Demand for Payment for Unauthorized Yello Pages Listing
Complaint
Tony Cooper
Country: United States
Unuathorized listing in www.goyellowpages.com
No physical address listed on their web site
Reverse lookup of 866-967-8205 reveals a company www.gafachi.com
Demand for $574 for A. C. A. Recovery Inc., 38 E.Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, New Jersey 07540 Phone 800 356 3713 on behalf of www.goyellowpages.com submitted with no proof whatsoever of the contract details.
No physical address listed on their web site
Reverse lookup of 866-967-8205 reveals a company www.gafachi.com
Demand for $574 for A. C. A. Recovery Inc., 38 E.Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, New Jersey 07540 Phone 800 356 3713 on behalf of www.goyellowpages.com submitted with no proof whatsoever of the contract details.
Comments
All B.S.
They are trying to sound like you will be sued if you dispute their fraudulent charges, or that if you dispute, some court will somehow "review" your dispute. They are making a threat of legal action but they can't even get the language right.
Why don't you ask Mr. Kalina how in New Jersey, courts somehow "review" disputes sent to debt collectors?
Or is ACA Recovery admitting that they are under a court order to have their disputes reviewed by a court appointed monitor?
Related thread:
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/SE8MbxeIQADghgjMKi1F_g
The period of time that ACA Recovery has been reportedly attempting to collect goyellowpages "debts", and the pattern of responses from ACA Recovery to disputes of fraudulent bills, indicates that ACA Recovery is aware of the probable fraudulent nature of many of these "debts", yet is attempting to collect on them anyway.
In addition to other regulatory complaints, report fraudulent ACA Recovery collection bills to the U.S. Postal Inspector.
If the underlying claim was fraudulent, then bills based on it sent through the U.S. mail are mail fraud. That is not changed by "laundering" the bogus debt through a debt collector aware of the fraud. Their awareness makes them a participant.
Since they told you to "talk to legal", if Mr. Kalina won't return your calls, why don't you contact him at his day job?
http://www.martindale.com/Norman-G-Kalina/1117033-lawyer.htm
That may indicate that gafachi is their VoIP telephone carrier.
Their calls connect via Internet, then pop out under 866-967-8205.
A phone call from A.C.A. today resulted in a nasty conversation, during which we were threatened with "legal documents" and a "lawsuit". I informed her that we would be filing complaints with the appropriate agencies, after which she hung up. No more than 30 seconds later she called back, threatening that I was "on tape" saying I was going to pay this debt and that they would "see me in court". I then chose to call them back, and they immediately hung up on me.
Aside from contacting the FTC, BBB of NJ, and other consumer protection agencies, would we be advised to also contact our local law enforcement department?
1) Regional Yellow Pages Online has many complaints alleging attempts to defraud small businesses through deceptive and fraudulent telemarketing, threats, and misrepresented "recordings".
Here is their BBB report, rated "F", apparently due to the nature of the complaints and because they have not responded to most BBB complaints. A summary of the details of the business complaints against them is included. Note the settlements with the Idaho and North Dakota Attorneys General. Also note that BBB reports that they appear to be using multiple mail-drops in various states, and may be attempting to hide their actual location.
http://www.bbb.org/centralohio/business-revie ... bus-oh-70053898
2) ACA is collecting on alleged "debts", not only for RYPO but also for what is reported to be a second "business directory" scam, goyellowpages.com. Both RYPO and goyellowpages have similar complaints from small businesses of fraudulent telemarketing, and using threats and misrepresented "recordings" to attempt to coerce payments the businesses claimed they never agreed to.
Here is goyellowpages BBB report, also rated "F" for failing to respond to many complaints.
http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/Business-Report/Go-Yellowpages-92015697
Note that you can find much more about goyellowpages complaints by searching with Google. They appear to have just started ramping up their activities in the last several months, during which time the BBB reported complaint levels have jumped from 1 to the current 13 with 4 unanswered. You might call South Florida BBB to find how many complaints are in the pipeline.
3) Complaints by others against ACA are similar to yours, and mirror complaints against the two original "business directory" scams, including reports of threats to sue, and claims to have "recordings" that the complainants allege are falsified or fraudulent.
Here is ACA Recovery's BBB report, also rated "F". Most complaints are in the last year.
http://www.bbb.org/new-jersey/business-review ... ood-nj-17001653
4) Having gotten in bed with two of the same type of scammer, and using the same collection tactics and threats that they were using, it is hardly credible that the debt collector is unaware of the fraudulent nature of the "debt" they are collecting on.
You would be wise to contact both local law enforcement as well as a local TV investigative or business reporter, since if they are attempting to scam you, they may also be trying to pull the same scam on other businesses in your area.
In addition to filing complaints with FTC, you would be wise to also file complaints with:
1) Your state Attorney General, since Attorneys General often respond faster to systematic fraud attempts against their fellow citizens and state residents than FTC.
2) The U.S. Postal Inspector, for investigation of mail fraud, since it appears that the debt collector is aware of the fraudulent nature of the "debt" for which they just sent a "collection letter" through the U.S. Mail.
3) www.ic3.gov
4) You regional FBI White Collar Crime unit. That has been the part of the federal government that has assisted in investigation of similar fraudulent telemarketing operations, and they should be made aware of "legitimate" companies who are assisting fraudulent ones.
They may also edit the real recording into a separately read script, disclose the real terms after "confirming the information", but cut off any protests by the party called, or engage in various similar methods to doctor or misrepresent the call. The goal is to intimidate YOU into paying, as it would be too risky to actually show up in court with such a fabrication. They are looking for easy targets they can threaten and intimidate.
Most of these scams do their own "debt collection" (maybe even from the next desk) or only use closely connected "debt collectors". It appears that most debt collectors won't touch this crap, as "business directory" scams are pretty well known by law enforcement, every few years FTC cracks down on several, and it isn't worth the risk. It is relatively uncommon to hear of a large debt collector connected to "business directory" fraud.
This debt collector appears to be an exception.
http://philadelphia.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/ph103009.htm
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/0iaiJPFCIABjzAjMXonSdw
You might want to give Dr. Nolte a call and compare notes. I believe he is in North Carolina, with the Haywood County School District.
http://www.haywood.k12.nc.us/HCS/news/parent-letter-from-dr-bill-nolte/
that they collection agency trying to collect $604.95 for Regionalyelloewpagesonline. I have ever talk to anyone at regional yellow pages. I have been reading all the complaints against this company and Norman G. Kalina his name is also on my collection letter. Any suggestions on what to do
that they collection agency trying to collect $604.95 for Regionalyelloewpagesonline. I have never talk to anyone at regional yellow pages. I have been reading all the complaints against this company and Norman G. Kalina, his name is also on my collection letter. Any suggestions on what to do
To call their bluff, why don't you contact Mr. Kalina and ask him what his involvement is with this debt collector handling apparently fraudulent "business directory accounts".
You should be able to reach him via:
http://www.helfandlaw.com/attorneys.htm
File fraud complaints with the U.S. Postal Inspector, FTC, your state Attorney General, and the New Jersey Attorney General.
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/qctkW871IAAh_QjMbnbe6Q
FTC
your state Attorney General
state Attorneys General in the states they are located in
U.S. Postal Inspector
www.ic3.gov
FBI
If anyone does call back, get their name, and state they claim to be licensed in. Check their credentials.
Deception is a cheap tactic. It is used (or misused) by those who want a quick result with no resources. Effective deception requires denial. When you see denial of information, look for deception. When you find deception, look for fraud. The weakness of deception is when it is overused, when the pattern of repeated deception becomes clear. It destroys credibility.