Unfortunately, folks, a primary creditor is mainly exempted from the FDCPA (Though not from all of it... Credit Reporting rules still apply (i.e. you can remove their entries permanently if they fail a Validation Challenge...))
Having said this, they still, along with a few other creditors violate the debt collection laws in most of the States in the union. If they have offices within your State, you can directly apply State law in the matter. If not, you'll have to wait until you can afford an attorney, they egregiously violate the State's collection laws (which they're REQUIRED to know if they're doing business with you...) and use Federal Diversity Jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. § 1332) if the statutory or real damages exceeds $75k- at which point you can turn around and apply the State's law in the appropriate Federal Court.
Do please note: I am not a Lawyer, not pretending to be one. I mention these things from my own understanding so that others may obtain a similar one. If you are in a position like this, you should confer with a properly licensed lawyer for advice on this or any other legal matter.
Credit One Bank is in violation of the FDCPA by disgusing themselves as IC Collection. The bank is basically no good. If you can't get anywhere with their unscrupulous antics, I suggest you call the Office Of the President at Credit One Bank in Las Vegas, NV. 888-729-6274 --- Mrs. Fracini is the Administrative Secretary and will be happy to hear what's going on.
Never had a credit card in my life, don't want one! But the callers persist in telling me that I DO have a credit card with them, and do not believe me when I explain AGAIN that I am not the person they are looking for. I pulled my credit report, and sure enough, I do not have a credit card, nor have I ever had one.
Offered to send it to them along with notarized copies of my id, etc. and they still insist in telling me that I owe them money. WTF?! I have reported them repeatedly, but am still being harassed by CreditOne bank for a debt that I never had.
Repeated calls throughout the day and evening, half the time no one is there when I answer, and the rest of the time they are very rude, making comments about how I know that I owe the debt, and repeating old stereotypes about Native Americans (I am Native) and refusing to understand that I never had a credit card, and this is exactly WHY I don't want one!
I understand that they are doing their job, but they also need to understand that there may be deadbeats etc. that they deal with daily, I am not one of them.What ever happened to treating others the way you want to be treated?
I had no idea they had a HUGE yearly fee as they were not upfront with me. By the time I found out I had gotten my first bill. Then things happened and I got behind on the bill. They called me and were so nasty I ended up hanging up on them. Now they call constantly to my cell and since I do not answer numbers I do not know I have escaped their wrath again but am really getting tired of them. They call and call and call. Thanks for the tips from all of you, much appreciated.