Complain about a product or service

Luebke Baker & Associates

Peoria, Illinois

Also see Consolidated Media Services.

Laura of Glen Burnie, MD October 13, 2008

Recently we have been receiving multiple daily calls from a debt collector called Luebke Baker and Associates, their number is 603-214-3644. They claim they are a lawfirm and that my husband owes 1060 + to a credit card he has never heard of that was supposedly charged off in August of 2005. They did send something to us over a month ago and that document is why I contacted them in the first place. However, I have since told them that we have no knowledge of the debt they are calling about and that we'd like something more detailed in writing.

They claim hey have sent other correspondences and they are now refusing to send any more. A few weeks ago they called and threatened to send a court summons to my husband's office. Today they said that they were going to research to find out what sort of assets we own and they were going to place a lien on them and send a Sherirf out to retrieve the items. They also keep asking for my husband's work number. My husband works in a secure area and is not able to receive calls. They still demand his work number.

I've told the collectors multiple times that my husband does not recall the debt and that they need to speak with him but the keep trying to push the subject with me. Is it even legal for them to discuss a debt with me that he incurred prior to our marriage? They have also been harassing my parents who live in Texas. At least they say they have but I've not heard anything from my parents about it. I've asked them to send us something in writing more times then I can count.

Today I answered when they called and again tried to discuss this debt like a reasonable adult. However as soon as I asked for them to send me something in writing the lady started threatening me and then hung up. We are starting to wonder if this is a scam. If the debt is even real. Also, is it even legal for them to threaten a court summons or to place a lien on things we own and send a Sheriff out to retrieve them? Is it legal for me to try and tape the conversation? I am strongly considering doing so the next time they call? I will certainly appreciate any help or advice you can give. I am not sure what to do but I feel that these calls and the harassment and threats are getting out of control.

I am pregnant, I've got enough on my plate not to have to worry about someone showing up at my home and putting a lien on my car or other property or bothering my husband at work! Stress is one thing I've got plenty of and I don't need anything else to lose sleep over and I am losing sleep over these threats and this supposed debt!

Joanna of Huntingdon Valley, PA October 1, 2008

Luebke, Baker & Assoc. is supposed to be a collection agency. The have been contacting my home phone and my fathers home phone looking to collect money from my husband. I admit that I have been ignoring them, but now that they are calling my father, he asked me to call and find out what my husband owed and why. I did so on 9/30/08. Michelle along with her supervisor where very rude and I was rude right back. But they are unable to provide me with any information as to what and why he owes this money. My father asked them to send the paperwork in the mail and they have failed to do so.

The lady on the phone had virtually no information and just wanted me to pay. I am not going to pay for something without documentation that it was actually my husband that owes the money. I have asked them not to call the house, yet they keep calling. As of yesterday they were going to turn the collection back over to the originally company, however they called my father's line again today. Please help!

I feel as if my family and are being harassed by this collection agency. It is very stressful to keep getting these calls, and being that I am nine months pregnant with a two year old, I don't need this aggrevation. I have also spent sometime trying to rebuild my husbands credit and I myself work partly in collection know that documentation and proof are needed. I was also accused of not paying my bills, which is an accusation I don't approve of.

Kimberly of Fort Myers Beach, FL September 11, 2008

This number calls my home anywhere from 1 to 4 times a day saying they are a collection agency. All they will tell me is that they are recording the call and telling me I have an account in collections but will not tell me who they are collecting on behalf of. I have not received any collection notices from them via mail, all they do is call. When I explained to them I don't, and haven't had, anything in collections they become EXTREMELY rude. I have repeatedly asked them to send me something in writting and of course nothing has shown up in my mailbox.

I have called them back using caller ID and when someone answers the phone they simply say hello like I was calling someones home. I have even asked to speak with a superviser and nothing has come of that either. I have since added features to my phone to block their calls.

Constance of Moncks Corner, SC September 11, 2008

I had a subscription that I canceled and then starting getting calls from this agency for the past 2+ years. When I first starting getting the calls I would answer and the person would tell me what the all was about, now when I answer, no one answers or sometimes its a recording. Calls even on the weekends and at night. Very annoying. Looks negative on my credit.

Nicole of Hodgkins, IL September 6, 2008

These people keep calling me several times a day. I have no idea why, but its making me mad. I even tried to get them to take my number off their list but they wouldn't even do that.

Ronnie of Bellevue, NE July 31, 2008

My wife took out a magazine subscription with American Preferred Reader Service in 1999 or 2000. In 2002, when the military moved us to Japan, we had all of our mail forwarded. A few months later, my wife received a letter from APRS, saying that they would send her account to collections if she didn't make a payment. This, of course, surprised her because we are good people and pay our debts accordingly. So, she called the company, explained that we had moved, and told they wouldn't send the magazines to Japan anyway. She asked how to cancel the account and was told that she had to pay the remaining balance. My wife sent the payment off and we never heard another word until July 11, 2007. This is when the Luebke Baker story starts.

They called my wife's phone four times. Each of those times, there was no answer. Finally, on the fifth call, this guy starts telling my wife she owes money before the line went dead. Thinking this was some sort of scam, I looked the numbers up and they all came from California. So, I called the last number my wife had on the phone and it was Luebke Baker. I explained to the woman that we didn't owe anything and was asked for my credit card number. I told her to mail us the information and she started verifying PERSONAL information about my wife. I hung up.

On the 21st of July, we got a call while shopping at Target. Again, the guy started in on my wife, trying to collect 195 for a 360 debt. She told him she paid it off in 2002 and asked why we are just now hearing about it SIX years later. I asked to talk to him, gave him my address, and asked to have the information sent to me in the mail. I then asked for a supervisor and asked for the same thing. She said the only thing they would send me in the mail is a remittance form for the full 360.

Here we are 10 days later, and we have not received anything from anyone. We mailed a certified letter to them, the Nebraska Attorney General, and the Illinois Attorney General. I told my wife that we should really consider some type of legal action. It's costing us money that I shouldn't have to pay to plead our case, plain and simple.

Amanda of West Deptford, NJ June 26, 2008

I received a phone call on my cell phone in the beginning of June, 2008, while on vacation, from a woman stating she was from Luebke Baker & Associates, calling on behalf of Diversified Marketing. She stated that in 1998 I had subscribed to magazines agreeing to pay 20-some dollars per month, and that I now owed them 837 but they were willing to take a settlement over the phone for 300. I asked her what magazines and that I didn't recall ever subscribing to magazines or agreeing to anything that would bind me to the potential of a debt of over 800. She informed me that she did not have the details available to her at that time. I told her to see what she could do to dig them up, and send me a letter & I would look into it when I returned home.

Shortly after I got home, I received a letter from Luebke Baker & Assocates, basically stating the same thing I was told on the phone but providing no details and offering me the option of filling in my credit card info for the settlement or paying by phone. I called customer service and this time spoke to a man. In a nut shell, I told them that until they could provide proof of the debt being a legitimate debt, they would get nothing out of me. He told me I made a verbal agreement & had actually mailed them a couple payments, but they again, could not provide proof of any such agreement or payments I had sent. A week or so later, I received another letter, stating the same exact thing as the first one, except this time, also enclosed was a memo, on no letterhead, to Diversified Marketing (I'm assuming that they were copying me on the memo) asking them to fill in the blanks on what magazines I ordered. I did not respond.

And finally, today I received another call, from a girl, stating all of the same things again. She started though, by saying that I had agreed to take a settlement. I corrected her & like in this complaint, went through every detail of what had transpired thus far. I ended it by again saying that I would pay nothing until evidence was provided to me of the debt being legitimate. She then put a man on the phone to whom I said, For the record, I want it noted that I dispute this, and if it hits my credit I will take you to court. He said all you have to say is you refuse the settlement. I reiterated that I was not refusing the settlement, I was disputing the debt. At that, he said ok and hung up.

Since then, today, I have received 2 calls on my cell phone from the same phone number & one on my home phone, all of which were hang ups or dead silence on the other end. On a whim, I looked them up on switchboard.com then web-searched them, where I found that many other people are having the same problem. I intend on furthering these complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. Aside from that and changing my phone numbers, I'm not sure what else to do.

Donald of Myrtle Beach, SC June 14, 2008

This company that goes by the name of International Magazine called me on my cell while I was at work one day, and unfortunately conned me into subscribing to these magazines. It wasn't until the last minute that they gave me the price--70 dollars for about half a dozen magazines. At the time it seemed like a good deal until minutes later after I had agreed and hung up, that I realized, after doing the math, that it really wasn't. And then I got a bit nervous, as I had given them my credit card info. I called back about an hour later and told them that I wanted to cancel. The person that I talked to this time told me that they would have to give the message to the supervisor. I asked if I could speak to the supervisor. They said they couldn't connect me to the supervisor from where they were, but could only get my info and see that it gets to the supervisor, and they would have someone call me back.

This happened more than once, this runaround. One time someone actually did call me back, but that person wasn't even the supervisor. And they said the same thing, that they'll send the message. One time someone actually called a few days later and tried to offer me a discount, down to 30 dollars or something, after I had told them after knowing who they were that I wanted it canceled, that I've been trying to cancel it. I said no to the discounted offer too. 70 dollars was pending on my debit card, and I called my bank and requested my debit card be canceled and to get a new one, explaining to them why. Before I received my new card the 70 dollars was put back into my account. Luckily it was only pending and never got cleared. I thought that was the end of it, and I never got anything in the mail.

Until one day I get a call from someone claiming to be from a collection agency, Luebke Baker & Associates, INC, as it turns out, saying that I owe 900 dollars to this magazine company. I've got calls from three different states. First it was lowering it down to 300 dollars, then 200, and each time I told them, I did not receive anything, I had tried to cancel it numerous times, starting on the same day the magazine company first called me, and that with the last person I talked to from this magazine company, I told them I requested cancellation the first day (apparently you have to cancel within 72 hours)and this person was like, Oh you did? Okay. And then they hung up, and I thought that was it.

Each time this collection agency called, they said they didn't have the number to the magazine company. I asked why the magazine company never informed me that I owe this outstanding amount and they said they didn't know. And they claimed that 900 dollars is what this company paid to the publishers of the magazines. And once again I told them but I didn't get any magazines. With the last call I got from the collectors, the person I talked to said that they've been sending me letters in the mail and I told them I haven't received anything. And Each time I told them I'm not paying a thing.

Finally today though I have received a letter from them. And it doesn't look very convincing, I'm keeping it for proof. And this time they say for only 92.68 I can settle this. I just want them to leave me alone.

Nick of Pelham, AL June 4, 2008

I received a letter from Luebke Baker & Associates, Inc. trying to collect a debt for Magazine Service of America for magazines I never ordered. They say I agreed to these magazines over the phone, but can not provide any proof of this. In the summer of 2007, I spoke with someone at Magazine Service of America and asked to hear the recording in which I agreed to get the magazines and I was put on hold numerous times, then they hung up on me. I thought that was the end of it. Now, a year later, I get this collection letter. This is crazy, I never agreed to any of this.

Luebke Baker & Associates, Inc. say I owe 1111.00, but they will take a settlement for 499.00. I asked for an address or phone number for Magazine Service of America and she told me they didn't have that information. How can they collect money for this company and not have that information??? I refuse to pay for something I never agreed to in the first place!!!!

Edward of Tyrone, GA May 22, 2008

Repeated phone calls and hang ups, when finally traced, they told me they were trying to reach a Robert Michaels, There is no one here with that name, I told them so multiple times, they continue to call and harras

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