November
2008
Allen, Lewis & Associates
Jacksonville, FL I am not saying
I am innocent in the creation of this debt, however my
experiences with this firm so far is alarming which warrants
my submission. The original value of this violin is
about $600.00 and was on a payment plan contract.
March 2008 I received a call from Mark McVicker, told me he
worked for Allen, Lewis and Associates: 1185 Lane Ave South;
Jacksonville, FL 32205 1-800-773-5322 ext 105 regarding this
debt and he was very threatening to me and I was demanded to
produce a lump sum of money at that time or I was going to
be arrested for unlawful retention of rental equipment. I
was interrogated over the phone as to the where-abouts of
this object and told the court papers were being filed and
the sheriff would come tomorrow morning.
May 2008 These folks do not learn. After I commented last November on them I contacted the Attorney General in the state of Florida and I was included in on the settlement they made of 21,000.00 so I got money from that settlement, not much but it was something. Well they called yesterday and I should have let them start their harassment but I didn't. After I informed them I had received money from them harassing me before they put me on hold and then came back and asked me to disregard the call. I guess we will be seeing more settlements from them down the road as they haven't learned a thing.
2007
These people called me in May of
2007 about a debt, using serious scare tactics, asking me
for a checking account, even my parents accounts since I
have no checking account( I'm 37 years old, my parents
account???). I was told I needed my lawyer to call. The
original debt is $3800, Allen Lewis told me it is $11,600.
I was told I was being connected to the other attorney in
their office who set up payments, and they put me through to
another guy with a terrible attitude saying he needed
payment by the next day at 7pm, or he was going to the
courthouse. No forms of payment were accepted except a
checking account, I was told.
3 days later I was called again and told I could Western
Union them a payment, and they would accept that as a favor,
and courtesy. I was asked for my work number for emergency
purposes so when the judge 'stopped the order against me' I
could be called. Well, this is not the case. I was called 11
times at work about making payment. Until my boss said to
them this defies the fair debt collection act, and they hung
up on her.
I was told they were going to garnish 80% of my wages, have
a lean on my home I rent an apartment, he got quiet when I
told him that), and I was told they could take possession of
my current vehicle.
6 months later I just received another call from them after
hearing nothing for all this time. I am not dealing with
these scammers. They lie repeatedly, try to scare you into
sending them money, and act like lawyer, judge, jury.
2007 These scums harassed me over 3 years ago calling my employer and telling the receptionist I had stolen property and they needed to speak to me and threatening me with jail. My attorney contacted them and told them to cease calling and we included the original debt and these scums on the bankruptcy. Now 3 after the bankruptcy they call again and of course the amount owed is much greater and the threats are the same. They stated they could call because the bankruptcy does not stop them from collecting 'stolen' property and that they had never been contacted by my attorney. Bet they torture animals in their spare time.
2007
I was contacted by Allen, Lewis &
Associates over a debt I had no knowledge of from over a
musical instrument we had assumed was paid off. The company
on the first call 03/16/07 gave my husband two different
amounts owed by two different people, one being a
supervisor, $262.00 turned into $410.00. They also informed
him that I needed to seek an attorney because I was going to
need it when I refused to pay them that night. We asked for
them to contact the Violin shop to figure out what was going
on and what we could do to rectify it. They stated they
refused to talk with us when contacted. They called again on
03/23/07 and told my husband I would be cited with Theft and
arrested if I did not pay by 5 pm that day. I then called
the Violin shop who had no knowledge of any of this and
never refused to talk with me. The shop also expressed many
other complaints on how this company handled their accounts
and faxed them to cease any further action in their name.
Allen Lewis and Associates violated the FDCPA in the
following ways: misrepresenting intent to take legal action,
Falsely indicating that I committed a crime, threatening
arrest if I do not pay, threatening a lawsuit without intent
and further misrepresenting themselves to their customers on
their own website.
www.allenlewis.com
Do NOT deal with them - get the information first and send
your complains to the BBC, FTC, your local Attorney General
and the one in Florida - I did this and I hope it will help!
2007 Boy am I glad that I did some research. I received a call earlier this week in regard to a debt. I received a call from an Winston Oliver Winslow. I agreed to pay the debt on payday via Quick Collect. When he was talking to me and shouted for a stop action, I felt like I was part of the movie Glengary Glenross. I will ddeal directly with the company and not send anything to these crooks.
2007
They sent one letter, waited two
months, then began their phone "assault". First, messages
were left in several locations for me to call "regarding
missing property". When I contacted them, I was told there
were "several charges against me including theft". They were
RUDE. I immediately requested a breakdown of the charges -
they don't match what I know I owe - and also requested that
they not contact me by phone at work, etc. and not contact
any of my reference contacts. I want all correspondence in
writing. This was faxed and mailed to them.
They called again three more times - telling me to "let my
boss know that I have a trust issue and will be needing time
off for jail - and that she would be having me processed at
work." I told her that I don't allow deductions from my
checking account - the only way to pay - and that I wanted
further information. After she hung up on me, I called back
and spoke to her supervisor, re-faxed the letter to her
attention, made my requests again verbally, and have still
NOT received the information that I requested. I have
detailed notes and copies of everything.