I had a message on my voicemail this evening from NCO Financial. It said that they were trying to reach so and so (my parents) and left a call back number. I called and spoke with a woman who would not tell me (due to third party laws, she said) what she was calling regarding, all she would say was that it was a business matter.
She would not tell me if she was a debt collector. She would not tell me why she wanted another way to get in contact with my parents. She only said that I was listed as a possible relative and that she was trying to reach them.
Without her telling me what she wanted, I was not going to give her any information. I told her so. She said she understood. (There were all sorts of warning bells going off in my head and I was very suspicious). I asked if her company had a website that I could look at to see what they did. She said, 'NCO Group' and I asked, '.com?' and she said, 'yes'. I think she didn't want someone to overhear her giving the information out... She asked if I would be able to convey a message that she (NCO) was trying to reach my parents. I told her I would do my best, but that I probably wouldn't get too far (that's not a lie, either).
I immediately looked NCO up on the internet and found out they are a collection agency. I then came back to the computer later and looked for usacomplaints.com, out of curiousity, and, to my amazement, I found more than I ever thought! It confirmed my hesistations, and has reaffirmed my decision to call my parents, only this time, to warn them to not agree to anything with NCO and to try to obtain something in writing, rather than just convey a message.
I read in some of the rebuttals that there is a Cease Communications request I can send. Is there a specific format or do I just write one up? Is it only good in some states? (I am not near PA, and neither is where my parents live.) If it is only good in some states, is the applicable state determined by where the collection agency is, where the debt is, or where the 3rd party is?
I also went to the FTC website and did a search for FDCPA, as recommended in one of the rebuttals I read, however, I got lost in all the results. Can someone provide me a direct link?
Thanks for any help!
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