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integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
10/16/12 11:50 a.m.

This is a serious question and if anyone has serious advice / info to pass along, it will be appreciated.

About a week ago, I got a phone call at about 8:15 PM from a machine that said it was calling for CDR and I needed to respond within the next 48 hours. It also said a file was being keep so that it would be keeping track of whether I called back....and when. I also said it hoped another call would not be necessary.

Because I don't know what CDR is, and I could not ask the recording what CDR is, and because it never asked for a particular person by name, I just shrugged the call off, figuring it was someone / something wanting to sell something. Well, almost exactly 24 hours later, this machine called me back again and said it had been 24 hours and CDR still needed to hear from me...and the "message", what there was of it, pretty much followed the script of the previous call. Starting to get worried, I tried a Google search, and got pretty much nothing. Just alot of websites for CD-R 's and a few for the Council of Dieticians, and one or two for a real estate stock. So part of me said, no need to lose sleep, if they REALLY need me, they will have an actual person call, or they will send a (threatening) letter in the mail.

Now, yesterday, the machine calls again, with a new message. Since I didn't call, they wanted me to know that "...they THINK they have my banking information....". I figured that that statement was a bit threatening, as in whatever you owe us, we think we can get from your bank, with or without your help. Am I just a bit too paranoid to think along those lines?

SOOOOO, I got out my disposable / prepaid cellphone and called the number they kept providing in each message and asking the person who answered, "... what in the heck is CDR?" No real answer. "Well just tell me what CDR does?" I was told "...CDR does alot of things, if you can give me your phone number (mind you, I'm never in all these calls asked for my name) I can tell you why we called". So I insisted that this person could just answer the simple question "...if Ford biulds cars, and IBM builds computers...what does CDR do, surely you can answer that in a sentence". Still no direct answer. After a bit more of what might be called my ranting, the person switched to elevator music for a few moments and then I broke the connection.

Late last night, I did another search, and found a CDR on the internet that does "fundraising". That CDR is 1000 miles away, ODDLY, does NOT have an 800 number so you can contact them, but does list several large / famous organizations they do fundraising for like MADD.

I STILL think this is some kind of "sell", but whoever / whatever CDR is, their tactics stink in my book. Anyone else contacted by this....entity?

Wally
Wally UltimaDork
10/16/12 12:05 p.m.

They were calling us looking for someone else with the same last name. From what I could gather it was some type of debt collection service. Seems like they take over hard to collect debts and try to collect what they can through threats.

Here is some info I found if it's the same CDR http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/2568674220

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-546-7300

Javelin
Javelin MegaDork
10/16/12 12:06 p.m.

Looks like a scam company:

Story 1

Reports on the #

stuart in mn
stuart in mn PowerDork
10/16/12 12:12 p.m.

Do you have caller ID so you could see the number they were (supposedly) calling from? Whenever I get unsolicited calls I google the number and it usually turned up on one of those websites where people report those sorts of things. This time of year it could be a political polling or fundraising deal.

integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
10/16/12 12:14 p.m.

I figured it was a collection agency, too. If I was in that business, CDR could stand for Consumer Debt ....Relief?.

I'm not losing much sleep over it, as I have no outstanding debts that need any action. However, I got to thinking about identity theft and wondered how I would know if someone has "hijacked" my identity?

Finally, I am always royally ticked when ANYONE calls on the phone and can't be bothered to identify themselves. And in this case, I'll admit I didn't identify myself when I called back, but they never asked for my name...just my phone number.

foxtrapper
foxtrapper PowerDork
10/16/12 12:18 p.m.

Stop searching for CDR, and search on the number you called.

Wally
Wally UltimaDork
10/16/12 12:26 p.m.

I wish I had the internet when I was doing repos. It makes research much easier.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
10/16/12 12:28 p.m.

We regularly get debt collection calls for people who lived at our rented place a while back - the longer this goes on on a per-debt basis, the scummier those companies become. They're basically either fishing for information about whoever they're after, or they're trying to pressure people with similarly sounding names to cough up money.

Be very careful checking your mail in case they try to write to you - you pretty much have to respond (in writing) to them to tell them they're after the wrong person and monitor very carefully in case they send you a summons, because if they do get a default judgement against you, you are on the hook if it is your debt or not.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH PowerDork
10/16/12 12:30 p.m.

Scam or wrong number. Only CDR I know about is a blank CD.

N Sperlo
N Sperlo PowerDork
10/16/12 12:34 p.m.

Sounds similar to some last resort repossessions. Fork truck through the widows... Drive away...

Wally
Wally UltimaDork
10/16/12 12:43 p.m.

In reply to N Sperlo:

Atleast there they are taking what's owed, If this is like the calls I got it's a fishing expedition. It seemed they were just calling people with the same last name and trying to convince them they were on the hook for the debt since we had to be related. I would be an ass on the phone and play along with them to see where it was going. Eventually the decided we had to be related and if I didn't pay them that day I be arrested for aiding and abetting their delinquency.

integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
10/16/12 12:46 p.m.

Wally pretty much nailed it, the number I am told to call is 1-855-546-7300.

And, I did do a search of the "name" CDR, and got nowheres. I did go and leave a message on the website / message board Wally provided a link to. As I said there, it's kind of dumb to threaten(sp?) folks with "....and we think we have your banking info", just try to take the money, knuckleheads.

FWIW, my home loan was paid in full over 3 years ago. I've paid cash for the last 2 or 3 vehicles I've purchased. I do have what I feel is a too large credit card balance...but I have never paid only the minimum balance...tho once I took money out of the ATM then went right into the bank to make a payment on my card (the things you do when you are broke).

And yes, I am checking my mail carefully. Unfortunately, I "lost" about 5 to 6 WEEKS of mail a few months ago (don't ask, it's stupid)...so if they sent anything at that time...oh, well.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim PowerDork
10/16/12 1:02 p.m.

If some mail didn't reach you it might be worth checking your credit reports to ensure there isn't anything on there that shouldn't be. Just in case...

The actual report should be available for free on www.annualcreditreport.com if you haven't pulled them from there in the past six months.

fast_eddie_72
fast_eddie_72 UltraDork
10/16/12 1:04 p.m.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-546-7300

Found that.

(edit) Found this too. Better.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/collection-agency-s/cashnet-usa/cashnet-usa-cdr-and-associates-67b57.htm

N Sperlo
N Sperlo PowerDork
10/16/12 1:14 p.m.

In reply to Wally:

Oh, I agree completely. On the matter off repossessions, I've had to interfere due to the vehicle being on private property I was protecting. I didn't like the fact that I was hindering the party owed money, but its my job. The driver was a dick, too. I could have arrested him on the spot for trespassing and had his rig impounded, so he should have been very polite.

carguy123
carguy123 PowerDork
10/16/12 2:23 p.m.

Report them to the attorney general in your state. Give them the phone number and the spiel. They are always looking for abusive practices and if they find a pattern, which means several people have reported it, they can fine them and shut them down.

Debt collectors are required by law to clearly identify themselves.

Strizzo
Strizzo UberDork
10/16/12 3:15 p.m.

having recently dealt with a supposedly legit debt collection company recently, i can't imagine what the shady ones are like. in my case, the debt wasn't even real, i had sent payment (65 dollar ankle brace from foot dr.) already but they sent it to collections anyways. even though i proved that they were wrong, i still got treated like a criminal, and not so much as an apology in the end.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon MegaDork
10/16/12 3:22 p.m.
carguy123 wrote: Report them to the attorney general in your state. Give them the phone number and the spiel. They are always looking for abusive practices and if they find a pattern, which means several people have reported it, they can fine them and shut them down. Debt collectors are required by law to clearly identify themselves.

They also cannot threaten you with jail time.

Travis_K
Travis_K SuperDork
10/16/12 3:41 p.m.

Something sorta like that happened to me once, but they were not that rude or threatening about it. It turned out someone with the same first and last name as me had stolen a motorcycle in North Carolina and wrecked it, and the insurance company was trying to collect for the damage to it. After I explained that I didn't live in North Carolina nor had I been there for quite some time, and that I am not black, they said they would remove my information from the file and I never heard of it again.

ultraclyde
ultraclyde Dork
10/16/12 6:21 p.m.

A couple years ago I was contacted by a debt collector repeatedly about a debt that wasn't mine. They had the same last name as mine, and the same first initial but no first name. I ignored a couple calls and a couple letters. Then I received the warrant from some sheriffs dept in Texas.

I called the sheriff directly and told them they had the wrong person. After some verification, the sheriff cancelled the warrant, laughing. The warrant filing cost the company $150, they were just hoping they had the right guy.

Wally
Wally UltimaDork
10/16/12 9:35 p.m.

In reply to N Sperlo:

That's your job. Mine was to find a way around it which we usually did. That industry is a magnet for dicks. Most aren't as bad as the asshats on tv but there are some. The guys I worked with taught me to be polite and friendly at all times. They handled jobs others couldn't do, and I have none of the stories that alot of guys do like being shot at. We had a number of creative ways of finding people and getting them to leave their cars unattended, or getting friends and family to give them up. None of them involved threats of jail, which I guess doesn't work very often. What does work a surprising number of times is telling them they have won a free car stereo if they bring it by for an install.

moparman76_69
moparman76_69 Reader
10/16/12 10:10 p.m.

http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?page=1&xmldoc=In%20FDCO%2020120720932.xml&docbase=CsLwAr3-2007-Curr&SizeDisp=7

Apparently they don't play nice.

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltraDork
10/16/12 10:11 p.m.
moparman76_69 wrote: http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?page=1&xmldoc=In%20FDCO%2020120720932.xml&docbase=CsLwAr3-2007-Curr&SizeDisp=7 Apparently they don't play nice.

404 error

integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
10/16/12 10:32 p.m.

Well, a couple of interesting "developments". Tonight, one of the networks (ABC, I think) had a story on "robocalls". A spokeswoman with the U.S. government said "robocalls" are illegal...even if you are NOT on a do not call list.

As for CDR....for the past 2 days, they have been "robocalling" at 3:15 PM. Today, they called at 3:15 PM, 3:27PM, and 3:45PM...SAME recording each time. Then they called at 4:27PM and finally at 5:35PM a real, live, human being called. Being the stupid, pigheaded dick that I am, I hung up on him. If these jerks wouldn't talk to me when I called them, they will have to put more effort into getting ahold of me....and WITHOUT veilled threats.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon MegaDork
10/17/12 7:10 a.m.

I have a laughably common name, so in the past have had some mixups with collection agencies. The funniest was some dumbass lawyer who had bought a bunch of bad debts for pennies on the dollar then started collection proceedings. Somehow my name came up and I got first a letter, which I ignored because the middle initial was wrong and I have never in my life bought anything from Fingerhut. I got a sorta polite phone call, in which I let them know they had the wrong guy, figured that was the end of it. Then I got a nasty phone call, which really made me hot. I made a few inquiries and got the private office phone number of the lawyer who was in charge of the whole thing, then for about two weeks I called him randomly from different phones (that way caller ID was useless) and went OFF at him. I finally let him get a word in edgewise, then told him if I EVER got another call he would really have a problem. No more calls.

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