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Sent to a friend[581] George Brown Associates, INC. Charlotte, NC - RIPOFF!!!! -
George Brown Associates, INC. Charlotte, NC - RIPOFF!!!!Sends out 2 threatening letters in one day, both of which is post marked the same day. One telling you didn't respond to 1 letter and the other letter telling you that they will file a suit against your boat, house and cars.
The law states that bill collectors can't send threatening emails like that. I am filing a complaint with the FTC as well as seeking an attorney in which to seek a class action law suit. If anyone else experienced the same problems, File complaints with the FTC as well as here and ripoff report.com
According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:
1. The debt collector must give a notice that the consumer has thirty days to dispute the debt before it is assumed to be valid. This collection agency doesn't do that, instead it step over one and goes to step two by telling you that you have 5 days to tell them if you own a home, boat or car!
2. The debt collect cannot make threats to contact a banking institution. This is not covered by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act under the 3rd party ruling. This debt collector sends out letters informing you that they intend on verifing whether of not you have a home, car and etc. Again, Harassment!
3. The FDCP act doesnt cover sending threats to verify my employment through my employer. This collections debt collector states in letters that they intend on contacting your employer!!!!
Debt collectors may not harass or abuse any person. Specifically, Annoy, abuse or harass persons by repeatedly calling their telephone number, which this debt collector certainly done. Thank god for caller ID!
Now then, Since all of these things which are suppose to be protected by the Federal Trade Commission aren't being done. If you have had the same similar problem with, George Brown Associates, INC. Charlotte, NC - You should file a complaint immediately with the Federal Trade Commission and your states attorney generals office!
Posted 3 years ago
Rating:2.00
Comments
- perhaps you wouldnt have these problems if you just paid your bills ? just a thought. I don't know if you relize the reason that we pay such high costs for everything is to cover for the people that do not pay there bills ? So instead of complaining about the way collection agencies do there job perhaps you should spend all the time you take complaining to everyone and either pay your bills or go out and get a job so you don't have to complain. Bottom line is you owe the money just pay the bill.
Posted 3 years agoReport - I had a bill slip through the insurance co. fingers and land on George Brown Assoc desk. The harassement and falsifying information started coming in threatning phone calls. I was paying as agreed on this account and out of the blue they called and threatened to ruin my EXCELLENT credit rating!! I hired an attorney to handle the matter because they forced me to give debit card info to pay this off IN FULL when we established a payment schedule which I fully honered.
Posted 2 years agoReport - GEORGE BROWN ASSOC. HAS NEVER MADE HARASSING ,NOR MADE THREATENED CALLS OR
TRIED TO RUIN ANYONE 'S CREDIT. OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN BUILT ON INTEGRITY AND NEVER TO HARM ANYONE . WE GET A LOT OF HOSTILE PEOPLE WHO JUST DONOT WANT TO PAY ANY BILL. AND WILL USE EVERY METHOD NOT TO PAY ABILL TO ANYONE EVER.
Posted 2 years agoReport - I have come across hard times myself and have to say GBA doe shave some of the rudest people working for them. I work in Debt Collection for a large financial Institution. What GBA does and says to people on the phone is a violation of FTC. Plain and Simple
Posted 2 years agoReport - george brown is an illegal institution that needs to be shut down. i have received threatening letters, phone calls, and no help whatsoever from them. i am unemployed and made arrangements to pay my bill with the hospital, which brown has ignored totally. my lawyer will soon be involved.
Posted 1 year agoReport - 1 - PAY YOUR BILLS.
2 - IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM PAYING YOUR BILLS, INSTEAD OF IGNORING THE BILLS, CONTACT YOUR CREDITORS - USUALLY THEY WILL WORK WITH YOU IN ORDER FOR YOU TO HONOR YOUR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.
3 - STOP WHINING - THIS COMPANY WOULD NOT BE IN BUSINESS IF YOU HONORED YOUR DEBTS.
Posted 1 year agoReport - Funny how GBA is so friendly and insists they are only trying to collect from " HOSTILE PEOPLE WHO JUST DONOT WANT TO PAY ANY BILL", and the entire message is in caps. That's priceless!
Posted 1 year agoReport - I have been dealing with GBA - a couple things to say - yes I am having a rough time like many others paying bills.
I have not spoken to anyone rude there. I have been frustrated because my payment in full was made, cashed and cleared the bank but they dont show a record of it. This has caused some hassle for me but I do understand that they have to see the canceled check to cover themselves - there are many dishonest people out there.
Do remember that they are doing their job whether it is fun or not.
My debt was overdue but I know I was responsible for paying it.
usually if you approach things with a pleasent attitude people are willing to do so back.
I used to work in medical billing and you need to realize that they deal with mainly nasty people on the phone all day.
Show some kindness and it will come back tenfold - remember bill collectors are people just like us, trying to do their job and pay their bills.
Many, like my spouse, just dont have the patience to deal with the hassle of having to prove that you have paid something.
Put a smile on your face, take a deep breathe and all will work out. Keep climbing the hill, when you reach the top you will be rewarded for your efforts to gracefully go throough these tough times
Posted 1 year agoReport - I must say I am surprised with the tone of GBA's response on here.
GBA - I would recommend that you also take the above advice that I suggested for those you are collecting from.
You may not like your job or how some put you down but your tone on matters can make all the difference.
I am an honest person who is now disabled and will honor all my responsibilities though It may be slow.
Posted 1 year agoReport - the people commenting negatively on the way gba handles their business must believe that everyone owes them something.. if you dont have the money to pay off these debts that the doctors and hospitals provide for you then that is your own problem. remember that the people that work at this agency have their own bills to pay and mouths to feed. if you call in with a nice attitude there will be positive responses.. i assume that the negative comments are all from rude harrassing people themselves that do not want to pay their bills. i had a recent debt with them and had no problems whatsoever. my bill is paid and the person i dealt with was kind and worked with me in the months it took for them to collect my balance.
Posted 1 year agoReport - Debt collectors face unique challenges that can tempt some in the business to engage in illegal behavior. If you believe that a debt collector is hounding or threatening you, it may be time to review your legal rights.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that debt collectors treat those who have failed to repay their creditors in a fair manner. It prohibits abusive debt collection practices. For a complete listing of your rights as a debtor, visit the Federal Trade Commission Web site at www.ftc.gov.
The following debt collection practices are among those that are prohibited.
Debt collectors may NOT:
* Harass, oppress or abuse you or any third parties they contact.
* Use threats of harm.
* Publish a list of consumers who refuse to pay their debts.
* Use obscene language.
* Repeatedly use the telephone to annoy someone.
* Take or threaten to take your property unless this can be done legally.
They are also restricted in the statements they can make to debtors. Debt collectors may NOT tell you that:
* You will be arrested if you do not pay your debt.
* They will seize, garnish, attach or sell your property or wages, unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so and it is legal to do so.
* They will take actions, such as a lawsuit, against you, when such action legally may not be taken, or when they do not intend to do so.
Finally, debt collectors may NOT:
* Give false credit information about you to anyone.
* Send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency when it is not.
* Use a false name.
A debt collector is permitted to contact you in person, by mail, phone, telegram or fax. However, he or she may not contact you at inconvenient times or places (such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree). And, they may not contact your place of work if the collector knows that your employer disapproves of such contacts.
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General’s office. You may also want to file a complaint with your Better Business Bureau.
Posted 1 year agoReport - They do make harrassing phone calls. I don't even have a debt. They keep calling my home and my personal cell phone for someone else. the man that i have spoken with has been very rude and aweful. i have one answering message where the man has even used swear words!!! i called the company and complained about this playing the message back. they have been told to cease and desist in hopes that they would no longer call my home and harass me. i am not the person they are looking for as i so told them. yet they still call. i am in the process of filing a harassment suit against them. Know this any of you who read this. they cannot legally call you if you tell them to cease and desist. get your caller id's ready!! Also for those of you who are unaware..legally they cannot place a debt of yours with any credit bureau as you did not accrue a bill with them. the only people who can legally place you with a credit bureau is the place in which you originally accrued your bill.
Posted 1 year agoReport - They do make harrassing phone calls. I don't even have a debt. They keep calling my home and my personal cell phone for someone else. the man that i have spoken with has been very rude and aweful. i have one answering message where the man has even used swear words!!! i called the company and complained about this playing the message back. they have been told to cease and desist in hopes that they would no longer call my home and harass me. i am not the person they are looking for as i so told them. yet they still call. i am in the process of filing a harassment suit against them. Know this any of you who read this. they cannot legally call you if you tell them to cease and desist. get your caller id's ready!! Also for those of you who are unaware..legally they cannot place a debt of yours with any credit bureau as you did not accrue a bill with them. the only people who can legally place you with a credit bureau is the place in which you originally accrued your bill.
Posted 1 year agoReport - They do make harrassing phone calls. I don't even have a debt. They keep calling my home and my personal cell phone for someone else. the man that i have spoken with has been very rude and aweful. i have one answering message where the man has even used swear words!!! i called the company and complained about this playing the message back. they have been told to cease and desist in hopes that they would no longer call my home and harass me. i am not the person they are looking for as i so told them. yet they still call. i am in the process of filing a harassment suit against them. Know this any of you who read this. they cannot legally call you if you tell them to cease and desist. get your caller id's ready!! Also for those of you who are unaware..legally they cannot place a debt of yours with any credit bureau as you did not accrue a bill with them. the only people who can legally place you with a credit bureau is the place in which you originally accrued your bill.
Posted 1 year agoReport - I have been harrassed by GBA twice now and I am already paying the hospital bill that they are trying to collect. I am not paying these theives the same bill I am already paying. They ARE VERY RUDE PEOPLE and the hosipital told me they could not collect on a bill I was paying to them so tell me is that not crooked. They think I am stupid enough to pay them too. To the person at the top of this I AM PAYING MY BILL and these crooks are trying to steal money so it is lawyer time I think.
Posted 1 year agoReport - I THINK THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE STATED THAT IF THE BILL/DEBT WAS JUST PAID TO BEGIN WITH THIS WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. YOU SHOULD REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING RUDE AND OBNOXIUOS AND WRONG. I THINK YOU ALL MIGHT BE WORKING FOR GBA BY THE STUPID UNEDUCATED COMMENTS YOU HAVE MADE. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE HOSPITAL ABOUT A YEAR AGO. HIS INSURANCE COMPANY PAID THE DEBT AND HAS PROOF OF IT YET WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS THREATING PHONE CALLS FROM THIS COMPANY. THE BILL WE ARE RECEIVING CALLS ABOUT IS A DUPLICATE CHARGE AND GBA IS DOING EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN TO GET US TO TRY AND PAY IT AGAIN!...NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!! WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A VERY THREATENING LETTER STATING MUCH OF WHAT THE ABOVE PEOPLE STATED - THAT GBA PLANS ON CONTACTING MY HUSBAND'S EMPLOYER AS WELL AS TRYING TO CONFIRM OWNERSHIP OF OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY. THEY ARE TOTALLY RUDE AND VERY UNETHICAL. I LIKE MANY OF THE OTHERS, PLAN ON FILING A HARASSMENT SUIT AS FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE FTC. IT WAS MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR TO THE OBNOXIOUS ASSOCIATE THAT IF HE WERE TO CALL ME AGAIN, WE WOULD BE CONTACTING A LAWYER AND THAT THIS WAS NOT A DEBT WE OWED - IT WAS ALREADY PAID ONCE. DO YOU NEED VACATION MONEY OR SOMETHING...MONEY TO PAY YOUR MORTGAGE...WHAT!? MY HUSBAND'S INSURANCE COMPANY REPEATEDLY REQUESTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS DUPLICATE CHARGE FROM GBA YET THEY REFUSED TO SUPPLY IT. WHO'S UNETHICAL I ASK!!!! REST ASSURED, THIS COMPANY AND THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE COMPLETELY UNETHICAL. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T DELETE ANY OF YOUR VOICE MESSAGES OR YOUR CALLER ID OR THROW AWAY ANY OF YOUR LETTERS! KEEP THEM ALL AND FILE SUIT IMMEDIATELY! DON'T WAIT.
Posted 1 year agoReport - My son fell and knocked his front teeth back and needed surgery...at the time we had an HMO so we had several high bills and one of the bills was sent to them and I was making payments and was told if I could not pay off a the rest of the balance which was a lot by the end of the week the property would be seized...well come get my sons 2 front teeth which have been removed I dont care if that gets me out of paying you thats great!!!
Posted 1 year agoReport - I have a medical bill that I HAVE been paying on and yet I got a threatening letter from this company (GBA) stating I owed an outrageous amount without any description of what the bill was for, I ripped it up because I felt (and still do) it was a scammer. I have requested three times for an invoice or proof of this bill as I have sent in verification of my medical bills being paid. They started out by saying I owed one medical company and when I proved that was paid, they changed stories. K.M.A. GBA . ..you've been told NOT to call me at work, you still do. I'm filing a complaint with the FCC. You've been rude and harassing long enough.
Posted 1 year agoReport - To all you people saying just pay your bills some of the lower class and elderly don't have access to the amounts of money that you may have so "just paying the bill" might mean one less peice of jewelry to you but it could mean an empty dinner table to others. Word of advice think before you speak.
Posted 1 year agoReport - George Brown and ASSociates has called my house looking for a person my ex-husband of 12 years is related to. They have told me I am lying about who I am and have threatened to put this other persons bill against my credit. They think I'm this guys wife. I have never been married to him. I have even been asked if own my home, because they can take it from me. I fully intend on getting a lawyer have e-mailed them with all the details. I don't even owe a bill and I'm getting harassed!!!!!
Posted 5 months agoReport - George Brown and ASSociates has called my house looking for a person my ex-husband of 12 years is related to. They have told me I am lying about who I am and have threatened to put this other persons bill against my credit. They think I'm this guys wife. I have never been married to him. I have even been asked if own my home, because they can take it from me. I fully intend on getting a lawyer have e-mailed them with all the details. I don't even owe a bill and I'm getting harassed!!!!!
Posted 5 months agoReport
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