So I received a call from them earlier today regarding an "arbitration hearing" and knew it was regarding medical debt that happened when I was 16. "Gregory Finch" immediately asked who I was, I gave him my name (not spelling) and he immediately pulled up my file and said "Yes this is in regards to some services you received at XXXX Regional Medical Center and we were calling to see about settling this debt or determining whether you wished to make installment payments on it?" I told him neither, that I will not pay this debt. He then said that he would be forwarding it to legal and that I would be taken to court, and be responsible for legal fees which would double the balance to $2500.00 and thats when I told him frankly:
"By all means try. This debt is past the statute of limitations (time-barred, not eligible to be sued for) and so no, I will not settle, I will not make monthly installments, and I will not pay this debt. Is there anything else you wish to add before completing this call?"
He said he will be sending it over to legal and hung up.
I just wanted to point out in this call, he violated several statutes of federal law by:
1. exaggerating the amount that would be owed if taken to court
2. failing to inform me of my rights regarding this debt (including the fact he is a debt collector, I am not obligated to pay, etc)
3. threatening litigation across state lines (he's calling from Georgia, I don't live there and he can't take me to court there)
4. misrepresenting himself as calling on behalf of the law offices of Goldstone and Associates, implying he represents a law office
5. threatening legal action that is illegal (debt is time-barred, cannot force me to pay or take me to court), only attempt to swindle me into resetting the time clock.
6. Any number of other violations
Remember, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Read the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act and understand that they cannot just do things as they want, and also understand your rights in the situation.
You forgot the most important one. That unless you were emancipated at the time, you are not legally obligated to pay that debt since you were a minor and not able to enter into a contract that couldn't be voided.
GOLDSTONE AND ASSOCIATES AKA THE KINGSMAN GROUP, INC.
Thanks to Shillkill for a lot of this info:
Posted in: http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-404-400-6767#p1064240052857156033
Web site for Goldstone seems to be down as of July 6, 2016/
Whois has this on the web page and indicates that they are affiliated with The Kingsman Group:
goldstoneassociates.com registry whois Updated 1 second ago - Refresh
Domain Name: GOLDSTONEASSOCIATES.COM
Registrar: FASTDOMAIN, INC.
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 1154
Whois Server: whois.fastdomain.com
Referral URL: http://www.fastdomain.com
Name Server: NS1.BLUEHOST-EXPIRED.DOMAINPARKINGSERVER.NET
Name Server: NS2.BLUEHOST-EXPIRED.DOMAINPARKINGSERVER.NET
Status: clientTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 06-jul-2016
Creation Date: 02-jul-2015
Expiration Date: 02-jul-2017
goldstoneassociates.com registrar whois Updated 1 second ago
Domain Name: GOLDSTONEASSOCIATES.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1943958310_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.bluehost.com
Registrar URL: http://www.bluehost.com/
Updated Date: 2015-07-02T17:39:16Z
Creation Date: 2015-07-02T17:38:59Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-07-02T17:38:59Z
Registrar: FastDomain Inc.
Registrar IANA ID: 1154
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: @bluehost.com
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1 801 765 9400
Reseller: BlueHost.Com
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited)
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: MARK HILL
Registrant Organization: KINGSMAN GROUP, INC.
Registrant Street: 2221 PEACHTREE RD NE
Registrant City: ATLANTA
Registrant State/Province: GEORGIA
Registrant Postal Code: 30309
Registrant Country: UNITED STATES
Registrant Phone: +1.2139254524
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email: @KINGSMANGROUP.COM
Registry Admin ID:
Admin Name: MARK HILL
Admin Organization: KINGSMAN GROUP, INC.
Admin Street: 2221 PEACHTREE RD NE
Admin City: ATLANTA
Admin State/Province: GEORGIA
Admin Postal Code: 30309
Admin Country: UNITED STATES
Admin Phone: +1.2139254524
Admin Phone Ext:
Admin Fax:
Admin Fax Ext:
Admin Email: @KINGSMANGROUP.COM
No BBB page found.
Both this web site and LinkedIn verify that The Kingsman Group is a JDB and a debt collector:
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kingsman-group-inc#/entity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/social-talk-inc
No web page or BBB page for Kingsman Group.
Georgia Dept. of State info:
usiness Name: Goldstone & Associates LLC Control Number: 16041808
Business Type: Foreign Limited Liability Company Business Status: Active/Compliance
NAICS Code: Any legal purpose NAICS Sub Code:
Principal Office Address: 3190 NORTHEAST EXPY NE, SUITE 110, ATLANTA, GA, 30341, USA Date of Formation / Registration Date: 4/18/2016
Jurisdiction: Delaware Last Annual Registration Year: 2016
Principal Record Address: 3190 NORTHEAST EXPY NE, SUITE 110, ATLANTA, GA, 30341, USA
Registered Agent Information
Registered Agent Name: KESEAN HENDERSON
Physical Address: 3190 NORTHEAST EXPY NE, SUITE 110, Fulton, ATLANTA, GA, 30341, USA
Business Name: Kingsman Group, Inc. Control Number: 14097062
Business Type: Domestic Profit Corporation Business Status: Active/Noncompliance
Business Purpose:
Principal Office Address: 260 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA, 30303 Date of Formation / Registration Date: 9/16/2014
State of Formation: Georgia Last Annual Registration Year: NONE
Registered Agent Information
Registered Agent Name: Mark Hill
Physical Address: 260 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2200, Fulton, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
Incorporators:
Mark A Hil II
260 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2200
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Ryan Lee Curtis
260 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2200
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Richard Curtis Jr.
260 Peachtree Street NW,
Bizapedia has Goldstone as a Delaware corporations:
Company Name: GOLDSTONE & ASSOCIATES LLC
File Number: 5783456
Filing State: Delaware (DE)
Filing Status: Unknown
Filing Date: July 7, 2015
Company Age: 1 Years
Registered Agent: A Registered Agent, Inc.
1521 Concord Pike #303
Wilmington, DE 19803
Not much else on these crooks since they have only been around for around 2 years.
LinkedIn page listing the head crook at Goldstone and admitting they are a debt collector:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijah-king-295207106
Elijah King
Regional Vice President at Goldstone & Associates. LLC
Greater Atlanta Area
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Current 1. Goldstone & Associates,
2. The Londoner Group, LLC,
3. Cents
Education 1. Georgia State University
Websites 1. Company Website
2. Company Website
3. Company Website
Education
•
Georgia State University
Associate's degree, Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations
Experience
• Regional Vice President
Goldstone & Associates
October 2014 – Present (1 year 10 months)
Goldstone & Associates, LLC was built on understanding that sometimes bad debts happen to good people. Many of us may have had financial setbacks at some point so we understand. We’re here to help. Through our mediation services we’re able to help both parties.
Our mediation services enable us to provide a neutral and confidential setting where individuals can reach mutually-agreeable solutions that address the concerns of both disputing parties. Our mediators are experienced and committed to providing dispute resolution services that focus on the needs of the mediating parties.
•
General Partner
The Londoner Group, LLC
May 2015 – Present (1 year 3 months)
• Co Founder
Cents
August 2015 – Present (1 year)
Cents is a micropayments platform. We make it easy for customers to pay down bills, debts or upcoming expenses through automated micropayments of their spare change. Cents does this without users having to change any of a users daily spending habits. We connect with your debit/credit card and take the ‘roundups’ or spare change from each transaction and deposit it into your ‘Cents Balance’.
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here, get template letters to send and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general
As well as the Georgia AG: http://law.ga.gov/
As well as: http://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-services