report does to your police local department as now you have a legal record.
Spoof Number used: 1310-953-3485
Viking Collection Service, Inc.
Minnesota
7500 Office Ridge Circle, Suite 100
Eden Prairie, MN 55344Arizona
2075 West Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite 110
Phoenix, Arizona 85027 Spoof number use caller id Block. One of their numbers is 1800-287-5802
Primary Financial Services also uses Collection agency services to mask there illegal practices (http://www.collectionagencyservices.net/)
http://www.primaryfinancial.com/ (Their web site is been down for long time to be able to cover their illegal practices)
3115 N 3rd Ave Ste 112
Phoenix, AZ 85013
(602) 279-1000
1800-661-0086
If you want to negotiate a settlement call your original lender directly, do not negotiate with this scan bags, they are on commissions or percentages based. Many banks and lender will negotiate up to 80 % of the debts, make sure they do not report it to the IRS if not they can make you pay the taxes on the remaining amount, and make sure they clean your credit, get it in writing first.
Don't get mad get even.
People which do block the caller ID and or use Spoof numbers always have something to hide, that is the only reason they will use a Spoof number (Fake number / Voip Number / Or PBX number whit no actual connection only rings and then dies) Report them to the Authorities, this business practices are illegal and punish by law: if they use spoof numbers, Obscene and rude language, threats, harassment, all this are felonies and punish by law. Report them to your Local Telecom provider, your local District attorney, the local police department, your local senator, record the conversation and keep any and all voice mail left, don't be afraid, they can do absolutely nothing to you till they take you to court if you owe them any money, is futile to argue with ignorant people.
THIS IS AMERICA,
If the merchant would rather pay several percent to the banks to get your money, and you can get 1% cash back, everyone is happy, except maybe TRS.