For the past few weeks I've been receiving calls from the 323-372-6323 number as well as a 213-232-2316, both of which I googled and both are associated with Allied Interstate. There are several forums about this shady company and there was even a lawsuit brought against them in 2002. Sometimes they buy up old debt that's been charged off and is past the Statute of Limitations, but other times they just call to see what kind of money they can get out of people by harassing them with numerous phone calls and being rude and infuriating if someone does pick up.
They won't give you a copy of whatever statement they claim you owe money on, because they don't have proof. Whatever you do, don't promise to pay. As Suze Orman says if you even say, "I'll send you something," The statute of limitations starts all over again. So I suggest not to pick up the phone if you see it come from one of their posted numbers. They can't bully you into paying anything if they can't get you on the phone.
If you think you might legitimately owe something, check your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the congress-mandated website that legally provides you free of charge your credit report every year from the three major credit bureaus. They won't trick you into paying for a credit monitoring service or anything. By going over your credit report, you can see if something you owe is legitimately in collections or delinquent or if someone has stolen your identity. Otherwise, avoid dealing with these scumbags if you can help it.
I have been receiving calls from Allied Interstate both on my cell phone (which I don't answer) and home phone. They are looking for someone called Cornelius White. I called back three times and stopped the calls from the 1st 800 number. Now, within 2-3 weeks, they call back using another 800 number. Apparently, although headquartered in New york, the calls are coming from India. They try and hurray you off of the phone when you call the 800 numbers back. It is costing them money, so call call call! this seems to discourage them a little and gives you a break. However, does anyone know of how to report harassment of calls?
Here's some background information on Allied Interstate: http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/allied_interstate.htm
If you want to do something about these calls, there are several routes you can take in this matter, and I suggest you take them all! :)
1) file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission here: http://ftc.gov/ftc/cmplanding.shtm
2) Then, for good measure, file a complaint online with the Federal Communications Commission here: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_tcpa.html
3) File a complaint with your state's attorney general.
4) For advice on other ways to deal with these slimy collector thugs, you can peruse the websites of consumer law attorney Bud Hibbs ( http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm ) and the National Association of Consumer Advocates ( http://www.naca.net/debt-collection-abuse )
5) Send Allied Interstate a letter, via certified mail, directing them to cease all communication with you and warning them that if they don't, you'll gleefully pursue every applicable legal sanction against them. Here is their main address:
Allied Interstate, Inc.
435 Ford Rd., #800
Minneapolis, MN 55426-1066
Just be sure to mail it via *certified* US Mail and save a copy of your letter. If they contact you more than once after receiving your cease communication letter, then they are breaking the law and subject to fines for each incident. I'm sure you can find more details about the cease-communication option other helpful info on the websites of the NACA and Bud Hibbs that I referenced above.
THANK YOU!!!! They are extremely harrassing - and I am extremely vindictive when I am pissed. I will take every measure to make them as miserable as possible!
This company has been calling and hanging up on our answering machine several times a week for months. When we finally got fed up and tracked it down we were told that it is their right to hang up on our machine as many times as they like and they do not consider it to be rude. We informed them that we are on the no call list and they ignored use completely and had the nerver to tell my husband that he was being unprofessional. He stated that he does not have to be professional when they are calling us at home when we are asleep and we have no professional relationship with them. Then the manager proceeded to hang up on my husband twice.