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IC System review: harrassing phone calls 24

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6:39 am EDT
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This company calls every day, five or six times a day, beginning at 8:15am or so, and continuing until 9:00pm at night. I have requested numerous times that they discontinue all calls and all further contact be done by mail. I have sent mail to this effect. Now I just do not answer the phone and my next step is to have my telephone number changed and have it unlisted.
They truly aren't interested in resolving any issues. Their only interest is in harassment.

24 comments
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KatKam
Framingham, US
Apr 26, 2012 4:35 am EDT

Well, I have had some dealing with IC Systems about a debt that I acknowledge that I do owe. But, it took quite a while to pry the information from them about why they were calling. Either no one was picking up the phone when they called so I heard dead air or background noise, or they hung up when I picked up, or they would not tell me who they were or the company that they worked for until I told them if I was the person they were looking for. Well, even though I did owe this debt ($195) I do not discuss my finances with some anonymous person from an unknown company. I finally received an identification from a woman, so I discussed the matter with her. I offered a payment plan. She refused, stating that they do not take payment plans, and I needed to pay the whole debt. I contacted the state Attorney Generals' office, they gt a mediator involved. They were apparently willing to set up a payment plan with the mediator, sent a confirming letter with an apology if I was treated rudely, and a promise to not call me again. After I received my next SSDI check, I sent them the agreed upon amount. They sent the check back with a letter stating that they are no longer handling this account. No one else has ever contacted me about this account?! So, I still owe the money with no idea where to send a check.

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candy mauuray
Ypsilanti, US
Oct 23, 2011 8:57 pm EDT

I am terminally ill, I lost my job because of it. I have finally gotten a small amount of disability but trying to keep a roof over my head and keep electric and gas on takes most of my SSI. I had dealt with my creditor for many years and this was the first time I ran into a problem. I was willing to send them monthly payments but instead or working with me they sent me to collections and I.C. Systems. The funny thing is I was also a Collection Agent before I lost my job. I know how hard it is to do this job, What angers me is the calls I get several times a day are harassing. I have sent them a letter as per the law requesting that they stop calling me. They are ignoring it. There are days when I am in so much pain and it hurts to move and it even hurts to use my hands to answer the phone. They don't care. Today the lady that called told me that I didn't need to pay my rent, I just needed to pay my bill. I would if I could. I didn't plan on having this disease and I didn't plan on dying being only 53 years old. I have life insurance and I have told my family to make sure that I.C. Systems is the first to get their BLOOD MONEY.

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been there too
Saint Paul, US
Feb 18, 2011 7:04 pm EST

IC SYSTEMS Collection Reps do NOT go by their own names. I tried years ago to get a job with them in Collections. I got a tour of the place. There are cubicals with 2 name plaques in each one - a his & her name.
When they call you and say "this is Jane Fox from IC SYSTEMS..." She is reading the name plaque. That is why they can say 'Jane did not set that up' because Jane today was not the same Jane from 3 days ago.

I am waiting for them to call me, so ...
Good Luck to everyone who has to deal with them...

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yay4collections
Hampton, US
Aug 02, 2010 6:29 pm EDT

haha you debtors dont have anything to say after that huh?

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sotired
Mason City, US
Jul 02, 2010 12:55 pm EDT

Personally, I think it is hilarious that we, as collectors trying to get our paycheck just like everyone ELSE in the world, have to sit back and get called names ALL DAY LONG and it somehow doesnt constitute as harrassment. Our phone calls are recorded and if any of you spent even one day in collections you'd probably never want to go back. We work hard, and we try to follow the laws as much as possible. Your rantings and ravings only go to show that rather than focus on the problem at hand of trying to be responsible and pay your debts, your more willing to point the finger at everyone else. Think about it people. "Oh you can get money from them because they're breaking the law.. blah blah blah" yeah right. Yes, we have lawsuits, but honestly, we win most of them and not because we are horrible hateful people just waiting in a dark alley to corner you and take food out of your babies mouths, but because we do try very hard to get the money YOU people scammed out of hard working companies and didnt pay! How can we be the bad guys here? Granted, there are a few people who honestly just cannot pay and are in a bad situation, but I talk to people all day who have debts under $400 and are paying $200/mon for cable instead of paying their doctors or credit cards. Why is it that is ok but asking you to pay on time for services taken is not? I am a single parent going to school full time and working full time with no assistance and no child support, how do I deserved to be called names and treated like [censor] everyday? Why cant *I* file a f*ing lawsuit for harrassment? I got called so many names today when I was HONESTLY trying to help people with the best arrangment for THEM that I couldnt even tell you all of them in this space. Be responsible for your own actions people! A little TINY bit of cooperation goes a long frikken way!

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dstevens814
Aaronsburg, US
Jan 05, 2010 4:27 pm EST

I agree...i know IC system very well...you want them to stop calling then you need to look up a cease and desist letter online and print it off and send to them. or tell them that you are recording the call and actually do it cause you can catch them being rude and its illegal! so you can sue and get that account paid or get quite a bit of money just do on of these two...and btw the laws are that they can call as many times as they want until they contact u once per day...however their automated system may accidentally call you beyond that. check state laws for your state on how they can call and another thing if they call you at work just say this is a business line and they cant contact u there anymore and make sure you have a witness verify everything and then they cant legally call you their either

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Sick of them
Long Island City, US
Dec 22, 2009 8:50 am EST

ICS is trying to collect on a debt which they believe my son owes to ATT for an air card which was returned to ATT. We have given them the RA # but to no avail. My son is now in Europe on business and they keep trying my house about 10 times a day (I have caller ID) I told them that my son is our of the states but thery tell me that if I do not reach him and have him call them the calls will continue. These are nasty people. I have secveral phone lines ant home and I decided to keep calling them back. One call after another after another. Two or three at a time. I had them talking to each other. There was a John, Heather, and my good friend Josh who is quite a tough guy until you start calling him back, then he wont get on the phone. Keep deluging their phone lines. They have stopped for a while after they accused me of "harassing" them.

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Daremo
Fargo, US
Dec 09, 2009 3:53 am EST

FDCPA FAN,

IC was probably given your debt by the creditor to collect on. All you needed to do was give the collector your attorney info and some info on the bankruptcy and you would never have heard from them again. The creditor may have made a mistake but that doesn't mean that IC knew that you filed chapter 7.

D Bruins,

Actually, it is 8am to 9pm, not 8 to 8 and the dialer calls by area code so if someone moves to a new state and doesn't change their area code for their cell it isn't the collector's fault.

As for telling them not to call you (Cease and Desist) that only works if you live in Wisconsin...that is the only state that has a verbal C+D law. Otherwise you have to send in a letter to their office...and give it 1-2 weeks to be processed. I remember people that would say they were going to sue me (when I worked there) because they put a C+D letter in the mail yesterday and here I was calling them.

Also, it is a $1, 000 fine not a $10, 000 fine, and you have to prove in court that the collector knowingly broke the law or did so in malice. That's in the FDCPA

(2) (A) in the case of any action by an individual, such additional damages as the court may allow, but not exceeding $1, 000

In determining the amount of liability in any action under subsection (a), the court shall consider, among other relevant factors—
(1) in any individual action under subsection (a)(2)(A), the frequency and persistence of noncompliance by the debt collector, the nature of such noncompliance, and the extent to which such noncompliance was intentional

(c) A debt collector may not be held liable in any action brought under this title if the debt collector shows by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error.

Finally, the law states collectors can call up to 6 times a day to reach the right party. Answering machines are only considered a contact *if the collector leaves a message*. If the collector hangs up without leaving a message, they can legally call back. Once they reach you they cannot call back without your request. But if you hang up they can call back the next day, and if you hang up you're flagged as a refusal.

Only a few states have laws regarding how many times a collector can call you at home/work a week/month.

You may have been in collections but your facts are a bit off.

For the record, I was one of the nice collectors.

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babyberg
York, US
Sep 30, 2009 1:42 pm EDT

I had to quit my $700 a week job due to sexual harrassment, but unfortunately am not able to file any kind of suit becuase It would be my word against my boss. I have picked up odd jobs, enough to pay my car, insurance, and cell phone- all of which are needed to get and maintain a job. I havent been able to pay some of my credit cards becuase of this. unfortunatlely i have to make priorities, paying a dept store credit card before my necessesary bills is NOT an option. IC Systems actually called me once every hour, sometimes every half an hour for afew days. I would clear out the call, until I looked up the Federal Trade commission consumer rights. When I answered the automatic system hung up on me. So I called back. the rude voice on the side said "you dont have money to pay your bill here but you can pay your phone bill?" she then argues with me that they DO NOT call every hour and by law they can call every 2. doesnt change the fact that you HAVE been calling me every hour, and I can prove that. She was so rude and wouldnt let me get a word in, that I eventually had to hang up. I already filed a complaint, and also emailed IC Systems about my complain and informed them that I had filed one. Trust me- I would like to have an income, and make my payments. But I dont, and I cant. I search every single day for a job- but nothing has come around. Just because Im in a bad financial spot right now does not mean I need to be harrassed and treated like ###. My financial issues add enough stress to my life right now. These creditors almost make it unbearable.

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D Bruins
Pahrump, US
Jul 31, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

Actualy Souxie.. whom i'm sure you work for IC systems... let me inform you of something.

I used to work collections, and according to FDCPA, if you reach an Answering machine..

THAT IS CONSIDERED CONTACT TO THE DEBTOR.

Thus, when you call more then ONCE a day.. reguardless if you actualy speak to anyone ( which we all know doesn't stop you anyways. You've spoken to several people inmy house, while disclosing 3rd party information and called back 4-5 times after ).

Also, the reason for the calls isn't what is being discussed here. It is the PRACTICES of the company in going after the debt. Try reading things before commenting. You're just making yourself sound like a [censored].

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douche hater
, US
Jul 23, 2009 12:44 pm EDT

souxie.. ### you [censored] bag. I think I will call u 2/3 x a day

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souxie
hampton, US
Jul 06, 2009 10:05 pm EDT

May I remind each and everyone of you people who receive calls from IC System...your accounts were placed in collections for a reason! Meaning you did NOT pay at all or on time. Nobody gets anything for free. Collectors may call you 2/3 times a day or one time once they make CONTACT...meaning they spoke to someone. Therefor they are not in violation of the FDCPA, get it right and stop living beyond your means like the rest of us who are responsible!

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FDCPA FAN
Michigan City, US
Jul 06, 2009 10:56 am EDT

ICS calls my home repeatedly for a debt that was discharged in our chapter 7. I am reporting their company and taping their phone calls. The compay is in violation of the FDCPA. I advise everyone to report the org, record the calls (you can down load a free recorder on line) so they can stop their harrasing method of collection. Trust me if I had the money, I would pay it. Unfortunately my six figure income is gone due to the economy

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D Bruins
Pahrump, US
Jun 19, 2009 8:25 pm EDT

http://www.fairdebtlawyers.com/index-3.html here's the FDCPA for everyone to read

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D Bruins
Pahrump, US
Jun 19, 2009 7:54 pm EDT

Just a little fyi for all of you that are getting harassed by IC Systems. They are FREQUENTLY In violation of the F.D.C. P.A, The Fair Debpt Collection Practices Act. It's FEDERAL LAW that they DO NOT call a debtor more then ONCE per day, and only between the hours of 8am and 8pm, in the timezone the Debtor is in. If they continue to call you, wheither you owe a debt to them or not.. tell them if they do not CESE AND DESIST, that you will be contacting an atorney. Get the name of the person you're talking to as well, and do just that, call a lawyer. 10, 000 MINIMUM fine for each infraction of the F.D.C.P.A. :) Just thought i'd pass that on to you all. Hope it helps.

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123floydw
Saratoga Springs, US
May 10, 2009 1:33 pm EDT

my experience has been quite similar to the above mentioned, what a rude obnoxious, threatening bunch of ###, harrasing me over a $60 debt? they treat you with no respect then expect you to pay, try to put words in your mouth, talk to you as thou you owe them something, they can go scratch...

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princesslori72
Urbana, US
May 05, 2009 10:42 am EDT

I don't know why these people have started calling me. I don't have any outstanding credit card debt. I filed bankruptcy more than 6 years ago. The name of the credit card company they claim to represent was one of the creditors listed in my bankruptcy. I have asked them numerous times not to call my home anymore. They seem to be a bunch of foreign-speaking individuals from a country that ends in -stan. They have called as early as 8:15 am and as late as 9:30 pm. I have advised them that if they contact me again I will in turn contact my attorney general's office. They are relentless and rude. My husband answered the phone once and the "gentleman" on the other end told him to "put your wife on the phone so she can resolve this debt before it becomes a major problem for her". My husband told this little jerk in not so many words that he best be glad my husband coudn't track him down or the real problem would be his!

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Mindy
, US
Apr 28, 2009 11:55 pm EDT

i totaly agree. they call me five time a day on my cell phone! they call me so much that i have them listed as a contact, so that i am aware when they call and how often. i usualy just pick up the phone and hang up on them. to make matters worse, i'm unemployed, and i just feel like a little critter under a huge rock.

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Bill
Columbus, US
Feb 14, 2009 3:21 am EST

Whoever said they don't want to work with you is spot on. I'm in debt with quite a few different companies, and while it's not always fun getting a bunch of calls, at least the ones I've worked with in the past have been able to work out some sort of payment plan where I make small monthly payments for 5 years or whatever.

This company? They want $500 right this second or else. I just got screamed at today because having the money in a month isn't good enough. Like I said, I've dealt with several other creditors in the past and NOTHING compares to this company at all. The thing is, if they were easy to work with like my other creditors, they'd already be getting small payments with me. But this strong arm tactics crap where they demand hundreds gets them absolutely nowhere with me.

Here's the thing. This company buys up all these bad accounts that are hard to get payments from. They buy them from credit companies at a good discount, so when the people pay back the full amount plus interest, they make a nice profit. So it's a little funny that they're all pissed off with me, when they actually paid money for my account. They knew it was a bad account and I have no money. And I'm a very easy going guy. You got payment options? Let's hear them. But screaming at me insulting me? Really? that's your big tactic that's supposed to make me want to give you money?

All of you who read this that are getting harassed by them: Paying them is only rewarding bad behavior. If you give a dog a treat every time he pisses on the floor he's always going to be pissing on the floor. Don't encourage their abusive behavior by giving them money. Me? I was planning on making payments when I got a steady stream of income back. Now? I am going to wait until they sell my account to a company that knows how to treat people.

And a note to any collector who may be reading this: You're the one that thought getting a job in collections was such a great idea. How's that working out for you? Especially now will the economy in the tank, paying off old debt is the last thing on people's minds. Collections has to be one of the worst industries to be in right now, financially. So don't take your frustrations out on me because I'm suffering just like you are.

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midnitefaerie75
Vineland, US
Jan 24, 2009 10:12 am EST

I would love to see a class action suit against this company. Every complaint I have read sounds exactly like my encounter with this collection agency. They go above and beyond in area of poor customer service! They harrass, make threats and are just generally rude. The company needs to be dismantled and disallowed to practice debt collection. They are also cowards and make threats and are verbally abusive; however, they will not disclose their name after such acts and hang up the phone. What do they fear? Suffering the consequences of their actions should someone have their name and the ability to file a complaint? Someone stop the madness, as there is no civilized reasoning with this company!

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SCEADU
Buford, US
Jan 21, 2009 11:20 am EST

I am right in the middle of the financial crunch due to the fact that I am in high end construction. I have not received a paycheck since August of 08. I do not dispute that I owe their client a few back payments, and I will recover in a month or so, but in the big sceme of things I need to pay my mortgage and utilities before I can pay them. Their operator suggested that I pay them first before my mortgage and my utilities because their client was good enough to give me a line of credit. Everytime I get off the phone with these people I take a moment to pray for their souls. They are nothing more than the stereo typical mofia thugs that are dipicted in the movies.

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Annoyed
Boston, US
Dec 08, 2008 7:48 pm EST

I completely agree as well. This company is a phishing company. They try to strong arm you into paying out money that you most likely don't owe. I received several phone calls from them on a Voicestream (now T-Mobile) pre-paid account that I closed years ago. Saying I owed them 3000 dollars. (It was a pre-paid account ladies and gentlemen..I think you get that.) :)
They called from 7:30 am through 10:00 pm. They also told me that if I didn't pay immediately, sell off my things and give them the money, I'd go to prison for many years. They also told me that they were looking into my family history and would contact my family if I didn't start paying. I was annoyed, yes, but, all I could do was start laughing. The best thing for you to do, if you have call intercept on your verizon telephone, just add their number to your block list. If they try to slap you in the face, slap back even harder. Stand up to these fraudulent fools. They have absolutely nothing to stand on, and they have absolutely no legal standing. Ask them to send you something in writing. If they ask for your address, remind them that they have the information, then just hang up. Their stupidity isn't worth raising your blood pressure over.

Will they get the picture, I doubt it, but, at least they will know who really has the upper hand. YOU. To those who write anonymous comments on here, try using your real name and leave a phone number, so we can harass you. Cheers

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chris cardwell
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Oct 31, 2008 11:20 am EDT

I strongly agree they don't want to work with you . They just want to harass you and lie . They told me they were going to place leins on my property and take it when they couldn't . They called after 9pm and told me to post date a payment to them for $1068.00 and I told them I didn't have it at the time they said thats ok this is just to show them I wanted to resolve the debt and that I could call back and cancel it and set up an amount that I could afford . I called back and canceled the 1068.00 payment and set up a payment of 200.00 dollars . I then called back to verify the payment amount for my checking account . A rep. named Jordan said they could take both amounts because they had both on file . I told him I had a family to support . He told me he didn't care just make sure you have money in you account and slamed the phone down as he hung up . My wife and I are having to file bankruptcy and I contacted my attorney and gave him the number to I.C.system and I don't know what was said but, it must have worked . Just as a safegaurd I put stop payments on my bank account . If you have to work with this company DO NOT POST DATE A PAYMENT TO THEM via your checking account! I also reported them to the Federal trade comission for unfair collection practices .I would advise any one with a complant about this company to do the same. ( www.ftc.gov) or [protected])
you can e-mail me to let me know what you think about this issue .
chris cardwell

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Cindy Murray
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Oct 09, 2008 9:23 pm EDT

I strongly agree I tried to explain that I am paying the most I can pay them because my house in foreclosure and I have been paying them faithfully for the past six months what I can afford to pay them and they are harassing me and thearting me.They don't even let you talk they just keep harassing you they told me they did not receive a payment and my bank statement clarified that they did indeed cash the check and they denied the fact that they have received the payment.I am also considering changing my phone number so they cannot call me as I am making payment I don't know if you have enough complaints to follow a class action suit but I feell this company doesn't care. I hope you read this e-mail and take into consideration all the people that are getting phone calls from I.C.Systems and that are being harrassed we all know the economy is bad but when you have customers that are better then the Blue Collar workers and are not through what we are how is that equal rights.
I ask that you read my e-mail and the numerous other e-mails that are dealing with this company.
You can e-mail me and let me know what you think about this issue.
Thank You,
Cindy Murray