Geneva Roth Company

And to add to that, this is a new checking account, only opened in Febuary 2007. Is there a place where they can get my information like that??

There is a process, called skip tracing, that some companies employ to get information about debtors. These "skip tracing" companies find any other company you may have given your info to and get it from them. This is usually used when someone skips out on a debt and the creditor is trying to locate them.

Also, some banks allow companies to debit accounts using ss#'s. This may have happened here.

Either way, I'd dispute this with your bank. Geneva Roth isn't going to give the money back, the only way is through the bank.

Is this skip tracing legal? Wouldn't they have to send me some type of notice that it is coming out of my account. I checked with my bank and they dont allow transactions with Soc Sec #'s only. Now this is sending me into a possible overdraft status with my bank. If i would have known the money was coming out i could have readjusted my finances.

Goudah any other company such as? PDL company or are you talking about debt consolidation companys too? I gave my new account info to my bebt consolidation company could they get it through them?

I'm not sure what companies use skip tracing. Colletion agencies do for sure.

It's really just a way for businesses or people to find information about someone by following their public record and financial recorded history.

It's totally legal. What isn't legal is using that info to take money out of your account. Unless the pdl has somewhere in your contract (and some do) a clause that says they can debit any account you may have, then they can't dip into your account without permission.

Guest - It all depends on if the information is sold to anyone.

Well with the PDL's once you revoke that authorization wouldn't it be for any bank account?

If you worded it as such, then yes. But if you only revoked authorization for a specific account then no.

Gosh this information is so helpful. I never knew that collectors used the skip tracing until today. I have called Geneva Roth 5 times already this morning and 4 of out 5 times i get a voicemail. The 5th time i got a live person, but quite conveniently, they couldn't access my file at that very moment. I'm gonna keep trying to get through to them

OH well I worded mine that "I hereby revoke any and all rights you have to make withdrawls from my banking account either by ACH or by trying to present a paper check" So I didn't go into sepcifics there...

Someone has posted that what I posted about skip tracing is wrong. I encourage anyone that has any doubt to do a simple google search for the term skip tracing and see what comes up.

This information is used by collectors to locate people. They can get any information that someone is willing to publish or sell. Some companies do share your banking info. It happens.

There have been many posts about one pdl sharing bank account info with other pdls. It's the same type of situation.

While that doesn't give the company authorization to debit your account, they may still get the information and try. It does happen to people.

Leah - You would be good. As long as you didn't say I revoke authorization for acct#XXXXXXX then you would be able to show you revoked any authorization.

When I hired a lawyer to file for bk, he told me to open a new bank account and not to give anyone, even my auto insurance company my new account info, because if any company had it, there was a chance it could get into the wrong hands.

Creditors are among one of many who use skiptracing.I skiptrace myself. Mine is mainly to get the latest dirt on companies I am keeping a eye on. If you have ever received a ticket,bought or sold property,been sued,married,divorced,or filed bankruptcy,then they have a way of finding you thru freely available public records. I won't list all the different methods because that would end up being a book.

I just can't believe they would take money out of my account without any notification. The bad thing with the PDL i had with them was that it was all done over the phone. And it was a very long time ago and i know i called them and told them to stop the ACH debits, but i don't know if it will hold up since it wasn't in writing. I have dealt with debt collectors many times over and i have never had one do this on me before. Thankfully the bank is being patient and helping me out with this.

That's good that the bank is being helpful. They are the way to go, as getting the money back from the company will be difficult at best.

I had the same problem with them. They are of the opinion that they are entitled to debit any checking account you have.

I was stupid and applied for another PDL(I didn't take it) that must have been a sister company. When I called and asked how they got my new account #, they said I applied for another loan and it was fair game.

I disputed the charge and my bank refunded the money. Then, they tried to debit it again under a "returned check charge" and the bank processed it again. I disputed it again, and then finally just closed the account and moved to a new bank. Tell your bank what is going on and hopefully they can help you.

The only companies that have my new account info are my car insurance company and my employer as we have direct deposit. They will keep taking your money any way they can.

Quote:

well unless they can give me something in writing that they have authorization to take money out of any bank account, I will fight this hard!! They are all very rude and obnoxious on the phone and refuse to return my phone calls. If its fair game to take money out of my account without authorization, then its fair game for me to fight this. I'm not one to give up easily and i definitely won't on this.

I wouldn't give up.

Another thing that may help your case with the bank is to print out some of the threads about geneva on this board. It will help in showing the bank that this company regularly does this kind of thing to people.

I will definitely do that. I hate to have the bank stuck with the loss of $400. Do you think that since i asked them to stop ACH debits over the phone, it will hold up? Or will it be my word over theirs? They say they tape record everything but i think they only record when they want to. When its to their advantage.

I don't know . . . It may depend on your bank. If you don't have written proof it could be harder, but it may not be a problem either.

Even if they were recording I doubt it would be an easy task getting them to give you that recording so you could show the bank you revoked authorization. But if your bank is good, and they are shown the info about geneva from here, and with the fact that they don't have any authorization from you to specifically debit this account, then you shouldn't have any problems. Banks can be unpredictable at times, so one can never really say what they will do.

But the fact of the matter is that you didn't authorize this transaction. Geneva will have to show proof that you did. Since it seems that this proof doesn't exist, they should have a hard time convincing the bank that the transaction is legitimate.