Oh boy does this get more and more fun for me…I, too, was contacted by the people at Genesse Valley Assoc in March of 2007 - Here is what happened to me:
Phone Message from caller ID “585-278-1691 Genesee Valley Assoc”
Message stated case file 555-xxxx, they request a return call at 1-800-921-0001
Returned call when I got home. I just figured it was a call about a resume or something.
A receptionist answers, asks for case # then I am transferred to representative “Marie Jacobs” who says they are a collections/process serving firm. I ask the name and she says Genesee Valley Associates. They ask to verify my name, past addresses. She claimed they are the 5th in a series of collection agencies trying to collect on a debt from Bank of America MasterCard # 5432-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx.
She claims I have a collections balance of a little over $12,000 from the Bank of America MasterCard from 2002 that was opened in 1993. She says it stemmed from a delinquent balance of just over $8,000 that was at an 18% interest rate then indicates they are willing to take 40% discount for settlement of $7,500. She also says they have a work number of (81
-xxx-xxxx listed on the account.
I indicated I did not owe this amount, haven't had any revolving debt since April of 2001 and why is it that if 5 different agencies had been trying to track me down, had apparently had my correct contact info and I had only moved 1 time since the alleged time of the debt. OH and yet, I called her within hours the same day of her contacting me now? She had no worthy response to that . So, I asked what are the next steps to disputing this debt? She said she didn't know and offered no help. I said I'd do some research and get back to her the next day. Something wasn't right.
After researching a bit, pulling my credit reports, calling banks, checking info on the FTC website, checking other websites…
It turns out that credit card number's issuing bank is Bank of New York
I called B of NY, again, not my account.
That phone number they claim as my work number is a Violin Shop in Studio City, Calif, somewhere I've never been to.
I called B of A - it's not my account and BofA's charge off dept was really confused and actually got on a 3 way call with myself ad “Marie” to talk to them to figure out what the deal was. GVA claimed they didn't have all the file info in front of htem and it could take months to get the file and info. I then asked what she was looking at if she had all this info, but couldn't back it up.. then the lady from BofA talked over both of us and said not to pay a dime until they come up with something. They have to validate that debt.
So, after a few weeks I hadn't heard from them and knew time was running out to send a VL, so I called GVA back to get an address. They then asked what it was pertaining to – I said a credit card. They asked for a case number again, so I gave it to them thinking I would be given the appropriate address or transferred to “Maria Jacobs” again – wrong.
I was transferred to a Supervisor named Mark “something” . I simply asked him for the mailing address – he asked why.
I said so I can mail you something.
He asked what –
I said it didn't matter –
he said there were different addresses.
I then said – oh, because you're a telemarketing firm so you have to find the right dept? He got defensive and said they were NOT a telemarketing firm.
I said well, that's how you're listed on the internet. – do you have a web presence?
– he then got VERY defensive and said I'd better do my research better
– he kept asking if I was me, I said yes then he got into it saying “Well, you owe us a lot of money”
I said “I don't owe you any money”
he said “yes you do”
I told him that the FTC says he has to give me their address – he then says “the FDC? What's that?!” I said “no, the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission” he said oh, he'd “like to know what law that is”. (yea, made no sense to me either…)
I finally had enough. I said that if they were to contact me they were to do it in writing. (I knew I was well within my rights on that one. They need to put everything in writing so I could prove this is a false accusation on my credit.)
I heard a sort of disbelieving “What!?” kind of noise on the other end before I hung up and noted the call.
So then I contacted an attorney. It makes me grin because it turns out GVA is not licensed to do business in my state.
I haven't heard anything back after the attorney called, faxed and wrote a letter to them... only then did they send a sad, flimsy letter via fax that they claim they sent to me stating what I allegedly owed them – but with no validation…
Over the past couple of months they broke a TON of laws in their contacting me about a false debt, checking my credit report with no cause, giving me someone else's credit info, leaving a message for anyone to hear, recording the calls and not saying they were recording them.. oh, the list goes on an on... Anyone out there who has had any dealings with GVA – watch out for any and all violations! If they have pulled this kind of stunt with you - go after them legally and help put them out of business!
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