Hello all! I'm new to this forum, found it by happenstance. That said, I wanted to share this story with you, I'll add to it as it goes along. This is just the beginning. My fiancé and I have lived together for 4 years now. We are both divorced, in our 40's, and are just working-class people. Recently, we found we had a credit card convenience check stolen and used. This isn't the problem though, if you can believe it. What the problem is, is JA Cambece and their 'crackhead' oops I mean crack employees. My fiancé was called at his place of employment by a man who I won't name, and this person claimed my fiancé owed a debt from 2003 of $3500 and how was he going to pay for it. My fiancé told him that he didn't know what he was talking about, he tried to find out what debt he was talking about, and this guy kept talking over him, going so far as calling him a liar. (Oh, it gets better...keep reading....) My fiancé hung up on him and called me at work. He told me that this guy called him, brought my name into it, saying we owed some debt of $3500 and he didn't know what it was about. I got the guys name and called. When I called, I gave my name. I was polite, and explained to him that my fiancé called me regarding this and asked if he could please explain what was going on. This guy suddenly got all toughman on me, saying he wasn't at liberty to discuss this with me unless my fiancé gave him permission...and that my fiancé had one hour to call him back. I explained to this guy that he brought my name into it when he called my fiancé at work and I wanted to know why. He asked me if I worked at a law office, which I do. I answered yes. He asked me if I was representing my fiancé in this matter. I told him that my fiancé was a grown man and that I didn't need to speak for him. Of course, the conversation started going downhill so I thanked the guy, of course he didn't hear me because he was yelling at me. I hung up. I then faxed over a copy of the FDCPA letter "ceasing communication" to this man and his supervisor, who's name was mentioned on the recording when you called in. This letter basically states that the CA is to cease calling via telephone. About an half and hour later, I receive a phone call at work from the guy at Cambece! He asks me if I am representing my fiancé. I asked him if he received the fax, he says yes. I asked him why he chose to call me at work. He said "does your work know you use their fax machine for personal use?" and I replied they sure do. I then repeated to him, did you receive the fax? He said yes. I laughed and said, "you are in direct violation of the letter, ceasing communication and you are also in violation of discussing this matter with me without my fiancé's consent". That burned him up. I laughed again and he said "we ARE going to bring legal action against him, is that what you want?" and I said "bring it" and hung up. Of course, we received a letter from their office, stating the amount owed and the company. Guess what? It isn't our debt! It's my fiancé's ex who owes the debt! My fiancé isn't on the debt and their divorce was final before the debt was incurred. (told you this was good....) What I am going to do next is ask for proof of the debt, using one of the letters I found here. I am so looking forward to not only fighting these punks, but suing them as well. Any suggestions from you all would be great. I promise to keep you up to date. Oh, and by the way, My name is Dee. Nice to meet you all!
Cambece is a piece of work. Although FTC complaints are useless personally speaking, I would file one with them. Maybe one of these days they will shut them down.
Oh yeah, start watching yours and fiances credit reports, watch court dockets for the county his ex is in as well as your county (if different), they like to perform sewer service...and watch out for every other nasty trick they can think of.
For what it's worth, you have enough to institute a civil action now. However, I would do as Jlynn prescribes and also watch you credit reports for odd tradelines notwithstanding a public record.
We both put security freezes on our credit reports with the 3 major credit agencies. What do you think, good idea? We still have to investigate the stolen credit card convenience check. Which, by the way, are a joke...we didn't ask for them to send us those every month! They are just asking to be stolen!
Eh, probably not inasmuch as it wouldn't prevent them from inserting something. It will just cause headaches if you go to get something via an application.
I called their office I dialed Cambece's number and they actually have a person assigned specifically to field complaints from debtors. I didn't catch the person's name, but his name and extension are listed on their greeting message. When you get a live person on the phone, they're supposed to advise you that the call is being recorded because Cambece now has a police to record ALL calls. If a collector has been abusive with you in the past, they can pull a WAV file of the recording, review it and if the collector is found to have been abusive or has violated the FDCPA, he or she will be terminated immediately. They'd much rather cut the bad seed loose than risk getting sued again. The state's attorney general's office is eyeing this lawfirm as it is, due to a settlement Cambece had to pay like a couple of years ago for failure to comply with the FDCPA (....read about it online). Hope this info helps.
I don't believe that this firm would fire anyone for abusiveness. The AG only fined them because it looked good on the news. : ( They do not really do anything to help the consumer unless they can get some good publicity and be the hero of the working class. That said CAB ASS CE is a piece of work,but someday they just might not be working. ; ) Woofer
