607-748-4686

I got a call from Cindy. She states that I owe $475.20 for the Selling Advantage Newsletter.  I never requested the newsletter or received any other invoices. She called me a "deadbeat" and threatened my credit rating as well as my company's. This is a terrible scam. Cindy is from International Credit Recovery representing Progressive Business Solutions.  I told her that I know this whole thing is a scam and she told me that all the complaints are from deadbeats that do not pay their bills. Why is this company still around?  Please help shut them down!

I just got a call from someone name Angel of ph number 6077484686  and left me a voicemail saying that our company has incured debt and has my name attached to it. They have been calling couple of times last year, funny thing they keep chaging their story.  I told my boss and he told me this is just a scam, so I google it and found this site.
Thanks everyone for sharing the story.

Some collection agent bought list never would say whole they were trying to collect for?

I just got a call from this number, a "manager" named Amanda. She said I owed $299 for a HR newsletter. I have copies of MULTIPLE time I have mailed their invoices, letters, anything back to the PO Box to cancel. She said that I was sending back the wrong thing and that I owed the money or the company I work for and me would be in collections. She was rude and mean. I told her I would try and contact PBP and she said I couldn't. I am so upset... reading this info makes me feel better. Should I just ignore her?

I received a call from a Cynthia Thomas claiming that she represented Progressive Business Publications.  The number was 607-748-4686.  She claimed a coworker had authorized a "online" training and that 5 invoices has been sent.  When I asked for a copy of the email or verification that the account had been accessed she said there was no way that it could be done.  I then asked Cynthia the state she was in, as I was going to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  She told me not to threaten her.  I explained that I need verification that this invoice was legit.  She could/would not provide any documentation.  She said she would proceed with collection.

Don't believe their threats.

When they (any sort of scammer, and they are LEGION) start making threats, call their bluff. Tell them to go ahead with their "proceedings". Tell them to just knock themselves out with collections efforts. Don't argue, just tell them to go forward and do their worst. Since they don't have a legal leg to stand on, it won't ever happen. It'll never go to court. If it did they might end up leaving in handcuffs.

And never, EVER give them ANY information, not even your name.

From http://www.zimbio.com/member/QAWXPbC64/articl ... cations+Malvern

"It’s worth noting that ICR is NOT a member of the American Collector’s Association, and that a collection agency with the same name (one based in Fresno, California) has a huge disclaimer on its home page reading: “WE ARE NOT IN ANY WAY ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL CREDIT RECOVERY OF NEW YORK.” Take from that what you will. (International Credit Recovery of Vestal, New York, does not appear to have any Web presence.) Also, per the New York State Division of Corporations, International Credit Recovery (ICR) of Vestal, New York is an “Inactive” company, having been “dissolved” in 2004 for failure to pay franchise taxes."

Soooooo...the "International Credit Recovery" that calls about Progressive Business Publications "invoices & accounts past due" is not real. It is a complete fraud. It is just PBP pretending to be a collections agency.

I recommend you read the entire article.

It is just AMAZING that these frauds are allowed to continue bilking people.

A woman called by the name of Bobbi, she said she was International Credit Recovery (ICR). She claimed that our Company was delinquent on a payment from a company called Progressive Business Publications for the Safety Compliance alertnewsletter. She informed me that my name was on the invoice and if we did not pay, our company would be put into collections.  I explained that Progressive Business Publications never contacted me about a publication.  and that I was sent several emails and we owe $299.00 and they have me on a voice recording on Sept.10,2010 agreeing to a 30 day trial and to call back and cancel if I didn't want to continue receiving the newsletter..After talking to her , I googled and came across this website and realized it was a scam. I also went back into my calendar and I was out of the office on vacation on the day she specified... THIS IS A SCAM

I am a receptionist and our company has been getting calls from Progressive Business Publications for a few years.  We haven't agreed to anything, and thus haven't been sent invoices.  But I am so glad that I found all of these comments explaining who these people are!  I figured they were scammers since they seem to pick a day out of the month and call several times during that day, trying to trick me by asking for different departments and disguising their company name by giving initials instead of the name or refusing to give the company name.  It just seemed shady to me.  When they call (and I figure out who they are) I refuse to speak to them and put them on hold until they hang up.  BEWARE of Progressive Business or PBP!

I work for a school district and we are getting at least 3 bills from Progressive Business Publications.  Each one is a little different and has a different employees name on it.  We have ordered nothing from these people.  Today I got a call from International Credit Recovery.  Heather was the girl's name.
I went on-line and Googled them as I waited on hold for her and found this and other sites that said they were a scam.  So when she came on I told her I knew it was a scam and they if they had anything else they wanted to say I could put them in contact with the districts lawyer.  She hung -up the phone quickly!  What a shame people are such crooks.

I own a small business and I'm constantly called for donations to various magazines and things of that nature. The leeches at Progressive Business Whatever called me and asked for my date of birth for what they said was survey information. They then told me my business would get one free month of this fictional pamphlet and if I wanted to cancel I only had to send back a cancel slip. Not being a "big" small business, I never sign up for things that have trial periods, they are all scams from what I've noticed. So I declined the offer and told them not to call again. Sure enough I started getting statements. I ignored them because I never ordered the service and it was just one more head ache. Then a woman called this Friday claiming we were in collections for $195. I told her I never ordered it. She said her having my birth date was confirmation. Not to be mean, but I can find anyone's birth date if I look hard enough. Still, in this economy no one can afford for con artists (and not very good ones) like this to cheat people out of their money. DO NOT PAY THESE PEOPLE! Don't give them any other information either.

Wow!! I can not believe that these people really are still in buisness. I have been getting calls here in our office since may 4th 2011 stating that they are ICA for PBP. They have the month and date of my birthday that they could of simply got from anywhere, recordings of me agreeing to the subscription and multiple invoices to my office. I could not understand why i did not have anythinh from these people, unfortunatley i see all these websites with many people going through the same as i am. I finally called them back no answer just answering machine, finally got ahold of them told them to provide me with proof of the recordings at which point she denied me and proof of invoices that she states were all ready faxed to my boss not me!!! I asked for copies again and simply told me no, that she already sent it once. She swore up and down that she not giving it to me so finally i told her shes refussing proof that we will be taking them to court, at that time she said not to threatin her. I again asked for the recordings which again said no and finally sje gave in and said she was going to contact the cliant to tell them to zero it out. If they are collecting why would they ask me to pay pbp? Bogus!!!! Becarefull people. Ask for recordings!!! The wont bother you after that!!

i just received the same.. fortunatly i work for a county office, and told them that it was an unautorized, and that i have already forwarded thier phone number, company name, and the invoices, to our district attorney's office and they informed me that they would clear the account. usually a threat with an attorney works.. so just some advice that will help you get rid of these scam artists.

They're still at it. Called me today and said my company owed $299 to Progressive Business Publications for a publication called CFO Update that I had authorized in October of 2010 (nine months ago). Also said I gave them a birthday of June 26 as some kind of evidence of authorization - I have no idea whose birthday that is. Spoke to Amanda and told her my in-house attorney would be sending a letter to International Credit Recovery at 300 Main Street, Vestal NY to explain why we weren't paying, and I needed her zip code and last name. She quickly provided them and jumped off the phone so fast I barely had time to say good-bye. Helps to do a reverse phone look-up before returning calls from strangers, and a big thank-you to the posters on this site for the forewarning.

April Bair is the rep from ICR that called me.  ICR has had 153 complaints filed with the BBB in the last 36 months and Progressive Business Publications has had 624 complaints.  You can file complaints witht he BBB of Washington, D.C. and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Today 06/17/2011 a woman called by the name of Cathy, she said she was International Credit Recovery (ICR). She claimed that our Company was delinquent on a payment from a newsletter which was never requested.The call reminded me that indeed I received a call for a subscription which was denied because not needed in our organization. She informed me that my name was on the invoice and my birthday (which has been given to many people so???) was the signature of a binding contract of this newsletter. She tried to escalate to my boss (she couldn't do anything) and then asked me the owner of the company. At this stage I told her to Google about it, she got upset and hanged up.
Please, be cautious ......THIS IS A SCAM DO NOT PAY!!!!
Caller ID: 607-748-4686

I am a medical doctor and I recived a call from international credit recovery at above phone number 607-748-4513 regarding of not paying money for a 12-month susbsription about coding and billing from progressive company and that currently may name is in collection agency and that I have to pay the money promptly, the lady introduced herself as to be: Doddie or dobbie Philtrop, when I confronted her that I did not sign papers for any contract with this company, she became an advocate of the company and said that somebody had recorded my voice on phone that I agreed to the contract and that It was certainly me on line who gave up my e mail address and the date of birth otherwise, how the company could know about my information, then, I confronted her that I had reveiwed my prior invoice from this company and because they had not put any phone number on their invoice to call them back, Thus, I concluded that they must be scam, therferoe, I did not pay, then,she replied that the company has all rights Not to disclose its phone number !!!  or not to have a customer service!!!  then , what I did, I took the invoice to Santa Clara police station who adviced not to pay and they are going to investigate about this scam.

I also got a call in regards to the same fraud and i never accepted any trial offer. When people try to call about trial i always saw we are not interested and i always send it to the authorized personnel that handles this i would and did not ever say yes to any trial i know all trials lead eventually to having to pay.
This people need to be stopped they caused me a scare but my accounting department assured me no such invoices ever came so i know it is some scammers.

Im glad i found this site now i know & have additional confirmation that these people are just a bunch of scammers.

One "Lindsey" called claiming that (-----) employed by us ordered a subscription, did not cancel and not pay.  I politely took her name and number and said AP would call her back.  Like hell, we'll call her back.
The employee confirms they did not know how this person got their name or our address.

I received a call from “Angel”  (followed by a call from "Amanda) at International Credit Recovery (607-748-4686) who said she was with a collection agency trying to collect on an overdue subscription from Progressive Business Publications.  She said I ordered it and have been getting it for months and did not cancel it.  She said the company sent one notice to me and four to accounts payable. I never ordered the publication and I never got a notice about payment or cancellation (neither did our accounts payable). I told her we did not order it and were not paying for it..

Obviously, this is a scam that has been going on for some time.  The Progressive Business Publications must be a pretty poor publication if they have to go to these lengths to get anyone to subscribe!