July 2008   Phillips, Cohen, and Associates called me on the telephone to try to get me to pay for my dead brother's Citibank Visa card bill. He owed them a lot of money before he died in June. I told them that I didn't co-sign for the debt, so it is not my responsibility to pay. I tape recorded the telephone call, and once I told them I was tape recording the telephone call, they hung up on me.
 

May 2008  This company sent a dunning letter to my wife in March and were subsequently sent a cease and desist letter and request for validation. They have not validated the debt and they continue to call every day. They have also left two messages which I have retained after the time I have certified mail proof that they received the validation letter with the c&d. My wife filed a complaint with the FTC and we sent Phillips & Cohen a copy of it. It doesn't stop them from calling. They don't care what the law says.

April 2008  Warning to all receiving calls from this agency. This agency allows it's representative to disclose information to third parties, misrepresent themselves legally, stating that they can place liens against your property as well as garnish wages. This agency is in violations of Fair Debt Collections Practice Act.

Today I spoke with one of their associates pertaining to a debt that this company bought from a credit card company. The person that I spoke with was inexperienced and unprofessional. I recorded the conversation and informed the collector that I was doing so. This collector continued to talk and violate more laws by speaking with me concerning my grandmother's debt. I was told that if the debt was not settled that a lien could be placed on her home, car, or her wages can be garnished. This agency had ran a credit check on my grandmother and told me that she could transfer the balance of the debt to her Sears Credit Card. I informed this collector that he did not written or verbal consent to speak with me and that he was in violation of the FDCPA law and his supervisor became rude and hung up on me.

April 2008  A "Mr. Jackson" from Phillips and Cohen called me no less than 20 TIMES in one day! He blew my cell phone up for 15 minutes calling, hanging up and calling again. When I finally talked to him, he threatened to call my office and talk to my boss. He also said he had looked at my credit record and was going to use one of my credit cards to pay my debt to the firm he represented. He NEVER gave me his full name, and only after 20 minutes of solid arguing and threats did he transfer me to someone who supposedly is his boss. After I talked to his boss, who said his name was "Kurt," they stopped calling me for about three weeks. Now, they're calling again. This time the woman on the phone says her name is "Anita." I really want to pursue legal action here, but I don't know what to do.

April 2008  After many threatening calls Ryan Steinberg admitted he is not an attorney and his real name is Bob Leroy. He said Adam Cohen instructed him to use an alias with a Jewish surname so that people will think he is an attorney. Bob then uses his own name to act as an assistant to (attorney) Ryan Steinberg. in order to accomplish that he changes his voice. I don't know why he confided in me. But he said that his file isn't what it used to be and he would be leaving soon anyway. I don't really know what that means exactly but I thought it was worth sharing that he is using multiple names and pretending to be an attorney at one of the owners direction. Don't believe a word this guy has to say people. He an this agency are a big con heading for a big fall.

March 2008  It took about a dozen calls from the Phillips & Cohen Agency for me to figure out that I could tell them not to call me at work. A few more calls after that, I was able to realize that their constant, verbal, declinations of what I could actually pay per month was their refusal of payment. That said, the phrase "we will not refuse any payment, but will not accept monthly payments unless you authorize automatic deductions from your account" was also bogus. I had requested their payment policies in writing, 5 times now and have yet to receive. I did wire money per the instructions of "Amanda Bunch" once. This has yet to be credited on any bill they send me nor will they acknowledge my written communication. I no longer receive phone calls after relaying that I am also documenting conversations. I do however receive bills from P&C and another agency for the exact same account.

2007  A Ryan Weinstein (sp), with Phillips and Cohen, at 888-608-1766, ext 1161, called on 11/8/07 and left message that he wanted to discuss mediation as an alternative to litigation, regarding my Advanta credit card. When I called him back he told me that he was really a probate attorney for Advanta. That he had received a packet of collection cases from Advanta and that when he looked at my case, he hated to see me have to go through the expense and embarrassment that would result as a result of the litigation. He told me that if I sent $7400.00 by 3PM that afternoon that he would try to negotiate with Advanta to hold stop the litigation. This was about 2PM at that time. The $7400 would be accepted as payment in full for the $13,000, that (with penalties and 30% interest rate) was now due. If litigation came about it would total about a $20,000 judgment due to court costs.

Here is where it became interesting. He told me that if I could not send him the $7400 that the following would happen: I would be indicted under a non-criminal indictment; that I would have to hire an attorney for about $3000; if I tried to go to court without an attorney, I would be held in contempt of court; a lien would be placed on my property and foreclose would be initiated within 30 days. When I said that I did not think that they could initiate foreclose, he told me that he Phillips and Cohen would not foreclose, but the mortgage holder would not want to be responsible for a lien and that they would initiate foreclose within 30 days. This would happen, even though I have an excellent record of paying my mortgage on time.

I panicked. I even went as far as calling my 83 year old mother to see if she had enough credit on her card to pay the $7600. Up until then I had made it a strict policy not to drag anyone else into my debt. As I was talking to her, I realized that I did not want to do this and that if I lost my house that I would be able to deal with it. So I did not communicate again with Mr. Weinstein.

Later I spoke to an attorney who represented me in an employment case. By the way in this case I was awarded almost $400,000 dollars in June. I do not know when I may get that money, we are still in post trial motions. My attorney told me that there was no such thing as a non-criminal indictment, there was no legal requirement to have an attorney, let alone contempt of court for not doing so. She is going to find legal advice regarding this matter. I had checked the NCLC website last week, and there was not an attorney in East Tennessee listed.

Based on your advice, which I am very thankful for, I sent a certified/registered dispute letter to Phillips and Cohen. I received the receipt which was signed on November 1, 2007. My attorney thinks that is why this happened this week. Mr Weinstein told me that the reason things were moving forward now is because Advanta was recently audited and unfortunately my account was one of the accounts that were forced into immediate litigation as a result. What ever that means?

Thank you for being there for consumers.

PS. Mr. Weinstein kept telling me that the rules that apply to this card are different from the rules that apply to "regular consumer credit cards". I have a hobby business that I did briefly have a business line for. I believe that the business line is the reason that Advanta sent me the credit card offer. However, the card was entirely based on my personal credit. Nothing was ever asked about the business itself, which has never made a profit. I had no idea that the Advanta card was different than any other consumer credit card. I used it as a consumer credit card. When I told Advanta of this they said that I would be charged with fraud.

2007   Phillips and Cohen Associates Ltd. called me repeatedly about what I owe on an account. I too eventually gave them information on a post-dated check to get this matter settled and when they ran the check, they ran it for the incorrect amount causing my checking account balance to be in default. I then spoke with a representative there and ask them why this happened and they told me it was for a fee that they failed to tell me about initially and asked me to do wire transfer but when I had further counsel from the bank they told me to close out my account and only enter into payment plan where I did not give out any bank information whatsoever (for example bill pay). So I received phone call again from this person wanting payment via bank transfer I told him what the bank stated (including the option of bill pay) and he at that point become angry with me and told me the original settlement agreement was no longer good and I would not only have to pay the full amount but he said he would also lie and state that the reason the post-dated check did not go through was because I did not have the money in the account which was not the case. He was yelling at me at this point to admit I did not have the money and I told him in response to his yelling cease and desist all communication. It has now come to point where I have had to consult with a lawyer and write letter to them to cease and desist all communications over the phone and to communicate all in writing. They are still persisting to call.   Click Here

2007  Just got a call from these guys today claiming I owe some bogus debt. In this day and age, I thought for sure it was a scam. Good thing I checked the web first and found this site. Thank you Bud for compiling all this info, can't wait for these guys to call back so I can rip them a new one...that is if they have the nerve.

2007  Phillips-Cohen Associates, Ltd. has accused me of being lazy and worthless because I am not currently employed. I cannot afford daycare at this time and they keep telling me I have not tried hard enough and there must be something really wrong with a scumbag like me that won't honor their debts. They were even calling my very sick (now dead) mother and would not stop calling and harassing me. I asked them to not call and kept hanging up on them and they called me back over 5 times (all at my mom's place). They made me give them information for a post date check and now I am having to close my bank account to keep them at bay. I have no idea what to do!!!

operating out of 258 Chapman Rd Suite 205 Newark DE 19702 (800) 259-6991 and operating HILCO Receivables, LLC
same address.

The Phillips & Cohen on the letter Head of the notice I received in today's mail Is :
258 Chapman Rd  Suite 205  Newark, DE 19702
800-259-6991  888-344-0900  Fax:609-518-9442  Your listing has them in New Jersey.
Must be the same people...they just got out of Dodge I would guess.
Keep up the good work. Thanks for your help in the past.

budhibbs.com