Funny - I just received a call last night and this morning from 215-32-0424, no messages left. When I Googled the number, I found all this conversation.
Do not ignore the phone call! If you do your credit can be impacted. Instead, request all correspondence by certified mail within 30 days whether the debt is yours or not. If you don't contest the debt, they CAN get a judgement or garnishment from you or ruin your credit.
collection agencies have started a booming business by purchasing old debt for pennies on the $$$ that have been written off the originating company. Usually they start calling right before the 7 year statute of limiatation is about to expired. ACS is required by law according to Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (fdcpa) to provide you with PROOF of the debt. This could be the original contract which I guarantee THEY DO NOT HAVE in their possession.
Also, depending on your state location, each state has a statute of limiations for collecdting debt depending on the type of contract, oral, written, installment, etc.
I know this a pain to have them harrassing you especially if the debt isn't your obligation but you must or risk becoming a victim to their ILLEGAL practices of threat and misrepresentation. If you check out the (FDCPA)you will find your rights as well as form letters that you can send to ACS. They can be sued by you for violating your rights.
Don't lose you cook, beat them at their own game.
I'm not an attorney, nor am I providing legal advise just been down this road before and want to help you exit the highway.
Do some homework, knowledge is power. Even if the debt is yours, at least you won't be shaking in shoes and awake at night terrified. They have specific guidelines to follow and if they don't, you have recourse. Document everything as though your life depended upon it, spend the extra to send all correspondence registered so you have proof of a receiving signature.

I want to thank the people who run this forum, as well as everyone who has posted their informative advice. After being contacted by ACS recently, I googled them and found this place and all of the great information posted in it.

They have misrepresented themselves to me as "Legal Services for Citibank." They have called me repeatedly at work after I told them not to. They have called my co-workers liars when they were telling the truth, then called me a deadbeat and said I was "acting like a child" when I called them to complain about their illegal behavior.

Throughout all of this, they have yet to even tell me how much I supposedly owe.

After reading the advice in this thread, I have contacted the Attorney Generals for PA, NV, and my own home state, as well as the FTC and the ACA, which they are a member of. I haven't quite gotten around to the BBB yet, but I will also be contacting them, as well as any other organization I can think of that might get something productive accomplished.

As well, I have a letter of validation printed out and ready to send off tomorrow via certified mail, return receipt requested, and will be enclosing a complaint to Mr. Dickstein outlining the fdcpa infractions they have committed to date in their dealings with me. I will also be recording all phone calls, and it's just unfortunate that my state requires that I inform them of this, since it will probably change their behavior on the phone and I would really like to catch them on tape doing more of the same so I have it as evidence.

That said, I have a proposal to make here...

It's amazing to me that they are still in business after all this time with the way they conduct their business, and perhaps it has something to do with the fact that not enough people are informed of their illegal tactics. If we can get the press to report on their practices, we might be able to shut them down, or at least get the authorities breathing down their necks so closely that it forces them to shape up.

It seems to me that enough reports must have already been filed against them by now to actually accomplish something if the authorities actually cared to enforce the laws, so why hasn't anything been done? I think if the public becomes aware of this problem, it should pressure authorities to act on these complaints.

My local news does a segment that focuses on consumer issues. Does anyone here know if any of Philadelphia's local news stations has a similar program?

I'm not very familiar with the newspaper "Philadelphia Inquirer," but from what little I've seen of them online, I think they might be willing to run this story if a few people contact them about it.

Along with local Philly TV stations and newspapers, we might be able to get a national outlet or two to pick up on it as well.

Anyone have any suggestions along these lines?

I received a call from this company today, looking for information "about a neighbor" of mine, a person named Brian (I won't use the last name for his privacy, but I have know idea who he is). The caller did not identify themselves, but I found the call creepy enough to look up the number I saw on my caller ID. Are they really looking for people to give up their neighbors, or should I be worried about something else they might be up to? I don't have any collection issues (unless there is an identity theft problem that has cropped up this month--I check my credit regularly). I know I can block their number, but is there something more I should do? If they are simply looking for a way to get to this other person, is this practice legal?

OMG! I am having the same problem. They've been calling me for two years now for someone I don't even know. I've been telling them this for years now and they still call me and get very nasty on the phone. They threatened to take my house, car, business, garnish my wages (too bad I own my own company) if i didn't give up this person they were looking for. Any ideas on how to make this stop besides a lawsuit? please email me at email address removed as per forum rules - Mike
if you have any ideas! I'm open to all!

These people have been calling me for the last two years. any idea on how to file a SUCCESSFUL complaint? They're calling for someone I've never known.

I have an issue with this company. I was contacted by them because my father and I have the same name... they gave me info that matched my own and I had medical bills I was late on. I honestly made some mistakes myself, but this company pulled some slimey moves on me and tried to have me pay my fathers bills on the false pretense that they were my bills. I was careless and have no one to blame but myself. When I found out that it was indeed my fathers bill I called and talked to Josie Grace ext 2571 to find out what was going on. I was amazed at the change. She was nice to me when she got me to start a payment plan, then when I call back later to tell her the mistake she yells and tells me I lied to her and that all this is my fault. She told me that she said what the bills were for but she had never told me, that was my fault for being stupid. All in all though, they tried to draw money from my companies account, something that they should know not to do. I'm told that they can tell what name is on an account, if this is true then that was an illegal action on both our parts, me for giving a false account and them for using it. I was fired for this, my company knows it was human error on my part but when I tried to find out what was going on through Academy, I talked to manager Evan Price and he pretty much told me too bad so sad and that he would only talk to my father. Okay, so my father calls, they won't help in any way and get angry when my father tells them he is unemployed and can't pay. They mark it down as a refuse to pay but won't help. So, I'm fired and my company doesn't know what to do... I don't know what to do... and then we both find out about all these complaints. I'm hopeing this will help and hope that something happens to this company so that things like this won't happen to anyone else.

Amanda Quick (800 441 6881 x2756) Has kept calling my being very menacing and threatening without giving much information--like who or where they are located. My web search only yeildced this site. ARE THEY FOR REAL AND LEGITIMATE?

I was unfortunately killed in a car accident 2 months ago, and somehow they still call me, how they got this number I will never know. But not much they can do now since they are not welcome here.

Funny thing is I was on the way to the bank to get them their money to take care of a small debt, Well even thogh I'm dead I am glad that "Josh Gates" didn't get his commission.

Can anyone tell me if I can ask for a DV letter after having already spoken with ACS (today)? They told me that I had to call them back between 8-8:30 tomorrow morning to tell them if I accept the proposed settlement. If I don't, they said they are going to sue me.

I am up much later than I should be, but it's only because I have been reading all of the posts about ACS.

Thank you so much for having this forum/website. I was so scared and worried earlier today. Now I know that I can request a debt validation letter from them, and I don't have to let them bully me. I want to pay my debt back, and I have been trying to work with the original creditor to do so. I will call Citibank again tomorrow to see if I can work with them directly.

Thank you again for this website.

I too have had a run in with this Academy company or what ever they are they keep calling me tailing me I owe them money but they can never tell me what I owe them the money for........Paul Roberts seems to be the man in charge beware of this scam

This company is so rude they keep calling me on my job everyday harrsing me getting real nasty with me threating me about legal matters. If I don' pay the money and I am in franklin tn please do something about this right away.

These people have been calling my cell phone since July. I told them the first 3 times that they had the wrong number. They wanted MY name and social security #. I gave them the name and my address but I don't give anyone my SSN. Well the info I gave them wasn't good enough and they still call everyday at least 3 times a day for the past 6 months. I just ignore them and erase the messages. The messages are VERY rude sounding.

I have been geeting calls as well. I have a debt I know, I used my credit card to pay for books for schooling. So the girl I talked to asked me what I did w/ my student loans,why couldnt i ask my parents for the money. All she wanted was 30% which was 1700 ok if i had that kind of money sitting around i wouldnt be in collections. I work in collections as well so i know the debt is mine and i need to pay it i know what its like to be yelled at. So i talked to the people as i want to be spoke to...but the girl told me that i needed to stop trying to do things my way or no way because it was in their hands now so its their way or no way... I also told them to stop calling my parents house where i do not live and provided them with the correct # to reach me. They still continue to call my parents when someone request a # to be removed it is to be done! The next girl i spoke with was very nice and told me that the person i spoke with had lied to me i didnt need to pay 1700! I would never speak to one of my debtors the way they spoke with me and not to mention the fact that the girl broke every privacy law this would be fdcpa #3which states not to communicate w. any such person more than once unless requested to do so by such person or in erroneous or incomplete and that person now has correct or complete location #5 no mail or messages left (communication) left conveying there is a collection or debt
section 804 3 basic rules
1)do not misrepresent
2)do not convey a message by person or machine that subject owes a delinquent or outstanding debt
3)do not harass

I am most certainly not in a 215 area, and i get 215 320 number-it is long distance for me, so why would i not get an 800 number showing