Debt Collectors Gone Wild

I was a collections agent in a doctors office. The hardest thing was to hound patients for money I knew they likely did not have, especially if they suffered from cancer or something worse. I never knowingly broke the law, but the doctors were very adament that they wanted their money. I was forced to pass on their threats and was encouraged to intimidate them…anything to get money. At the end of the day, I didn’t sleep well at night, and finally quit.
Many of these debt collectors are unhappy in their own lives and this is a way to pass on their misery to others less fortunate than themselves…and get paid for it. Thing is, karma has a way of catching up…one day they could be the ones getting the call. They never know.

I have been in the collection industry for 18 years. I have worked for attorneys as well as collection agencies. While there are those in our industry as well as most other industries who exploit the system to their advantage, most collectors are carefully monitored. In addition, consumers are more educated, and technology is in their favor. It is unwise from a legal standpoint to break the law. It makes more sense to assist consumers in finding ways to resolve their issue and keep communication open between all involved parties. Nowadays people will just hang up on you if you are rude, as well they should. I have had a great amount of success in this business and have never been sued, and have never had a state complaint. A collector, no matter how “good” they are, is simply a liability to their employer if they are not compliant with the law.

When I had my daughter 21 years ago I could not pay the bills. I sent what I could and that was not good enough. I was harased for almost 6 months to the point of tears every time the colectors called me. they told me they would put me in jail and my new born would end up in foster care. they told my husband they would have the police there in the hour to arrest him. I changed my number and they stopped. About 2 years ago I had a bill that I was slow paying on and they started calling my house at all hours. I had learned that I can tell them to stop and send me paper bills and I would pay them as I could. I have called their bluffs ever since and they do not bother me any more.

My daughter won a lawsuit against a debt collector (attorneys from Dallas) who harassed her at work and threatened her with arrest. The abuse was horrible. Now, she has been waiting for over 7 months while they appeal. I am sure that by the time this whole thing is over, her $75,000 victory will have been eaten up by attorney’s fees.

After two layoffs and near financial ruin, my wife got an abusive call from a collector. I was working interim in a metal shop. So, I got the 800 number from her and called it. When the grouchy, bossy lady answered, I put my cell phone down on a metal table and next to it I pounded my sheet-metal hammer 4 times. The sound was was ear-splitting! I had ear plugs in but I swore my ears were ringing after that. That was quite evil of me but it felt good to make someone else’s ears ring because my wife was undeserving of that immature abusiveness. Oh, it is kindof fun also to play along with collectors. They call call up and try to “help” the debt get paid. “When I was cooking mac’n'cheese and hotdogs I got a call. The boy told me to eat hot dogs instead of steak to save money. I told him I was doing that before I was in debt because I couldn’t afford steak then. After 15 mins. of getting nowhere and being near tears he reached his limit and said he didn’t know how else to help me. I told him I never called him and asked for his help so I didn’t really need it. Bottom line… I had no money and I wouldn’t have it until I got a good job.

Well, let’s look at the other side. There are countless people out there who don’t think they are obligated to pay their bills. Most of the time it’s not a question of ability, it’s a question of these people deciding to spend their money on other things rather than paying their debts. I certainly don’t agree with the tactics described in the story, but we do need to come up with a way to make people pay what they fairly owe. Too many people are squirming out of their debts these days.

I went through this hell twice. In both cases I had money owed to me and the companies insisted I owed them! I had to contact the attorney general’s office to stop the harassment and recover what was rightfully mine. Companies are constanly under pressure to make money for their sharholders and wealthy executives. Its too bad innocent people have to make it happen for them.

You have to be a beggar for your meal ticket to get a job as a collector, and resort to these practices. The Internet offers many free templates of letters to send the companies, threatening them back basing your complaint on FTC legislation, and demanding to have them get off your case. USE THEM!

My wife went through this about two years ago with a debt collector for Finacial Aid. They were very rude and were calling her everyday harrassing her, threatening her even being disrespectful and vulgar on the phone. Finally I told her enough was enough. We reported the collector and threatened them with legal action. By the end of whole ordeal they assigned another agent to my wifes case. I think they fired the other one, but regardless it was all uncalled for. Not everyone who has debts are just not trying to pay them, some are just not able to for whatever reason.

My son just had his bank account zeroed out by a bill collector. They did a “skip trace” and somehow found one of his brothers cell phone numbers and began harrassing him at all hours. The collector stated the number was put on the credit application-funny since the phone service was signed one year later than the credit app.
Due to holding payments until past due and all the extra charges the credit card company ran up the bill to a thousand dollars. When he stated he owe that amount and could not pay the reduced amount to clear the account the collector stated this “business is over” and hung up on my son. The next day the collector had found his bank account and cleaned it out.

Stop whining! Pay for the things you bought with the money you “borrowed” from creditors. If someone owed you money, you want it back!
You can’t get whatever you want and then cry because you have to pay for it later! Not paying for stuff is called STEALING!
The ONLY exception is when someone incurs debt as the result of medical expenses. That is something that is beyond their control.

To those who work in the collection industry; while in undergrad my main source of income was from collecting returned accounts from businesses…couple of things i have learned; most of the industry does not practice responsible collection procedures, there may be company wide SOPs that illustrate proper collection procedures but those are never practiced and rarely enforced. These companies are money making machines, if a $1500 defaulted debt has been bought by a company for .25 cent and a debtor pays only one hundred dollars on this debt, that company has made a tremendous profit. And when you pay your employees little over minimum wage plus a commission and or bonus that is probably contigent on unreasonable goals you add the two together and you get what has been presented here today. Also, those who say that debtors need to be held responsible for their debt, I don’t think that responsiblity should be held in hands of a 9-5 collector or in my case a twenty year old undergrad who is trying to make as much money as possible. Most of these defaulted debts have been covered by insurance companies anyway…i mean the things i saw, collecting after 9:00, collecting on old debts that statues of limitations had ran out on and then marking the debt as new on a debtors credit report, calling more than once a day, calling and harrassing at debtors jobs…it is not by chance that this industry has exploded in recent years…i think we should be more concered about protecting those who owe and not the collectors…

I’ve been there too. My debts were my own fault, I was irresponsible, and i recognize that. But many of the agencies acted reprehensibly. It was many years ago, before the internet and news programs really worked on educating consumers of their rights. Even though I was an adult, my father was called more than once and given details about my debts (completely illegal). The biggest thing was I didn’t know where to turn to report such violations. I’ve since resolved my issues, but I’m glad I know my rights in case I ever face identity theft issues.

When my husband and I were eighteen we ran up almost fifteen thousand dollars in debt. Instead of filing for bankruptcy as many of our friends do at that age we have spent the last ten years slowly paying it off. I do remember phone calls from creditors that ended with me crying, phone calls at all hours of the day and night, and the fear that I had just to answer the phone. What was worse is we were paying them all off, just not as they wanted. We are down to only one account that is still in collections. It is from 1997 and we only just started receiving collections on it ten years later! I had to do some serious searching to even find an old bill stating it was an account of ours because we didn’t remember it and it has never shown on our credit report. This creditor demanded full payment and refused to do a payment plan. I now just ignore the phone calls and the letters in the mail. I do understand that these debts are my problem and that I made the mistake, that is why I paid them all and did not file for bankruptcy but the collection agencies are not willing to work with people. Why would they refuse a payment plan seven months ago of $100 dollars a month which would have paid the debt by now instead of harrassing me for seven months and getting nothing?

As a business owner, it is amazing how many people try to avoid paying any bills they may have created. Some people will claim to have a shortage of funds and are not able to pay off any of their bill…yet these same people routinely spend between $5-$10 per day on cigarettes. Over the course of a month, this adds up to $150-$300 / month. Apply this amount towards your debts and you can get rid of the bill collectors calling you. Granted this is not everyone, but it is a disturbing trend that I am noticing.

I had a debt collector set me up on a payment plan some years ago, only to get a threatening phone call 3 days later (after I’d already sent them $350,) stating that if I didn’t pay the balance in full, I would be prosecuted. I had to go over MANY heads to get this straightened out.
According to Anderson (stated above); “A debt collector is not the enemy of the consumer. His or her job is to help find a solution and help the person figure out a way to pay the debt.” My response (considering my experience); “SuuuUUUuuuUUUre.” *note sarcasm*

If you think there is no debtor’s prison in this country, you have not been paying attention. In December of 2006, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the Lee v. Spellings case that the various collection arms of the United States Government have the right to administratively take a person’s social security benefits which are over the first $750. a month, no matter whether the person filed to have old school loans discharged or not because the person has become 100% permanently disabled.
With Social Security increasing at maybe 4% a year, and interest being added onto the old school loans at as high as 18%, it places the 100% permanently disabled person into a financial debtor’s prison for the remainder of their life from which they can never escape. Do you want to know what the collection agent supervisor said to my attorney when asked when they were going to grant the administrative discharge due to documented 100% permanent disability (after they had signed for and received the 5th set of medical documentation and request forms)? The collection agent supervisor said, “We don’t have to approve it. We are the United States Government!” And you know what? The CFR states that once a collection agent supervisor has made a determination, there is no appeal allowed.

I am so tired of Pentagroup Financial LLC (Houston, TX) calling me in regards to my deadbeat ex-husband who I divorced 12 years ago. He has never lived where I live, and he has never been associated with my current phone number. I have told them 3 times to STOP calling me, I do not know where he is. They don’t listen. Every two month…message on my answering machine because they use Skip Trace.

DONT WANT THE DEBT COLLECTOR TO CALL???????? PAY YOUR BILLS!!!!

I had the same issue with a loan on my vehicle. I had a bad couple of months, missed one payment and was close to the next month’s payment due date. I had been working with someone at my loan company and she was very nice, trying to work with me. Next thing I know, another lady calls and was VERY rude, demanding, and threatening. I told her I had just received some money and she demanded I tell her where I was getting the money from for the payment she demanded that very day. I told her it was none of her business where I got the money (besides my place of employment), but she insisted it was her right. She then threatend me by saying that if she had to pull my file the next day for non-payment, “you will regret it.” I asked her if she was threatening me, and she said yes! I thank the god(s) I had received that check or I might have lost my vehicle. I have never been so upset in my life.

In 1999, I got a call from a cell phone company asking me to get service from them. I said no about a dozen times, then gently hung up. The next week, I got another call from the same company, and the next week and the next week. I finally agreed to let them send me literature on the product and service, but two days later I got a package through UPS, containing a cell phone and a contract. The letter attached to the box said that if I wished to cancel the contract, I should use the phone to call *39 or something like that. I followed the instructions and was told by the CSR that because I used the phone (I only made the one call to the company’s CS department), I could not cancel the contract. I started getting bills for hundreds of dollars worth of calls every month. It took seven months to finally get things straightened out. I got a statement with a zero balance. Then the collection agency started calling, trying to get me to pay for service I hadn’t ordered and never used. I thought, cool, they’ll help me get this finished once and for all, but they didn’t even try to help, they only wanted me to pay the hundreds of dollars they claimed I owed. They called, they threatened to call my employer, they threatened to take my house away, they even threatened to interfere with an adoption process I was starting. It ended up being on my credit rating, not from the cell company, but from the collection agency. The cell company reported my account closed with a zero balance in good standing. If the rest of my credit report hadn’t been spotless, I would not have been able to buy a car when I needed one because of this collection agency!

I feel for people who cannot pay bills due to illness or health issues but as for the rest, don’t buy what you can’t pay for and stop whining about having to pay for something you owe. What a bunch of losers!

I have had trouble with collectors and filed complaints with the FTC.
I have never had any response or any mediation by our FTC.
to stop this the FTC has to be willing to prosecute,
If you threaten to file a complaint with collectors for their abuse, the collectors do not care because they know the FTC are a bunch of people who take 1 break a day (ALL DAY)

There is two major differences with the FDCPA.
1)The FDCPA only requires to monitor 3rd party collectors.
2)If you are contacted by the original creditor they do NOT have to abide by the FDCPA.
If the FDCPA was required by law include the original creditors and their employed collectors then many of these abuses would drastically decline. Maybe its time the FDCPA should have them included with the law.
Thank you,
Susieq
Debt counsler
ACA Ceritified

I had a horrible problem with debt collectors and then I enrolled in a consumer credit management program. It costs me $50 per month but it is worth it because I was having a really hard time rounding up all of my debts and arguing with the creditors was making me exhausted. I can pay it off early with no penalty. I am just happy that I am able to pay for all the stuff that I bought whether I needed it or not. Especially rent and bills.

I guess I should comment again, as I actually didn’t read the original article correctly. I think that people should pay their debts, but I also really do believe that 20/20 is doing a good job here in showing the world exactly what bad debt collectors are doing, and how they are doing it wrong. I apologive for my last comment and its ignorance.

The whole industry can be unfair. My son is named after his father. My son lives with me. I live in RI and my ex lives in PA. We have been seperated since Jan 2000, divorced since April 2002 and he has NEVER lived in RI and yet they have cross referenced him to me on my credit report. And of course I have to prove he has been remarried since 2002 and lived with her since 2000. I have to prove that I am not responsible for his debt. I have creditors calling me every 3rd day for HIS bills and they just won’t listen to reason that he doesn’t live in my house, or in the state. None of my bills are late or in collection but yet my credit score is suffering because of HIM.

Irrespective of some of the biased industry employed, collectors are malicious law-breakers, and everyone who has had a debt knows it! They continually hound you, often illegally calling more than the law allows, adding their payment to your debt! And to add insult to injury, they are often collecting for “Banks” who are charging their consumers 30% interest. Making the monthly payment will insure that you pay for the rest of your life! They are all crooks!

I think that debt collectors are just by nature “rude”, they want their money and they don’t care about our “excuses” they want the money now… I get that they are doing their jobs, but we as “debtors” have feelings too!!!!! Why do you think so many people don’t answer the phone when they see it is collector????

Are you kidding me? Debt collectors are good for the economy. I have worked at my current job which is a collection agency for the past 12 years. We operate ethically. We do not “harrass” DEBTORS on the job. We call and ask them to pay for services they RECEIVED! And maybe if the debtor responded to the numerous bills that were sent to their address we wouldn’t have to call at all. Or better yet actually paid or made arrangements to pay the outstanding debt so it wouldn’t come to collections. Isn’t it interesting how some make it a priority to pay the electric bill so it doesn’t get shut off, but could care less about paying a hospital that saved our loved ones life. Isn’t it called stealing when you don’t pay for something you received?

The best thing to do if you don’t want to be harrassed by creditors is to pay your bills, on time and in full. I understand things like medical debts get out of hand quickly, but if you call the hospital or doctor they will usually try to work something out with you. They don’t want to harrass you, they just want to be paid for the rendered services or products.
Too many people in this country buy things they can’t really afford and then whine about how they can’t afford to make payments. Then the govt rewards them by giving them food stamps and other assistance. How about NOT buying a new car every 2 years, NOT buying a camper you’ll use twice and forget about or NOT buying that motorcycle, boat or fancy vacation?
We are all responsible for ourselves and our finances. What we need to do is educate our children and ourselves on the importance of priorities and paying cash.

I worked collections for nearly 5 years and both companies were very strict in us staying within the legal limits of the FDCPA – I worked with anything from past due medical bills to cell phones to taxes. I can guarantee you 99% of all bill collectors stay within the limits of the law – try to work with “debtors” and either find solutions, make payment plans, get settlements from their client etc. If people paid their bills there would be no debt collectors, if people did not refuse to pay there would be no “harassing” phone calls. Define harassment…collectors have a job to do, unpleasant as it might be, if the debtor refuses to pay then calling every day is perfectly OK in my book, it is just an embarrassing reminder to the debtor that they do OWE a bill and it needs to get paid. If you as a person go into debt then find a way to pay it, don’t call the collector every name in the book in whatever language you feel like. My command of the English language (and 5 others) is fairly decent, I was called things I have never even heard of and certainly did not want or need a translation of it! There are no excuses for not paying your bill, you incur it – so you should pay it! The “I ain’t got it, I ain’t paying it” is not an option!
To bad collection agencies can’t tape and play on national TV all of the stalling, lying, cursing, threatening conversations they have to listen to on a daily basis. When the scores of good and compliant collectors are doing nothing more than trying to retain payment for jobs well done, services rendered, lives and limbs saved, homes repaired…etc. etc. It’s scary to think if people would simply pay the clients for these services-then collectors would be out of a job.

I have been harassed by a collection agency since September 06 for a doctor’s bill that the doctor did not bother to bill me for over 2 years for. I have spoken with my insurance and they have told me that he broke his contract with them and me by not billing either of us within the year of service and therefore neither of use or obligated to pay him and that he will have to write this off. The doctor refused to accepted this an called in his “hounds” to harass me. I have tried to tell this agency what my insurance has told me and they have called me a “liar”. I have tried telling them that he did not bother to bill me for this until 2 years had past because according to his office “they had a computer error and I was not billed at time of service” and they have called me a “liar” about this. I have asked several times for them to stop calling but they won’t. Now when they call I just hang up the phone.
No one should accept the abuse some of these collectors put out.

I, too, have been verbally abused by credit card collection agencies including having a warrant taken out, my being arrested either at home or on the job, and/or going to jail. No one is willing to work with you. What are you to do when you are doing all that you can. You can’t help the situation you are in. My husband is terminally ill and I have been out of work off and on for the last 12 years trying to do the best I can. My husband has been a houdine and has escaped death 13 times this year and the prognosis doesn’t seem to get any better. As long as the doctors keep pumping meds – he gets better for a while and then back into the slub of things. It makes it very difficult trying to get things in order. With the high cost of propane, electric, and gasoline which has nearly quadriplied in the last 2 years – only problem is that your paycheck doesn’t increase. Again, they – the dept collectors could care less about you, your situation, or anything else – all they want is your money.

I have been hounded for the last year or so by several agencies after I went through a rough period of unemployment. My biggest mistake was not working with the creditors BEFORE they went to collections. Having said that, I have worked out arrangements with some of them. Though I too have been told they didn’t want a smaller payment like $50. In the end I got them to take it though. I have been harassed with court threats etc. I just dismiss that as a scare tactic. And if they want to do that anyways I am not afraid of it. I am already paying way over my head to my debts and there are some accts I haven’t dealt with yet. But in time I will get to all of them. For now, when I see their #’s on the Caller ID, I don’t pick up. It’s still annoying but it works.

I have been a bill collector for over 25 years and have always acted in the upmost professional manner. I have NEVER used “strong arm tactics” to collect money from DEBTORS. I was always the “nice” collector and tried to help the debtors and it was been hugely successful for me all these years. I know we get a bad rap cause there are always that one or two people at your office who step on the line pertaining to the FDCPA.
We make a living collecting money, its not easy we put up with debtors using profanities at us where in most cases cannot retaliate. They lie, they hide behind their family, friends and train their young children to “screen” the calls from the bill collectors. Now, thats not a nice way to bring up your kids, which will more than likely grow up being a “DEAD BEAT”. The way i look at it, you owe money to a company that afforded you the nice clothes, car, trips, heat, electricity, computers, the list goes on. So cough up the money that you say you dont have and repay your debt.
BILL COLLECTORS ROCK !!!!!

It is sad that most of the debt collectors follow the laws, assist in the recovery of monies owed to creditors (thus, reducing the costs for goods & services for all), and work with consumers to resolve their debts – are grouped in the same category as those that break the laws.
Society does not accept this sort of bigotry with regards to race, ethnicity or creed; however it is somehow acceptable for 20/20 to lump all debt collectors together? There is something inheritantly wrong with that!
When you recieve a call from a debt collector, or place one for that matter, please remember that it is likely that you are calling one that abides by the rules and regulations imposed by statutes, case law, industry expectations, and company policy. Also please remember that the last call the collector was involved with likely involved the collector being yelled and cursed at. If you are polite, it will be a breath of fresh air to the collector and they will likely be even more willing to assist you than they normally are. And they normally would like to assist the consumer as much as possible while meeting the needs of their clients.

First of all, before all these self-important debt collectors start ranting on about how ‘people who owe their debts should pay them’, they should check their files and make sure they’re collecting on an actual debt before they start harassing people.
Yes, I said harass. If you call someone on Monday, calling them on Tuesday doesn’t make money magically appear. You’ll end up disgruntled, and so will they. Not only that, but the FDCPA very clearly defines your call limits, and if you break them, pay the penalty.
If the debtor has no right to be in debt, how are you better for harassing them about it? Pot calling, the kettle is black, and you’re a slimeball.
Newsflash: Some people get into accidents/job loss/etc, and they try, but it gets to be tough. I had it happen once. A company went belly-up and it took me two months to find resonably paying work, and another to get paid once I started.

First of all let me say that we do need this type of industry in todays world. I must interject though while I believe that many collectors abide by the law. The Majority of you do not. If you did then there is no way on this earth the FTC would have so many complaints.
The collection industry as shown on a well known collection website refers to debtors who owe money as “deadbeats” among other uncalled for names. So dont spout off the montra about how you are all professional and 99% of you abide by the law because its not true in mt opinion.
Every check the pacer records? There a so many suits filed every week over this very issue is terrible and this is only Federal Court.
This industry has to be regulated more and the fines you pay for violating are not high enough. A well known collection agency / junk debt buyer will violate left and right and when you sue cut you a check and then go right back at it again.

the collectors here that say “most collectors obey the law” are doing what they do EVERY day. Lie to the public.
I have YET to see a collection agency that follows the law. They ALL should be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, most consumers don’t know their rights. They get walked on by the criminal collection agencies, and end up paying money that they likely don’t even owe.
I hear horror stories daily about people getting harrassed by debt collectors. I hope that each and every one of them sues the collection agencies and recover the money they’re due. I wish that the feds would put more teeth into FDCPA and FCRA (out of thousands of tradelines I’ve seen placed by collection agencies, I can count MAYBE 10 that were actually accurate and legal). Start the fines at 10000 per violation, and allow for criminal prosecution of both the individual collectors, and their management.

I have worked in not only collections but also telemarketing on and off for the last 6 almost 7 years. You name it, and I’ve either sold it, set appointments for it, collected it, or done surveys for it. I’ve worked in 5 calling centers and been through 3 company mergers. That aside, I’ve noticed a few things over the years. First and most importantly, if you didnt interact with these phone representatives that anger, irritate, and harrass you….They wouldnt have a job. If debt collectors didnt collect money over the phone…They wouldnt exist….but they do. Why you ask. Because people are more likely to pay their bill if we call them. That simple. Granted, some collection companies hire people off the streets that are desperate themselves and resort to shady and illegal tactics. But it works. The company I currently work for racially profiles debtors and intetionally hires collectors who are of the same race and gender because they are more likely to collect on the debts.

Ok Nunya, whay CA do you work for? You attitude is TYPICAL of the collectors out there, and why this sort of reporting is necessary, and why there are so many lawsuits against your industry, as well as complaints to the FTC, BBB, and Attorneys General of the various states.
hopefully I’ll run up against you myself someday, I’d love to see you in court calling consumers deadbeats, when you likely have ZERO evidence of any debt being owed to you whatsoever

PEOPLE ARE BLOGGING ABOUT HOW THE LAWS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO FAVOR THE DEBTORS. THE FACT IS THEY ALREADY DO.
TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT:
THE LAW PROHIBITS COLLECTORS TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEBT TO ANY ONE ELSE BUT THE DEBTOR.
IF YOU GO INTO A STORE & TAKE A TV WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT, YOU WILL BEK ARRESTED & FORCED TO STAND IN FRONT OF A JUDGE. THE TV WILL BE RETURNED TO THE STORE & YOU NAME WILL BE PUT IN THE NEWSPAPER BECAUSE YOU APPEARED IN COURT. THE DETAILS OF YOUR DISHONSETY ARE PUBLIC RECORD.
NOW IF THE STORE FINANACES YOU THE TV & YOU NEVER MAKE A PAYMENT, CHANCES ARE YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO GO TO COURT. YOU GET TO KEEP THE TV & THE DETAILS OF YOUR THEFT, ARE YOUR LITTLE SECRET? IS IT FAIR TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF A THIEF BECAUSE HE FINANCED THE TV AS OPPOSED TO SHOPLIFTING IT?
HOW MOTIVATED WOULD A DEBTOR BE TO PAY THIER BILL IF THIER NEIGHBOOR REFUSED TO LET THEM US A LAWNMOWER BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE DEBTOR BORROWS WITHOUT RETURNING?
MAYBE IF THE LAWS DID NOT PROTECT THIEVES (PEOPLE WHO TAKE WITHOUT RETUNING) THE COLLECTORS WOULD NOT HAVE TO RESORT TO THREATS TO GET THEM TO PAY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT PAY THIER BILL UNLESS THEY ARE LEAD TO BELEIVE THAT THEY WILL BE FORCED TO.
MAYBE A LITTLE PUBLIC SHAME WOULD INFLUENCE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND GIVE BACK WHAT THEY BORROWED

CA’s should be banned from reporting any debt to any CRA! After all the CRA’s are not going to properly investigate the debt when you dispute it. In most cases they will only take the word of their paying client!
Most times CA’s have purchased the account for 25 cents and don’t have anything to back it up except a computer print out with your name, ss# and a balance. The first thing they do is report it to the CRA’s and then they try and collect. Doesn’t matter if it is already paid, has an on going dispute or is just too old – on your credit report they go!
And when you get caught in the pass the account around you will find yourself with several reportings of the same account. then who do you pay?
Most people don’t intentionally NOT pay their bills – as always life somethings jsut gets in the way. If the original creditors would try and work with them to begin with this would never get so bad.
It is a shame that BK has become the answer when all it should take is a phone call or two and a decent payment plan….

Hmmm, why is no one blaming the creditors? Do they not share some blame here?
Anyone can walk into a store and open an account with a very minimum credit check. Some businesses even advertise that they will give credit without any check at all!
What about all the credit cards that are sent in the mail, with the only requirement being that you ‘activate’ the card by making a purchase with it? And these are ‘supposed’ to be reputable companies. They don’t sound so reputable to me!
Oh, and I am a senior citizen with only one credit card, which I do pay as regularly as the clock ticks.
I have received harassing phone calls from collectors for debts that I have never owed, for persons that I have never known, and for debts that these cannot even tell me to whom they are owed.
As to those poor, low income doctors that are so desperately trying to collect for emergency treatments, there is a federal law that says that medical facilities must provide emergency treatment regardless of promise of payment.
The poor old doctor is also charging most of his patients for a one hour consultation, although, on the average, he is spending less than 5 minutes with the patient. He therefore gets paid for 5 to 6 hours work for every hour that he works!
Again, Mr/Ms Creditor, don’t give credit to those that can’t possibly pay the debt. DO A CREDIT CHECK!

Get hold of a cease-and-desist letter from your state Attorney General’s office. Send it *certified* to the address they provide. Or hand-deliver it. ;)

believe what they say about bill collectors .they harss you at work .they did this to me they wanted money right on spot over the phone i said how . well maam we need . i said well do u want me to go rob a bank to get u the moneyif want it now had no money in accounts.so believe what they say about bill collectors harass at home all day long and work .

While the FDCPA covers debt collections in all states, some states passed additional laws to further regulate debt collectors.

To all these people who post the remedy to this situation is to PAY YOUR BILLS:
What happens if you get laid off? Through no fault of your own, you’re placed in a situation where you CANNOT pay your bills.
I agree that there are those who WILL not pay bills… but there IS a difference.
And let me tell you, if I was ever spoken to in that manner by some nameless stranger on the phone regarding a bill, you better believe I’d either A) scream back or B) HANG UP. Plain and simple.

to all those who say “pay your bills” – mind your own business and pay YOUR bills! you are probably more in debt that anyone.
there are a lot of people out there who owe money to someone. most of those people want to pay but they can’t. i owe money to companies all the time. i get collection calls as i should be getting and i answer them in good faith. i try to work out an arrangment if i can.
the moment a collector gets nasty with me or tries to lowball me for money is the moment i will refuse to cooperate. it’s the point, not the principle. threats or intimidation do not work on me. i actually had a debt collector threaten to come out to my house to collect the debt. i gave him my address and told him to try. i never heard from him again. remember that there is no one in this world you should be afraid to stand up to when it comes to threats and harassment.
Don’t get me angry.. you wouldn’t like me when i’m angry:)
the hulk

My mother was not a “dead beat.” She suffered from dementia and would either hide her credit card bills from her family or simply not pay them. I took over paying her bills for her and asked these companies to work with her. Most of them did; however, a couple refused and turned her accounts over to collection agencies. She was eventually diagnosed with terminal cancer and during her last days, these collections agencies hounded her day and night, even though they were aware of her condition!! If they could not contact her, they would call my cell phone and harass me or leave voicemail messages. At one point, I was asked for my bank account number even though my name was not on any of her credit card accounts! When my mother was in a nursing home, they had the audacity to ask which one so they could call her! These companies compounded the anguish I was already feeling as I watched my mother (daily) get worse. Today I am sending them copies of her Death Certificate.

Is anyone watching the mergers of Credit Card Companies and how once the merger is completed, the consumer is inundated with the month by month tactics of the new company-
increase the credit limit, offer to defer the monthly minimum payment, bam! – impose a higher interest rates on the existing debt and then try to promote a new credit instrument to the consumer – equity line of credit to get a lower interest rate. Is there a federal committee that can be contacted about this? Consumers Beware!!!

My dear fellow Americans. We live in the land of the free. The free because of our die hard belief in responsibility and accountability. We preach and teach these traits to our children. These are very necesary and important to all of us and contributes to our success. I see collectors and the collection industry as the growing, saving grace of many of our fellow members of the free from ruining their credit. Debt collectors are very concerned and sincere in their goal of ‘helping’ a debtor to repay their outstanding debt to their creditor. My goodness if anyone should be blamed it should be the credit industry! We can’t get anywhere, borrow any money or purchase a home to fulfill our American dream without decent credit. When you are contacted by a debt collector and you know the debt is valid and you owe the money; we owe it to ourselves to make arrangements to pay the debt.
The collector is not only doing their job but also giving you an opportunity to save this account from being reported to the credit bureau thus preventing you from purchasing your home, auto or any financial venture you so choose to venture in; simply because of bad credit. I believe the collection industry is getting a bad rap because we are pricking on the pride of the free; their greed and their desire to continue to live outside of their means and what their pay checks can afford.
Why don’t you take a look at your spending. Ask yourself the next time you swipe your credit card- will I be able to pay for this purchase ? If the answer is no, then you should probably not continue with that purchase.

As the owner of a small consumer collection agency I can honestly say that the abusive collector is not the norm. Most agencies offer arrangements and work with debtors to resolve past due accounts. As collectors, we are abused day in and day out while we try to do our job. The bottom line is that most debtors owe the money to the creditor and should be taking responsibility instead of scheming every which way to avoid paying! Small businesses suffer and even close down from unpaid accounts, and we all suffer in the long run with increased pricing to supplement non-paying customers! Don’t assume a collector is contacting you to harrass or abuse you – most of us are trying to help you!

When I lost my last permanent job at 52 right after the WTC disaster, I never could have forseen that 5 years later,I would still not have a job. I have been told over and over again that I’m overqualified. I have been doing temporary jobs that pay what I was paid in 1988. I go to companies and see people from foreign countries working and getting paid more than me, an American wih a masters degree. I have no health insurance and now am also faced with a chronic condition that requires medical care. My teeth badly need attention. When I applied for Medicaid, I was told that my unemployment check was too much for me to qualify while foreigners with 4-5 children were in line with me with benefit cards. There is something wrong with this picture. I feel no guilt for not being able to pay companies that wouldn’t even consider hiring me. The fee to declare bankruptcy is money I don’t have. I barely eat and keep a roof over my head and the phone working so bill collectors can constantly call.

I used to work for a second party collection agency. It lasted a total of 2 months. This was just after 9/11 (1 month to be exact). The collection company had rules and monitored your calls. We were instructed to lie, be mean and do what ever means necessary to get the funds collected. This even meant trying to collect more than was owed. The more money that you collected the bigger your bonus. I heard one person tell a woman that she should get life insurance on her self and jump in front of a car so they could collect the money from the policy to pay the bill. Another person suggested a woman sell herself on the street so she could pay the bill.
After having my calls monitored for the first time, I was reprimanded for being sympathetic and too honest to the callers. There is a minimun to get the bill out of collections and I always let the customer know that upfront which was against the company policy. I left that day after I told the owner of the company it was against my morale integrity to lie and cheat people. Everyone has fallen on hard times and it was not my place to judge them for it. Especially when the people we were calling were families that had fallen victim to a major tragedy.

There are people in every industry in every state and country who do not follow federal and state laws. I work in collections currently and follow federal and state laws with regard to when I call, what I say and who I am allowed to give information to. The people in my office do the same thing. Yes there are those people who don’t but it is a wide generalization to say that “everyone” does this and that “all collectors” are these kinds of people.
In many cases the problems I have encountered are made worse because people have the mindset that they dont want to work with us to help them. If you owe money there are ways to pay it back, charities friends and family are 3 examples of places that most people can find help. No its not fun and it can be embarassing but if you borrowed money from a creditor then you have to be responsible for that. In many cases people won’t give us the information we need to help them, people want modifications to the agreements they signed but wont take the initiative to contact creditors early in the problem when they could be helped.
If you are in school and in debt, borrow extra school loans to make your monthly payments. If you need a hardship program then you need to be prepared to PROVE that you need one, its all a matter of working with and not against your creditors.

As a professional in the debt collection industry for nearly 30 years, I am always wary when I learn that this industry will be “featured” in whole or part in a news segment. I heard once that debt collection is a “black hat” industry like funeral directors, “everybody needs them, nobody wants them”.
Unfortunately, it is easy to find the bad apple in a barrel and focus on how the whole bushel must be rotten. This just isn’t the case with the debt collection industry and it would be so great to see a segment that positively portrays the billions of dollars returned to the economy each year through the efforts of reputable, ethical and (yes) compassionate collection firms.
As a former (collection) agency owner, I would always train my collectors to speak with debtors in a manner that did not EVER cross the line of legality or in a manner that would cause the contact to escalate to some of the situations I have seen discussed on previous segments about collection agency policies and practices over the years.

Rules of the game…
1. Never answer phone calls who have only a number and no name. If they don’t let you know who they are you are under no obligation to answer it. Goes double for 800 calls.
2. Demand names and verifiable phone numbers up front. Those who will not tell you are not someone you should talk to.
3. Demand everything in writing spelling out exactly what they are calling you about.
4. Never ever give out any personal information like bank account numbers unless you called them. Period end statement. No exceptions ever.
5.It’s a good thing to always research those who are calling you about such things. A little time on the Internet researching such companies is very enlightening. I’ve dealt with companies that have no web site,no verifiable phone numbers, no real physical address and are not known to the BBB. You’d be amazed how they slink off into the night when you tell them what your research proves.
6. Report everything to the BBB.
7. And for all those wondering how they get phone numbers if your number is unlisted I have one word for you … autodialers.

I used to work for a medical collection agency. I hated every minute of it. It was the worst thing to have to do in calling someone seriously ill, or getting ahold of a relative of the recently deceased person.
On numerous occassions I got in trouble for being “too nice.” For the most part, my co-workers never got truly nasty with anyone on the phone, but I really don’t know how to be mean to people. It was 3 years of hell on earth working there. I do have to say that there are some collectors who truly are in it to help people find a solution to their financial problems, and then there are some who take great joy in others’ misery.
The best thing you can do is study the FDCPA and know what it says. Credit Counseling doesn’t always help, but it’s a start or possibly trying to consolidate your debt and pay off the amount to a bank in easier monthly payments.

I have been reading all of the blogs on this matter and I cannot help but comment. Although I fully believe that people should not be harassed, it seems these debtors forget that they caused the problem in the first place by not paying their bills. They feel it is their right to receive goods or services for free because they are having difficulties in their lives. How about the people that are selling you those goods or performing those services? Their livelihoods are based on getting paid for their goods or services.
How would you like it if your boss came to you and said “I know today is payday, but i dont have the money right now, how about we make a payment plan where I give you $10-$20 dollars a month until it is resolved?” You would not like that too much, would you, but htat is exactly what you are doing to the doctor or nurse, to the restaurant owner and his or her staff, to the clothing store company, etc, whenever you do not pay your bills.
Would you prefer that these people no longer accept credit cards, checks, or insurance, and required cash in hand before performing an operation, or purchasing your food? Unfortunately as long as there is credit and insurance, there will be those that feel they are entitled not to pay their debts, and debt collectors hired by the store owners to pursue money rightfully due to them so that they may feed their own children.

I was “born and raised” in the credit/collection business and request that you please emphasize that it is the minority of agencies that behave as described on your show. My mother helped write the Iowa Collection law which was used as a model for the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). She worked with then Senator Lowell Junkins. Please contact the Amercian Collectors Association for additional information.
Contrary to the report this morning…if a consumer wants to have all collection contact stopped, they should send a letter in writing (verbal is not good enough) to the agency to “cease and desist further contact.” Of course, the next action an agency may take is legal action and they can contact the conumer one time after the “cease and desist request” to advise what their next step may be.
A verbal request to not call the job is acceptable and must be honored by the agency.
If I were to be contacted by an agency I would first ask is they are memebers of ACA and/or their state association. Those agencies promise to abide by the law. Honest, reputable and fair collection agencies do exist and they dislike the practices of the agencies you described in your story, too.

Hello, I have been in the Collection industry for several years, have seen and learned quite a number of things about collection practices, the nature of bill collectors as well as the consumer, etc. I hate to hear about stories regarding mistreatment of consumers. It certainly does make it harder for those who go to work every day and do their job ethically, to the best of their ability, and by the letter of the law.
Collecting on delinquent debt is quite possibly one of the toughest jobs out there….as unsavoury as it may be, someone has to do it. The statements previously made about the work being an invaluable service to the economy is quite right, without it, inflation would be far worse than it currently is, there must be an effective means in place to keep outstanding debts in check. I also believe that there can certainly be extenuating circumstances that would and do prevent and hinder a consumers’ ability to pay, but under no crcumstances do i think it is right that a debt be ignored simply because “I don’t have the money”. It is up to the consumer to find an alternate means to pay this debt.
The solution in a great many cases is quite simple…..excercise a little more financial responsibility. Don’t live above your means, don’t point the finger in another direction to justify neglecting the debt. The saying “where there’s a will there’s a way” is extremely applicable. Most times a debt is not paid simply because it is “inconvenient” to incorporate another credit card payment into your expenses, don’t use the card. Don’t get me wrong, if there is a choice between feeding your children or paying a credit card, the answer is obvious. But it is up to the consumer to excercise proper judgement and educate themselves on the logical and responsible use of credit.

I’ve been in the collection industry as a “Third Party Collector” for 15 years. Indeed there are those who violate the FDCPA’s, FCRA’s, etc. and cause a great deal of harm to the reputation of the Professional Debt Collector. Another thing I am seeing is the “lack” of definition you are giving to public regarding the difference between “Third Party Collections” and “In House Collections”. When it is the Creditor/Owner of the debt calling and attempting to collect the debt, they ARE NOT bound by the same laws as a third party agency is. In MANY cases it IS NOT the third party collector who is causing harm to the consumer, it is the orginal creditor.
I have a suggestion to make – when reporting, show the “bad” (of course, because that makes it all the more exciting!). But, let’s not leave out the good.
Credit score is a “hot” item – has the collection industry assisted anyone in improving on their credit score so they may get a lower interest loan so they may provide better for themselves and their family? By a consumer paying their past due obligations at the request of a Debt Collector, have they been given employment with federal institutions, which in the past they would not have had that opportunity due to failure to take care of a “medical” bill that wasn’t so important as others to pay? A Professional Debt Collector, regardless if anyone cares to recognize it – does help a little in decreasing the cost of medical care/treatment. Afterall, ask yourself – do you pay your house note and car note first OR is your medical bills your priority?

Response to Debt Collector: I did not dodge paying my bills for 10 years; I have never visited this doctor. I’ve always had medical insurance, so why it was not paid? And how am I going to defend myself against this claim? That is why there are SOL laws are in place.
I have another story I‘ve been getting calls about twice a day from the same CA. I never answer the phone, if no name shows up on my Caller ID. Last week, I was in a good mood and answered a call from the same number. They asked to speak to Tammy. I laughed Tammy who? I informed him that no Tammy lived at this number and hung up. How did this person get my unlisted number? I guess he broke at least one law in getting my number.

I have worked in collections, and I have received collections calls. A few months ago, I had a debt collector call from a place I owed money to, and they proceeded to use vulgar and threatening language towards me, saying they’re going to attach my house and my property to pay off the debt. I replied with “I live in an apartment, and I do not own any property.” (which is completely accurate). “You are currently in violation of the FDCPA, which is governed by the Federal Trade Commission. If you continue to call me names, or make threats that you cannot follow through on, I WILL file a complaint with the FTC, I WILL hire an attorney, and I WILL own the business you work for.”
They haven’t called since.
Also, a word of advice for those that don’t know: Do NOT give out your bank account information to these collection agencies. Not over the phone, and don’t send a check. Use money orders! At any time, if they have information for your bank account, they can do what is called a “bank sweep”, and sweep your bank account for everything that’s in it. Also, if they offer a settlement, payment arrangements, or anything, GET IT IN WRITING! I cannot stress that enough!

I was once harrassed for a good six months over a debt owed by my brother. I understood the confusion at first, as I was living in his old apartment and both our first names start with the same letter and we share the same last name, but the harrassment continued even after I convince the collector I was not who they were looking for. The would call day and night yelling at me telling me that I must know where my brother was, even though I didn’t. Then they lied and said that they had my signature on the loan agreement as a co-signer and that I was liable for the debt. The thing of it was, I was only 16 when the loan was taken out. Impossible for me to co-sign. The harrassment only stopped after my father stepped in by calling the collection agency and theartening a lawsuit if they didn’t stop harrassing me.

Being a certified ACA collector for Colins FInancial I must say that those rogue collectors are the exception rather than the rule. A professional collector recognizes and embraces the FDCPA as a means to protect both themselves and their company. Any collector who has to resort to threats and “bullying” tactics has no place in our industry and deserve what they get. Fired and a pending Lawsuit

The actions taken by the collectors in this story are illegal and wrong. They are “bad actors” and you can find some in EVERY profession. I have been a professional debt collector my whole life and I am very proud to make that statement. My company has been around for 90 years and we have always operated under a guideline of treating the consumer with respect and dignity. The vast majority of debt collectors act professionally and ethically and work within the law. ABC News mentions the 66,000 complaints filed with the FTC but neglects to mention that somewhere near 5 BILLION collection calls are made each year. In other words, actions producing complaints occurred on less than
.002% of collection calls. Maybe that is why it took ABC News 3 months to come up with the few examples neccessary to air a titillating program designed to misinform and alarm the general public. A responsible journalistic approach would have noted these facts. I expected more from ABC News. I would have been served as well or better relying on “news” the from The Enquirer. Shame on you ABC News! Go back to facts and move away from irresponsible flaming of public misconceptions and fears by highlighting the surprisingly few bad actors in the collection industry. Without us, EVERYTHING would cost more to the average consumer, there would be fewer goods and services available, credit lenders would be less likely to loan money and the economy as we know it would collapse. What is it ABC News is trying to accomplish with this one-sided attack?

WHY oh Why do the credit card companys hand over credit cards to those that have only turned 18? One of my ex boyfriends was like taking me out and buying me all this nice stuff and he worked at a fast food joint. I like went to him mom cause I thought he was selling drugs. Turns out the drug was 5 credit cards he got by applying online. His mom found them in his room and now he is in debt cause he kept it a secret.

Collectors are just trying to make their money since most are paid by commision or bonus. Let them do what they do because they also have bills to pay and let these financial terrorist learn the hard way. I have never recieved a collection’s call and that’s because I know how to BUDGET!! Even if I did go thru financial difficulties their things such debt consolidation loans and credit counseling. Most of these consumers are just IDIOTS and leeches of the american economy THEY DESERVE IT.

I was professional debt collector for 8+ years. For the first 7 or so I worked a business to business primary debt collection, where our goal was to keep the customer. Then I changed jobs to a outside consumer agency. I followed the FDCPA to the letter, but the people I worked with scared me. We were actually told to tell elderly or people who had health issues and were on federal assistance “What is going to happen when you go to a doctor or a hospital and they refuse to help you because you have this cell bill at collections?”
On the other hand, I had debtors tell me things like “Look I am not going to pay this, I don’t care. I can get credit with another social security number.”
Or business customers tell me this isn’t their busy season – it was a funeral home.
Unfortunately both sides are horrifying in what they will say and or do.
I had to leave collections. I couldn’t bear to tell an elderly woman who barely subsisted on social security that a 200.00 cell bill that her grandchild ran up was more important than her medication.

I am a collector for over 20 years for varios financial institutes. I would never, ever work for a Collection agency due to the ethics & thought process of the collectors. I have worked for several companys that fire peole that do not follow the Fair Debt Collection Act Policies. I take tests on this policy regularly & also get monitored by compliance to make sure the law is being followed. I feel I am not just a collector I am a financial negoltiator & counselor. This is because of alot of customers do not know how to manage their debt & also do not know where to go or know what to do to get help for debt management. I am not on not paid on a commission based pay. I am hourly. I am proud of what I do because I get several compliments from my customers because I help them and work with them on how to pay not only my debt but others. There are alot of decent collectors out there and the bad ones are the ones people spread the word and tell others about. I am not corrupt. I am very proud of what I do because I really do help people.

As someone with experience as a bill collector, I’ll say the following. If you are on SSI, collectors can’t do a thing. SSI cannot be subject to garnishment for any unsecured debt whether it be a credit card or an auto loan. If you deal with an SSI debtor, get what you can in first contact, if nothing happens, don’t waste your time and dump it. Also, if you want to evade debt collectors, move to El Paso, TX. Texas does not enforce judgments, liens, wage garnishments,etc. And El Paso is a dirt cheap place to live on $200/month rent and all your other income can go towards utilities because any credit card debt you incur will hurt your credit, but you’ll never be responsible legally for paying at any point.Cellphones are also an easy way to “buy time.” Cellphones are unlisted and untraceable through skiptracing methods in this industry.Suggestion, do not leave a personal greeting allowing collectors to hear your voice or say your name. They will call and if they do, say “I just got this cell, my name’s not John Smith.” If they question you, say your name is Joe blow or anything you can think of.Usually they will remove your cell # from their database knowing it can’t be traced and the time and effort of calling 3rd parties to verify the cell # is way more taxing than going on to the next account in one’s file.

Though I absolutely agree with recording your calls if the debt collector is in fact “out of line”, I do not however, agree with abusing the collectors; obviously if you, yourself, are being abused, there is some sort of retaliation that every person automatically gives out.
I myself have experienced greatness in debt collectors. Some companies actually purchased the “bad” debt from original creditors. They will work with you on payment plans and settlements. You may not have to pay the entire balance, not that you shouldn’t, but because they purchased the debt and own it, they are at liberty to offer you a discounted settlement. Now that’s what I call helping people.
I completely agree with the collection industry (those that follow the laws). Why is it that someone can charge up a credit card or buy a vehicle and not pay for it. Don’t misunderstand me, I know that there are people out there who have in fact been victims of fraud, or have had some sort of life altering issue arise that does keep them from being able to pay their bills. I’m talking about those people who are not under the poverty line, who do have some sort of savings, yet won’t take the collectors calls. They won’t even make small monthly payments in good faith. In today’s world, credit is everything. Some people can’t even get approved for a simple cell phone plan because of their lack of credit.

Somehow our society has made a disappointed turn to “how to beat a debt” in comparison to “how to not be abused by debt collectors”. It is very disconcerting to me the “free” advice that has been plastered on these comments on the internet as a whole. There seems to not be a deliberate assessment of whether one owes the bill or not, merely how to avoid the debt. Debt collection has become a cat and mouse game, which should have never been the objective. As a 15 year veteran of the collection industry, allow me to make some comments.
First, I am a successful, educated, happy person much to the dismay of many of you, I did not pick this career path to “get out my aggressions”. I chose this path because I believe debt collection is a valuable service to our community. Many individuals will never fully comprehend the financial impact that the industry has had on consumers. It has become a necessary part of our culture. One of the reasons consumers pay more for everyday needs are due to the fact that there are those out there not paying at all. Not because they “can’t” because they “choose” not to. There are citizens of our country that truly need help…. their debts should be waived when possible. It is our duty to help those less privileged. It is NOT our duty to help those who choose to pay on luxuries only. Despite your opinions there are several manipulative people in the world in some circumstances. Abuses of any debtor are inconceivable. However, in many cases debtors have become to believe that the mere request to pay a bill is a violation of their rights.

Great show. it is about time someone stands up for those in debt problems. I went through this 5 years ago and it was awful.
Is it against the law for a debt collector to call you at work?

I recently watched the show tonight on debt collection and was disgusted by the collectors behavior and was indeed not surprised because my husband and myself have experienced the same harrassing calls. However, my husband and I did go through debt management but then were forced to file chapter 13 bankruptcy due to my husband not having medical insurance at the time. Most people is this world don’t truely realize especially debt collectors what it is like to have one bad thing continue to happend over and over. For example, I used to be a debt collector before I was married and now I can say I was a bit nieve about collecting someones money. To tell you the truth I think the debt collectors would understand more about some finances if they faced the same obsticals my husband and I had faced. I am not saying our debt wasn’t our fault but I am saying this we are human and don’t deserve to be treated like dirt. And to thoughs of you who don’t know this filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy isn’t an easy task and you do have to pay something back to your creditors. My husband and I chose this options way before the law had change to no longer filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy which totaly liquadates all debt except for Federal Loans and Child Support. But, in closing I am saying this if you haven’t experience financial burdens in your life you can’t not simply understand what the other person on the other end is going through.

Im reading all these comments and Im shocked to see how many people defend themselves for not paying their bills. I have worked in the collections industry for over 12 years. I started working in an agency in college and after I graduated with a degree in business managment I found that I couldnt find other work that paid as well as the money I made in collections.
Not all collectors are scumbags…and as a matter of fact its amazing that people who owe out 10′s of thousands of dollars even have any rights. There are so many debtors that owe so much money that it is in my opinion fraudulent and criminal. As a debt collector you can tell the difference between the woman who just lost her husband and fell into hardship versus the woman that ran up every credit card she could get her hands on and has no employment or desire to make good on her purchases. I cannot tell you how many debtors include doctors…lawyers…business owners…and people living in million dollar houses that just dont “feel” like paying anything on their debt. It is rediculous that collectors are so scrutinized for their work. We are hardworking people and an important part of the nations economy and I take great pride in what I do…I think the laws should make it harder on the debtors that just dont care!!
I cant tell you how many times a day I get cursed at, hung up on or lied to…where are those tapes????

me and my mom are being hounded by debt collectors my mom had her identity stolen and she reported it to the police but they still call at all times of the day these people have no souls i know it there job but COME ON would they like it if at 4:00am some one calls there house were in the procress of taking them to court and they still call they dont know when to stop i want them to stop i want them to stop bad

The entire problem stems from our “instant gratification” society. The majority of American consumers espouse the “must have it now” attitude toward life’s amenities. Most often, these are consumers buying merchandise or services they neither need or can afford.
Were the average consumer to calculate the true cost of a purchase (i.e. adding the interest for items purchased on credit cards) they would never dream of completing the transaction. The resultant cost is almost always exorbitant.
As little as two generations ago most consumers understood the value of a purchase and little credit was used with the exception of home or auto purchases. If a family needed a new washing machine they simply scrimped and saved until they could afford the cash purchase. The sacrifice of saving for the purchase made the item much more valued.

Your segment on third party collectors was focused on one who was ethical and totally ignored the sharks I encountered. My horror story began with my attempt to negotiate for a fair price for materials to renovate my bathroom which were below quality and not remotely similar to my order. Due to my contractural obligations to move out of an apartment and into the new apartment, my bathroom had to be completed, or I would have heavy daily penalties incurred.
Early in the dispute I had contacted the merchant and attempted by letter, e-mails and photo to resolve the issue. The merchant did not have any material similar to the samples I had been given and refused to negotaiate the price charged to my card.
Let me tell you that I have never had a problem with credit, paying any monthly credit card bills in full and on time for over 40 years. I have paid any college loans, mortgages etc. and have never had a serious merchant dispute before.

I don’t get it. If consumers don’t have debts and are called by collection agencies BY MISTAKE, then explain it, document it, etc. But find out WHY your credit history was misattributed to the debt. DO NOT blame the agency hired by a vendor who the consumer thinks gave the collector wrong information. Don’t Kill The Messenger; solve your problem without blaming the wrong person! And, keep breathing; stress kills.

Here’s a fact from my personal experiences. Debt collectors lie 100% of the time. If they tell you that today is Saturday, better check a calendar.
It’s really quite simple. Learn your rights (don’t take the word of the CA what your rights are, they’ll lie and say you can’t request proof after 30 days), exercise them. WHEN the debt collector violates your rights, make sure you have a good paper trail documenting those violations, and then take them to court.
NEVER EVER EVER talk to ta debt collector on the phone…EVER…under ANY circumstances. It will serve you NO purpose whatsoever, unless you record it, and some states don’t allow it. Put EVERYTHING in writing. Let them know IN WRITING that it’s inconvenient for you to receive phone calls concerning this alleged debt. If they call, make note of the date and time. Take a picture of the caller ID if you have it. If they leave a message on your phone, KEEP IT. It’s worth 1000 dollars to YOU.
When you dispute the debt IN WRITING to the CA (do EVERYTHING via certified mail, return receipt requested so you have evidence), they’re REQUIRED to investigate it and reply to your dispute within 30 days under the FACTA ammendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. NO debt collector will do so. That’s another 1000 you can get from them in court.

Some of these posts are saying, Pay your bills. What if you become unemployed for an extended period of time, through no fault of your own. Such happened to us. It was an executive position. Job was lost in what would be deemed a political move within the company. It took over 9 months to get another job. During that time we did everything from computer repair to carrying mortar for a brick mason. Nothing was too demeaning.
We lost our home with 2 children still living at home. We recently filed Ch. 13. It has been difficult. The new job needed a letter of explanation as to the status of our credit. Still hired, so that was nice.
The collection agencies see their bottom line….and it’s sweet for them if they can collect.
Our Ch. 13 will give 100% payback on the debts.
We were living well within our means at the time of the first employment.
So before you pass judgement on what you call Dead Beats, realize there are individual stories behind these problems. You cannot lump all debtors in the same catagory.

As a successful collector of the most difficult kind of bills of all medical bills, I was disturbed by the calls that I heard. However, this really does represent a very small percentage of the calls. Our small agency alone places over 100,000 calls a month, which are all FDCPA compliant. People this isn’t an easy job, but I have found that treating those like you want to be treated is effective almost always. I came into this job 3 years ago with no experience and at 24 make almost $100k/year. The truth of it is we keep businesses in business. If the majority of the people handled their affairs prior to collections, they could avoid the hassle that can come with it. Remember medical care is not free in the US

During the years President Clinton was in the Whitehouse I earned good money and invested in my son’s education, ran a small business and bought a home. Then came the BUSH years, the economy tanked, my marriage fell apart and the business closed. I took the best jobs I could to make ends meet, but fell behind in all my bills. While waiting for my final divorce decree to come through so I could sell my home and repay my debt, I too got a lot of calls from collection agencies. I explained my situation and still they called…it was their job to call. My son screened my calls, my answering machine filled up with messages daily, I set my phone to FAX and my mailman at times had to come to my door, as the bills filled my box to the brim.
When I sold my home, I paid over $50,000 in debt. BOY did that feel good…doing the right thing. I chose to pay in full, rather than settle in full so my credit standing would be better in the future.
I appreciate that during the toughest times I was extended credit and it helped me through, however the interest rates sky-rocketed and that really hurt me – 30% interest should be illegal.
I am now liberated from this debt. I grew up doing things because it is the right thing to do. If you borrow money, you pay it back. I was a Brownie, a Girl Scout and even a Boy Scout Leader of my son’s den. These are American values and I am proud of them.

I Fhese comments extremely halarious. People dont think of why are there peole getting called? Why are they so consumed about how to et out of paying their bills? Just because these peole are in collections doesn’t mean they do not have the money like many people are stating. Alot of these poeple dont want to pay the money or are loving beyong thier means in other areas like having a BMW or Mercedes when they owe thousands of dollars in debt. These peole should be embarassed to tell about all the debt they owe that they just gie up on and have no intention on paying, but they do however have intentions on opening new debt. FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS!

I would say that the propensity of collection agencies is to not follow the law. I had one call me and I have recordings of them violating the law and attempted to hold them accountable for it and they had me arrested.
These people don’t care about about following the law they just care about making money. Although I agree making money is why we all do what it is we do, but if I were to break the law performing my daily job I would wind up in jail.

Has anyone used a debt settlement company? Was the experience good or bad.
cs

alot of what i am seeing on here is excuses im a debt collector and honestly i like my job i think its funny how we can hear all the consumers excuses on why they are behind and when that call is disconnected im sure they are thinking they are getting the last laugh but news flash your not we get plenty of consumers that like to get on the phone and play on the phone while we are doing our job but i think i can laugh when the night is over becuase its not my credit that is messed up its yours now dont get me wrong i like being able to put smiles on there faces and help them as much as i can but its those consumers that dont take their credit seriously and realize its their credit that is messing up think of that next time you are ready to hang up on us and plus i have different credit cards and do know how to pay them on time and what i use on the card for the month i make sure i pay back so i can make sure i dont end up like our favorite comsumers at the end of the day final quote “DONT SPEND WHAT YOU DONT HAVE”

These samples of collector represents the bad collectors or the bad agentcies. These samples are rare. There are a good many of agentcies that follow the laws and good collectors that can collect a debt with out breaking them. Instead of making the public see just the bad so they think that all collection agentcies are bad, why don’t you mix in some of the calls where it was done correctly.

As a small business owner I have had repeated encounters with debt collectors (also known as tele-liars) calling for my young employees. Without exception the tele-liars will pose as a person making a personal telephone to the employee. One little problem with this scenario. Our published incoming telephone lines are used for business use only. All personal telephone calls to employess must be placed to the direct unlisted number that rings at the employee’s supervisor’s desk (this allows the supervisor to monitor the frequency and length of those personal telephone calls, and provide privacy in the supervisor’s enclosed office for the employee if those personal telephone calls are indeed a private and personal matter). Thus, we know, without a doubt, a telephone caller posing as a personal friend on the main incoming line is NOT a personal friend of the employee. Now I really don’t care if the employee is being harassed by tele-liars. What I don’t like is that I am being lied to by somebody that is paid to lie. Worse, most (maybe 99%) of the employees that are receiving these collection calls are EX-employees. Divorces, relocations, relocations, terminations for cause. Whatever the reason, these are EX-employees. But the tele-liar is posing as a friend of the employee and refuses to talk to anybody but the employee. So round and round we go. Incoming telephone call. No employee to respond to the call. Employment status is confidential. Tele-liar has to repeat the telephone call. Over and over again. Endless chasing of one’s tail. And those are the nice situations. Since the operators don’t have access to employee status files, the only task the operator can perform is directing the call to a supervisor or member of management. And the tele-liars are becoming more and more abusive over the past few years. Often the tele-liar is accusing the operator of screening the employee’s calls, refusing to page the employee, etc. One tele-liar told one of my operators that the tele-liar “had to” talk to the employee about the affair that had gone bad between the tele-liar and the employee’s lying cheating husband. Another tele-liar made nearly a dozen telephone calls in a 30 minute period, and even made simutaneous calls trying to avoid the same operator. Like we really have nothing to do but answer the telephone calls placed by the tele-liars.

I am currently being hounded by a debt collector at this time. I am keeping records of every call they make to me along with the name of the person making the call. They have threatened me, harrassed me and call every singel day including Sundays! I told them I just dont have the money to pay, and they told me to find a cheaper place to live so I could pay them! I offered to send them $5.00 per month because this is all I can afford since I am on disability and they said a flat NO! So now they are just going to continue to call me I guess, and they will just keep getting the same response from me, if you wont accept the 5 dollars a month then I cannot help you!

This is insane. I understand that people have problems- that doesn’t excuse you from paying your bills. The majority of debt collectors are not breaking the law- they are doing their jobs. I have been on both sides- a debtor and a collector. As a debtor I never cursed, or yelled, hung up or screamed vulgarities at my collectors. I cant say the same for the people I speak to. Its like they want no responsibility for the debt they have incurred. Its ridiculous. I have been through rough patches- but I always kept the collectors up to date and was WILLING to work with THEM. I OWED THEM MONEY! People act like I am trying to steal from them, its ridiculous.
Be accountable!!! Grow up. Be responsible. And stop whining.
Just to clerify. This doesn’t apply to those who are called by collectors for OTHERS debt.

I am a debt collector. I am proud of my industry. The collections industry returned around 30 billon dollars back to the US economy last year.
Where I work, every call is recorded and can be monitored. If a consumer asks us not to call their work, we remove the work number and never call their work. If they ask us not to call their home again, we remove their number and never call them again, athough the collections process still continues. My co-workers are polite to the consumer.
The recordings heard on 20/20 are not the norm. It is sad that there are collectors out there like that.
It is a fact, some folks go into debt and do not pay the creditor on time. Some, because of circumstances, although wanting to, can not pay their bills on time. Because of that, they go into collections.
My philosophy is to treat the consumer with respect and to give them them every opportuninty and options to pay back their debt.
Before each call,I always ask my self this question, “If I were calling me, how would I want to be treated?”

I’m amazed at the debt collectors on here defending the actions of the MAJORITY that break the law.
For one thing, whether or not a consumer owes a debt (and it’s debatable whether it’s owed to YOU, since you can’t prove it) has NO bearing on the collector breaking the law.
Why won’t anyone answer my question about which CAs do NOT break the law? I suspect it’s because they ALL violate consumer’s rights. Certainly no employer would be mad if you mentioned here that they abide by the law. I’m sure there’s at least ONE of you that has the courage to admit that you don’t break the law.
For all those that have been harrased, find yourself a good consumer attorney and collect the money you have coming to you. They violate your rights because most consumers aren’t educated on what their rights are, and the collectors prey on that.
The more people that cash 1000 dollar checks from collectors, the better.

i know what you mean about getting calls for other people on your phone. i had my new # over a year now and we still get calls for other people. I had try to tell then no one here by this name BUt it still didn’t matter.
I wound up getting into a shouting match!oh yes I had a bill from verizon which is base in ohio. they would start to call me Anywhere from 8.30 to 9.00 at night.it got so bad at times we had to turn the phone off.
Then I had a bill from a place that was putting interest on it(credit card) i thought bill collectors were not allowed to charge interest?
And i had bill collectors from west V.A talk to be like I was trash, So i was not surpised and they act it after I saw the show.

As in any business you have problem employees. This job is definitely not easy.Day after day we take abuse from people all over the United States. Sometimes on our 1st call we get the yelling and the cursing, etc. I do realize no one forced me to take this job, but I believe this is my mission in life to educate and find solutions to people in debt with their credit issues. I love my job as a debt collector. Most of you may not realize some companies are using your credit scores for various reasons. Think about that apartment you may want and will not be able to get it based on your credit, or that home you want to buy and will pay extremely high interest rates based on your credit score. My advise you would be to look in the mirror, dig deep within yourself and determine what kind of financial future you want for yourself and your family. Because by not paying your bills, all you are really doing is hurting yourself. You will be affected the most.I am not talking about situations that are out of your control. I am talking about situation you can control. Know your credit score. You are being judged by your credit history in a lot of cases pertaining to your finances.

Obtain a copy of your credit report and credit score. Check to see where you stand financially because at the end of the day only you will be affected by your credit score whether it is good or bad. Try to resolve your debt instead of avoiding it. In some cases companies are looking at your credit history for various reasons. Don’t believe me, call some human resource departments, background check companies, insurance companies, etc and ask them how will you credit rating effect you in these areas.

I think people are using this to get out of debt or to make an excuse on why they are not paying it. The bottome line is if you owe it you should pay it. You may not have it all but make an effort. If you can afford to go out to dinner , movies, bar, or anything that you get enjoyment out of you can afford to pay what you owe. In some of the previous postings people say the insurance companies can eat this. Why do you think insurance is so high? I wish people would think before they make stupid statments like that.

Without explaining every detail of my sordid past, allow me to offer some advice.
If you know stuff is about to hit the fan, call up your creditors and make arrangements BEFORE you start missing payments.
Student loan agencies have a ton of deferrment options available to help you out; if they won’t defer for you then you’ve done something wrong.
Most credit card companies also have deferrment options for unemployment and health-related reasons, too!
In most cases, there is a small issue of compounded interest, especially if it is temporary deferrment. However, in most cases you can have payments reduced to just the interest portion, reducing payment amounts and eliminating compounded interest.
If the matter is more serious, most companies are willing to work out some sort of arrangement for reduced pay-off amount (and for credit cards, close the account).

Buy an answer machine. Charge it if you can. Don’t talk to the collectors or anyone you don’t want to. Pick one bill and pay it off. Then pick the next. They will wear out the phone but NOT you.
And try to learn something from the experience. I’ve seen many who get out of debt trouble and then go right back into debt. It proves the old saying ” you can’t fix stupid “.

If you owe money call you creditors back. Avoiding calls and attempts to work out solutions is the worst thing you can do. Also avoiding the situation causes the bills to skyrocket as you will be subjected to fees and high default rates of interest. Notifing your crditors as least one time a month proactivly is one of the best ways to control the stress factor of debt collection efforts.

I work for a collection agency, not as a collector, but as a sales rep who finds the businesses that need the service. Naturally I hear things from the businesses perspective all the time, but in reality, getting tough on collecting debt is in EVERYONE’s best interest! Don’t you know that built into the price we all pay for products and services is someone else’s debt? If there were no debt, the price of EVERYTHING would be much much lower! Were it not for collection agencies doing their job, prices would be even higher, jobs would be lost and the entire economy would be threatened! Last year the collection agency returned $39 Billion to U.S. businesses representing a 22% in bad debt in the private-sector. Imagine how you’d be complaining now if the price of everything you buy went up 22%! Look, I’m totally against illegal practices. The agency I work for practices “tough love” – and it really is. We care about the debtor. We care about our client. We care about the local and national economy. We care about everyone, and we’re doing our best to serve everyone’s best interest – yes even the debtors!

I work for a very successful collection company and have done very well for myself at only the age of 29. I am married, 2 kids and make $100K a year and sleep very well at night. It comes down to three things. Ethic. Principal. Professionalism. Of course there’s the law side of it, the FDCPA, and all the tech and security to minimize abusive tactics but they still occur from time to time. The idea is to educate the consumer into the benefits of resolution. The freedom and pride in paying, the satisfaction of it. See, you can do this and still end the conversation with a “have a good day.” I’ve seen it. Done it. I get Christman cards from time to time, no kidding. The point to this rave is to say that when the job is done right, the proessional debt collector in the 2000′s needs to be savvy, sympathetic and agressive all the while working with the consumer on terms that all three members of the issue are satisfied with, the consumer, collector and client.

Yes, this is something most people go through at some point in there life sometimes the circumstances are medical and for other its just plane personal financial irresponsibility, I understand the collectors point but they go to far making threats. I was so enraged once if he showed up at my door he would have gotten more than he bargined for.
What the good doctors don’t tell you is how more money there offices keep from being over payed as well, ask someone who keeps the books to level with you about those numbers you shouldn’t be suprised.

Still no collectors willing to divulge the “law abiding” companies they work for? How surprising (not), since you ALL know that you DO break the law on a DAILY basis.

I HAVE VEEN A DEBT COLLECTOR FOR 1 AND 1/2 YEARS WITH A COLLECTION AGENCY. PRIOR TO THAT I WORKED IN RECEIVABLES MANAGEMENT FOR A CELL PHONE COMPANY. I GET MUCH LESS VERBAL ABUSE IN MY CURRENT POSITION AND IT IS MUCH MORE REWARDING. I HAD TO PASS AN FDCPA TEST PRIOR TO MAKING CALLS AT THE CA– I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP A PERSON WITH PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS– HANG UP ON ME IF YOU MUST– IT DOES MAKE ME FEEL THAT MY EFFORTS ARE NOT APPRECIATED BUT PLEASE DON’T IGNORE MY MESSAGES– AND DO RETURN CALLS, EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST KEEP IN CONTACT, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON SO I CAN WORK WITH YOU. IT IS THE MESSAGES THE GO UN-ANSWERED, NOT RETURNED, AND UNWILLINGNESS TO LET SOMEONE HELP THAT IN THE LONG RUN HURTS YOU THE MOST. IF I DON’T SHOW SOME PROGRESS ON ACCOUNTS, THEY COULD BE TAKEN FROM ME AND GIVEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY NOT BE QUITE SO NICE!

My son ran into financial difficulty. We share the same name, except for his middle initial. He was living with me at the time. Years later the debt collectors started to call. I told them I did not owe the money. They had the debt listed on my credit report, even though the social security numbers were not a match. It took me over 3 months to straighten the whole mess out. They actually told me that since the name and adress matched, that was close enough to list it as my debt.
Tony

Being employeed as a debt collector would probably be an incredibly challenging way to try and make an income. People who receive initial calls from a collection agency auto-dialer cover a wide spectrum of real life situations. Behind each situation is a person or persons, who for a variety of reasons, some quite valid, weren’t able to pay certain bills. For me, it was a sudden and unexpected life changing health event, which left me weakened, with partial loss of sight, ringing ears, weak legs, loss of stamina, diffuclty breathing, and a host of challenges. I went from weight lifting and feeling good to wondering how the next day or two would turn out. On top of this, there were questions of health insurance coverage. What medical tests would be covered, how long would I need to wait to receive the necessary tests?, what if it was cancer or something incurable? Then the physical pains began. There were the struggles to be strong and be optimistic, if only for my family members and elderly parents, who had enough burdens already. No one really was aware of the great challenges I faced. As I regularly visited my parents, each day or so,to check on their well being, it helped me think less about my situation. Being able to physically work became extremely difficult. The questions of what had happened to my physical body and how would I deal with everything were regularly in the aching head I felt. Then, a parent had an acute stroke. After a few weeks of being with and serving them, he passed on. Amidst my uphill struggles, I arranged for his services and sought to comfort the family. Real life events like these, which ocurred over the last several months, can help you to again realize what really matters most.
When a collection agency auto dialer began to ring my phone almost daily, I was courteous enough to be patient with the variety of clerks who called. They surely weren’t aware of the life changing events I had been through and still experience. Actually, I’m just plain grateful to still be here. You see, paying every bill, when the storms of life are swirling about, may not be on the top of one’s priority list. Helping others to hold the line is.
Large collection agencies regularly buy charged-off debt for a few cents of the original charged-off dollar amount. These agencies, that also receive many of the rights of the original creditors, then begin working the lists in-house or farming some of the debt pool out to other agencies. They see these pennies on the dollar old debts as potential cash cows for the collection agency owners. They regularly coach their employees, supervisors, and managers to be aggressive, to remember the money potential. It becomes far more about the money than about people. There are good people who happen to temporarily work at collection agencies. However, some have perhaps turned down the volume of concience, in an ever maddening race for perceived easy money. For those who respond or quip, “just pay your bills”, perhaps a few more years of seasoned life experiences may qualify you to pass judgement. My hope is that we may all live the golden rule a little better each day. When our days here are complete, and we move onward, as we all will, that we may be satisfied with the lasting contributions we have made.
Don

I have had good dealings and bad with these collection/credit companies. I’ve noticed that when dealing with the original creditor, things aren’t that bad for they try to work with you. its when it gets to the third party collection agencies that things get ugly. I once had a collection company call me and tell me that I had a miserable existance since I had no money and how do I live my life everyday knowing this? She brought me to tears insulting me. She should learn that you get more with sugar than vinager cause insulting me will not make me want to pay the debt any faster. Caller ID is a blessing.

Even when you make payment arrangements, they still say they will keep calling untilt the debt is paid off. You can’t win for loosing. I even had one try to seek a double payment from me claiming that they never received my payment even though the traced check shows that they did. Sneaky but not that sneaky.

You know, it’s funny how anytime one of these exposees in the news, they inevetibly lump us all in one big pile. I work for a reputable CA, i’m new at it, and i am enjoying it. From my limited first hand experience on either side of this fence…here are my two cents.
As someone who has had CAs call my house…i only ever had one problem, and it was dealt with by the agency in question…professionally.
As someone who is making the calls, there is a sad lack of common courtesy from the other end of the phone. Too many times, we are hung up on, yelled at, cursed out and called every name in the book. Do you not realize that the person on the other end of the phone ALSO has feelings?
I have a wife, two beautiful step-kids and a child on the way. I work a full time job, and i do the best i can. I go to church, give to charity and enjoy watching sports on TV. Do i sound like a bad guy? Nope, and the reason is because being a collections agent is what i DO, it is not what i AM. The people who you are talking about do exist, but they are the exception…not the norm. The same is true about EVERY stereotype…please don’t place us all on the firing line.

I have settled my debt with a debt collector, a signed letter was sent to me prior to paying off my debt stating that I am free of claims from that account. However, the same debt collector sent me a letter collecting the the interest from that debt I had just paid and even threatened to get my state involved. What do I do then? Don’t know any good lawyer who can help me plus I have no money to pay a lawyer. Write the debt collector back and remind him of his signed letter?

Me and my husband were drowning in debt. Eventually we stopped making both credit card payments. Visa was $16,000 and Bank of America was $6,000. They were charging us 32% interst, late fees, overage fees etc.. Minimum payments didn’t come close. The calls started flooding in~never did we answer the phone. I called one of those commercials on t.v about them helping you get out of debt. All sounds good until you cannot make your monthly payments, they require several thousand dollars up front, so they are guaranteed payment. I did my homework, read all I could online. I finally got brave enough to try and negotiate our debt myself. We couldn’t make the minimum payments and we sure in the hell couldn’t pay upfront fees. Long story short~settle your own debt. Whatever your bill is cut it in half, do not include any type of late fees. Of course the collection agency will say no a couple of times, but you have the power, so stand your ground. They say you charged xx amount, insult you whatever. I settled my Visa account for $6200.00 total and the Bank of America for $2100.00 total out the door. It is a huge pain but well worth the efforst. You DO NOT need a middleman. I said I have access to this much take it or leave it. Then don’t return phone calls, they panic and you settle. We were lucky enough to borrow money and now have no debt except our house. It took about 2 weeks ans ask for a letter stating the account is paid in full or they can come back for the rest. In fact Bank of America just sent the rest of the bill, stating they received our $2100.00 payment, now wheres the rest. I just faxed a letter and that took care of that. Make them fax or send you a letter before you pay. They won’t do it after. Negotiate your debt on your own. We are good people who wanted to pay. Collection agencies always automatically waive all the fees except the original debt. Remember make your offer at 50 %, some companies might go to 60 % depending on how old the debt is ! Good Luck

My way of handling these calls put in a porn tape. They don’t call back after that.

i wonder how much of this stuff from people claiming the hade “agents” call them names and say over the top things to them, is actually true. Hi i am a collection guy, been doing it for years, most debtors are truely unaware how they are at fault for making bad decisions, hey, just like me. I’m a collector who’s in collections. many of us are. its a joke that goes around. definatley have had debtors who are far more rude to me from the get go of ” hi my name is from ect, ect…” than i care to say. i like to think that im not harrassing as much as i am returning you the debtor to sanity with the reality that you are in collections cuz of your decisions and not becuz of anything i did. i make decisions everyday and some are just stupid, but i have learned its better to spend only what i can and to not take what is not mine.

I need some advise. I have been recieving letters and phone call re:a debt that is in a name similiar to mine. I had multiple conversation with these people letting them know that the ss# is not mine, I have never lived in florida where the debtor listed her address as etc. the person I spoke to was very polite and stated he would note this in the account. However, I recieved another letter 2 days ago. I called the agency with the intent to let him know that I’m not the person he is looking for. I have never been insulted like this my entire life. he called me all sorts of demeaning names and all this with my daughter sitting next to me. I finally ended the call realising I wasn’t getting anywhere with this subhuman. I reported him to the Better Business Bureau in Ca. I know this isn’t going to solve the problem. How can I resolve this? It is identity theft but I’m being harrass by this person. If you can give me any ideas on resolving this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

STOP THESE COLLECTION AGENCYS NOW.
There is a federal law called the fair debt collection practices act. that says you can write a letter to the agency demanding they stop any and all communication once they recive that they can nver call you again or you can sue them.
Make sure you send the letter us mail certified with return reciept requested

For all those who just want to make thier bills go away, think twice, if someone can’t reach you…or you cease communication…companies will go after you legally even quicker…consequences could be, garnishment of wages or social security benefits, you can even lose your home!…so think twice before ignoring a bill you should have tried to pay….most collection agencies will work with you….

I was the Compliance Auditor at a collection agency. My job was to monitor the recorded calls made by the collectors to the debtors to make sure they were in compliance with FDCPA. I’ve heard collectors threaten to sue, contact employers, garnish wages, etc. – things that they were not going to do. However, when I alerted the COO of these collectors’ behavior, I was told, “Leave them alone, they collect a helluva lot of money. Besides, we won’t get sued because most people are stupid, they don’t know the laws.” Needless to say, I no longer work in collections.
If a collector is breaking the law, the collection agency will most likely settle out of court quickly instead of going to court. They record all of their calls and will have to provide all recordings if they are sued. Good Luck!

As for taking sides in a particular case when someone genuinely owes a debt, I say it depends on the circumstances. Yes people should pay their debts and not run up huge credit card bills just because they want luxuries they can’t afford. And yes there are times when you are blindsided by financial difficulties. Still, the problem isn’t the efforts to collect the debts but the means employed. Why is everyone so willing to call the debtors deadbeats etc. but to let the collection agencies break the law?!?! Think of the one woman whose life was threatened. Is this country really so high and mighty moralistic that it is willing to say that being in debt is worse than breaking federal laws and acting like mobsters–pay your debt or I’ll break your legs, kill your pets, and get you fired?!?! (A bit of an exaggeration, but not far from it in some cases).
At any rate, what scares me most, and the situation in which I have no sympathy for creditors, is when the person was a victim of identity theft. I think all would agree that in this case the so-called debtor who really isn’t a debtor is an innocent victim. And I work for the courts. I know how hard it is to get a lawyer or collection agency to listen to you. Sure, they are so cynical because they are lied to all the time. “It wasn’t me, not my debt, prove it, give me a statement, etc.” But what is really infuriating is when the person has *proof* that the debt was a result of identity theft and the collection agency still won’t stop trying to get money from the person. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. And God I hope I’m never in that situation!

This is a reality check for all of you debtors who are so quick to call us collectors scum and assume that we make such little money. I am a GM of a debt collection law firm and my fiance is also in the business as a litigation manager. I can only assume that you would agree that a combined annual income of $180,000.00 is not bad for a couple of “scumbag collectors”. We are both 26 years old, have started great retirement plans and have almost $75,000.00 in liquidity. My firm does not represent “Junk Debt Buyers”, it represents ligitimate banks that provide us with all of the lawfully required documents to pursue your claims through the court system. See, little do you realzie, as long as we have those documents, the court is more in favor of the bank than it is the debtor. We lien, garnish, and issue capias arrest warrants all day long. So please, continue to rack up those bills withouth any means of repayment. You are only contrubuting to my livlihood. You allow me to drive a $50,000.00 car, sport a $7,000.00 Rolex and further diferentaite myself from any of you. Oh, and here is a tip, if you spent your time trying to further your education (my entire managemnt staff has college degrees) or seek employment as apposed to waisting it trying to figure out what we can and cannot do, maybe you would not be in this position. You are where you are becasue of you. It was not chance, but rather poor decisions that have left you where you are. You have only youself tio blame. So in closing, when your on the phone with one of my collectors and your son asks “daddy, why are you yelling?”; please be sure to tell him it’s the bill collector calling because you have still not paid Cap One for that Disney trip two years ago.

I have lived my life abiding by paying my debts. (I am 50). I was taught that you pay for what you bought. Two years ago, I had a credit disaster due to a job loss, not long after I bought a new house with higher payments. I did not anticipate that job loss when I made the purchases on my credit cards, most of which I’d had for over 10 years. I decided that selling our house was the only thing to do so that I could pay back the bills. The house sat on the market for 8 months (the beginning of the slide). I wrote each and every one of my creditors and asked them if they could wait till the house was sold to pay them back. They all said NO, except JC Penny, who forgave the debt God bless them.(I added it to my taxes). All the others charged off the debt after 6 months. They then took it as a tax writeoff and sold it to debt buyers for little money. My hell started then. I was on the verge of suicide from all the threats, the nasty yelling. I put $50,000 down on that house and lost it all because I just finally took an offer that was the same as I had paid (and I had to pay realtor fees and attorneys from the pre-foreclosure attempt that the mortgage company hired). For everyone out there who is saying “You made the debt, pay us back”, what I’d like to have answered is this: If the original creditors charge off the debt and take the tax writeoff, and then sell your debt, did they actually lose any money??? They got the money back by getting to pay less taxes. Why is it legal to sell the debt then? And why do the debt buyers think they are entitled to not only what you originally owed the credit card issuers, but thousands more to boot? I didn’t borrow the money from the debt buyers. I borrowed it from Chase, and American Express. If they don’t want to pursue it, they should not be allowed to sell it.

There are probably some fine people who currently work for collection agencies. There are also a few individuals currently working at such places that are less than savory. Surely, times will come when each of us will face uphill challenges during our life here. It’s very important to step back and enlarge one’s perspective, remembering that you as a person are far more important than any past due bill or charge-off. Think of a person, a collection agency manager for example, who spends much of their life climbing a mountain, only to realize later on, they climbed the wrong mountain. If you work for a collection agency and perhaps have treated or treat others unkindly during the process, as a collection agency owner, lawyer, manager, supervisor or clerk, remember, the day will almost surely come that you will be on the receiving end of what you gave or caused others to feel or experience. This may seem amusing, but I can absolutely promise you, it is so. There is a wide difference between some who may plan on never paying debts and those who have experienced unforseen hardships or sufferings. Again, there are some good people who happen to work for collection agencies, but we should be very careful about pointing fingers at anyone as to why a particular bill was unpaid. A collection agency super, manager, or clerk is in no position to judge anyone. Unfortunately, the collection agency business is premised on everyone’s guilt, not innocence, it often overlooks people and sees just money, at any cost, sometimes just this side of what’s legal. For the good hearted people at collection agencies, I hope good things. For those collection people with perhaps clouded vision, especially collection agency owners, managers and a few lawyers, remember, you can’t take the BMWs, stock options, bonuses, vacations, jewelry, etc with you. Better to truly realize that now than later. Don B

I am just very angry at the hospitals that are trying to collect from me…now hear me out. I had around $100k in hospital bills for about a 2 week period…as usual it is spread out through multiple doctors and places associated with the hospital. Now…my crappy insurance company left me with $10,000 out of that 100k. Now think about it…all those organizations got at least 90% of what they charged. Some got 100%! So now I have a few that I owe a few grand to, and a few that are a few hundred. I’m working on a few of them..$25 here, $20 there.
But here’s what really sucks…before this all happened, I had a 710 credit score…at 21 thats not bad. I had always paid off credit at the end of the month, I had payed off one car and I’m working on the next, and was never late with any bills ever. (and no my parents dont help me with jack)Now…although I still pay all my “normal” bills, I cant even get a line of credit! I still have my Visa Platinum, but the limit was cut down from 5000 to like 2000 (not that I need that much credit but it’s great for emergencies).

When someone calles you on the phone asking you to pay money for a debt, Therdo you just say ok here is my checking account number? No! It makes sense. I have every single person stop calling me and validate the debt first. Why should I pay for some else who hase the same name that I have? And why do they keep calling me? They use google to search names then attack the first person with the same name. That is wrong. Do your homework first then pay who you think you owe if they can prove it.

Is it okay legally for bill collectors to call your work everyday? and harass you every day for payment? When calling the work place eventually will cause the employee to lose their job and not be able to pay any bills whatsoever to anyone let alone any to the bill collectors themselves? And you told them to stop calling at place of employment too.

Bryan(Apr 9th), how dare you make judgements on people by saying they are weaseling out of paying their debts, first of all you have no idea what occurred before your so called company purchased that piece of paper for pennies on the dollar. You have no idea if someone has tried working with the lender prior to them selling that paper, if companies would not raise their interest rates to outrageous high numbers and try and work with people to resolve the issues maybe people like you wouldn’t have a job.
My family paid $100.00 a month (when the minimum was $20) for two years to a credit card company, but because the interest rate was raised to 30% and since they would not agree to drop the rate, we called and explained that our payments will be stopped. We had already paid the principle many times over. Now this company has sold this paper to a company like yours after 3 years and the harrassment has begun, not only have they called us they somehow tracked down a relative that lives in another state, using the ruse that they were calling for the purpose of “identity theft” !! What!!! How dare they!!!
I did call them back and made it very clear they are to never call another relative of ours. I also explained the situation with the original lender and told them I will not be making any further payments. And Bryan, I can assure you there are a lot more stories out there that are like mine than yours, that is why the media presents view they do.

The laws of supply and demand will work for bill collectors. If a collection agency is rude and abusive to the people they contact it is simple to change their place in the market. Call their 800 numbers from pay phones. The owner of an 800 number normally will pay about two cents to three cents per minute for incoming calls. A pay hone number expects to collect at least fifty cents for every call placed from their phone. The 800 number is automatically billed by the pay phone company fifty cents to one dollar each time a call is connected. I can call the same 800 number at least five times in a minute. The large rude companies have a machine that answers instead of a person so I just have to hear the voicee of the machine and I know they have spent much more money than they planed. If a company has actually harrassed me enough to make me angry I will invest an hour per week for the next year calling them from pay phones. This increases their overhead by $100.00 to $400.00 per week. If enough people will use this simple method of making rude companies have higher overhead than polite companies the rude companies will have too much overhead to compete with the polite companies and go out of business. If you look at the numbers of each time you are rude your cost of doing business increases by $5,000.00 to $20,000.00 per year your empoloyees will learn their manors quickly or be terminated.

My husband and I recently deployed to Iraq for 15 month tours. (and I am writing this on my 2 week mid tour leave) Unfortunately for myself, a reservist, and my husband who is active duty, our credit card bills fell behind. I took a $25000 a year paycut and found that my mortgage, cars, and support for my mother taking care of our 3 kids was more important than the credit card bills. My deployment was such in a hurry I only had time to move my mother in to watch our children, and left a day after that. Yes, I should pay my bills, and actually was able to pay off my highest bill of $22,000 before I left. but my hardship came before I was able to pay the rest of them off. Anyhow, bill collectors are calling everyday, all thru the day starting at 7am till around 6pm. My mother has tried explaining to these collectors that we are gone and will have to deal with these issues when we get back. They have brought her to tears, since now she not only has to worry about me coming home alive, now she has to deal with them. Well, I’m home for 2 weeks and have had some major run ins with these collectors!! They yell, threaten to sue me, garnish mine and my husbands wages, and so on and so on….. I tried to let them know that because of my and mine husbands circumstances, I am unable to pay the bills, and immediately they began calling me immature, irresponsible, childish while raising their voice. I will pay my debt, when my circumstance changes. I do have to say this, bill collectors are the most rudest, and inconsiderate people I have ever had to deal with. This is my first experience and I’m blazing mad!! Maybe they should try being in my shoes, and know that sometimes unexpected things happen and not every one tries to get over on their bills. My main concern is staying alive to come home to my children, and husband. But what else am I supposed to do? My first concern is mine and my family. I, nor my family, need to deal with this type of harrassment. they need to keep their insults to themselves.

I got myself into alot of debt about two years ago. In the last 6 months I have paid off 80% of my accounts in full. I called a collection company listed on my credit report, and asked them how I would go about paying the account off. He refused to send me a bill, would not send me any settlement agreement, and wanted to charge me $150 to pay cc by phone but ACH would only be $5. I told him that at that time I could not pay the addtional and I was not comfortable paying him with no documentation. Since then he calls my phone 5-6 times a day, has called and sent letters to my moms house (i never gave that address) has called my employer, sent me a court summons by an attorney, and threatened to have me locked up. I dont trust and dont want to pay this guy but I do want to pay the account. PLEASE send me advice!!!! Thanks, Km

in the state of nc do debt collectors have to get a judgement before they pursue a lien or a garnishment?

My boyfriend and I bought a new car and we missed one payment, we are tring a hardest to make the payment but without my income coming in anymore it’s hard to pay all the bills with one income, so the fianace company is calling are home everyday, three, four, and even five times a day, we know the payment is over due, but so are the rest of bills, phone, electric,and gas, and no of these companies are calling at all. Can someone please give me some advice as what to do about this, because the phones are really stressing me out, and I can’t take it anymore. I’m to the point that I yell at them for calling no stop, I document everytime they call here.

Collectors have been violating consumers rights for ever, that is why sites teach the consumers their rights and how to not only keep collectors at bay, but how to sue the sorry sob’s. This information is free for the masses.
Learn your rights, protect them! You will never look at a collection notice the same way! I love getting them :)

Have you guys thought of making an article about expatriating.
I made a bad deal as a young and impressionable teenager ready to go to college no matter what it took. I signed a promisorry note. Several in fact, to further my education with the promise of earning enough money to pay off these debts in 4 years while being able to live comfortably as an “educated” US citizen. The problem occurs when you are in this kind of debt and the only job you can find is one where your entire monthly wage is the size of your monthly debt payments.
Since they are educational loans, the debt does not go away and they garnish your wages (Thanks to Bush up to 25%) wherever you work. The 13th amendment is supposed to protect us from slavery and peonism. The debt industry with the help of the government is reinstitutionalizing it. Since the US government is in favor of enslaving it’s own population, I think it’s a good idea to no longer be a part of it.

YOu can always tell when a post is from someone in the debt buying business because they all use the same ploys to get us to feel as though we are criminals, yet they try are HEAVLY into EXTORTION! They threaten, etc trying to collect on debts that they have NO legal right to collect. There is NO contractual agreement between debt buyer and consumer. Basic contract law states that ALL parties must be part of the ‘deal’. How may of you were brought into the meetings when the sale of your account was discussed? None! Zippo! They also scrrew up your credit report by illegally re-aging accounts, adding new accounts that don’t even exist in their attempts to collect on debts they cannot prove you owe! IF this isn’t extortion, I don’t know what is!!! They are doing all of these vile, illegal things while calling US criminals!!!

A debt collector harrassed me over medical bills that I was trying to sort out. I explained that my son had died from cancer and I then had medical problems. I was paying on al of these medical bills but was overwhelmed. The creditor said she did not belive me that my son had died and if he did die she wanted me to send her his death certificate. I actually copied it and sent it. They still filed a judgement against me.
These people are as low as you can go.

I just got a letter from an attorney. I talked to these collection agency last year and told them the debt from the early 90′s wasn’t mine! They should prove it. Well here we are months later trying to get me to pay for the debt I don’t even owe. Crooks! I never even saw the bill and used to have great credit rating but the last time they called they told me to check it again! I haven’t yet.

I will try to make this short and still make my point. One of my billing companies made a error in processing a payment in May or June of this year. The account was sent to a collection agency in MS. After I called the CEO of my billing company and the admitted they were at fault one of the members of upper management resolved the issue. The collection agency also called me and said that they had resolved the issue with my billing company and deleted my info from their data base. Well several months later (today) this collection agency called me again stating that the account had never been settled. It was confirmed with the my billing company and I was even given a large credit for being inconvenienced. I had already disputed this once and I’ll be damned if I do it again. I was so furious. Thank goodness I know about the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act Sec 806 #5. Since the company is in a different state than were I reside I am going to contact the Attorney General in both states. I have filed a complaint with the BBB in the state of the collection agency, I am contacting my attorney on Monday to file a harassment claim against them, and I also faxed a letter asking then to refrain from calling me or making any type of contact with me regarding this matter. I am also sending this letter for signature confirmation to the collection agency. I do not like businesses who think I am uneducated on my rights as a consumer. They will not like me very much after I am done.

My mom got a new phone number and the previous holder of that number had some serious debts after numerous verbal and written attempts over the subsequent months to notify them that they had the wrong person i discovered that these people are really low life scumbags.
I haven’t had any credit issues but if these vile scumbags ever talked to my mother face to face the way they talked over the phone i would show them the skills i learned in the military.

It’s funny how the bill collectors come in here, luckily i only got two of them calling me now, getting ready to erase them from my life as well, listen up bill collectors, we caqn report u to the better business bureau, n the federal trade commission act, i called one 866 number, left a msg on ther voice mail, n they have stopped calling as i said, i will report u to the better business bureau, the federal trade commission, n i consider this stalking, n harrassment, it seems to wwork, next I’ll tell them I’m recording every call, n every conversation, but usually i don’t talk to them, cuse once u dooooo, that’s how they get u, thank god for caller id!

I don’t have any hard proof to back this up, but I have reason to believe that a third party debt buyer has been contacting neighbors, acquaintences, coworkers etc. concerning some debts I owed to try and defame and ruin my reputation. I was in a bad spot financially a few years back during the last recession and fell on extremely hard times financially. I’m doing better now – better paying job, going back to school, etc, and have enlisted the services of a credit repair and credit counseling company. Can’t seem to shake these debt buying people though. Like someone else here said, I cannot pay what I don’t have. I just want to pull myself up and build back up and move on. These guys definitely are not helping…..

You people who are saying pay the debts you owe have no idean what you are taking about. First you need to educate your selves as to what is money and how it is obtain. First of all Banks create money out of thin air. The customer acutally funds all loans and credit card account. Do the the reseach and you will see. They are the crooks thatowe the debtor. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! before you make statements about people owing. The real crooks is the creditors and the Federal reserve.

You know, in reading some of the comments from people telling us to “pay our bills” or “don’t live above your means”, I hope and pray that they do not have a life altering situation arise (loss of job, divorce,etc.) that will cause bill collectors to call them. Some companies will turn you over with little reason. They find that selling the debt to a collection agency will give them some money where they may not receive any (even though it will be credited at the end of the fiscal year). It is not the ideal conditions today to lose a job…you may not find one before your unemployment runs out. Plus, cost of living has shot up but what about wages??? Does that even out?

I am getting harrassed for debt that I do not owe and it is not on my credit report (my credit is perfect, i have never been late on any payment and every open and closed account is listed in good standing). This is fake debt or it belongs to someone else that shares my name and what they are doing is the equivalent to organized crime.
There are many people in my situation. So to all the posters here that make comments based on the assumption that the collector is right – just wait until it happens to you.

When you talk about debt the banks are just as much at fault by sending creditcard offers in mailboxes,sign up college student who are not even employ or know how to keep a check book. When a lot of them graduate they have alot of debt as well as student loans.Then when you talk about medical debt lot of people do not have insurance they don’t have that kind of money to pay for it.Most people in this country live pay check to pay check.When you get to it Bear Sterns was bailout by the fed and you had many big companies that got bailout as Crysler ,Saving and Loans in the 80′s,it just the little guy who has debt.

i got sick in early 2007 and contacted my creditors to try to work out something as i was going into financial distress. they all said there was nothing they could do. then they raised the interest rates and tacked on late fees and after i had not been able to pay THEN they claimed they wanted to work with me.
i have a progressive, degenerative neuromuscular disease that will take my ability to walk and will eventually take my life. i am unable to work.
for 17 years i had excellent credit and paid ALL of my bills on time as agreed always.
now all of my credit card debt has been charged off and i am being called my collectors.
no matter what they do or say or threaten i will never be able to pay this debt. they will never get one red cent.
i know my credit is destroyed.
i know they can take me to court and get a judgement (though why they would do that when they would never be able to collect on it is beyond me).
i really don’t feel badly about my situation because THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
if i was healthy i could work and they’d get their money.

I have been getting calls from various collection agencies in regards to people I don’t even know. This has been happening for over a year now and they just don’t get the message that they have the wrong phone number. FYI I had my phone number for over twenty years now. They phish for your personal information but don’t tell you their info. I told them they have the wrong number but they keep calling and hanging up, to any sane person that would be harassment and there is nothing that can be done about that other than to turn the phone’s ringer to off.

I agree

I have been home sick and yesterday I received two call from debt collectors and neither was for me. Both were for people with similiar last names. That is wrong. I am not sure if it is illegal, but to simply cold call every Smith in a given geographical area, thinking they may find Jane Smith’s cousin, sister or mother who will point them in the right direction, is just awful.

When a collector calls…..just say..
“Can you call back in 10 minutes”..
They always say, “Oh yeah, sure”

With the economy the way it is there are some that are honestly have trouble making ends meet. When it comes to paying house note or rent and food versus paying a bill, guess which gets paid. I give the collectors credit for their persistance but if you don’t have it you don’t have it. Calling everyday is not going to make the money come any faster with or without threats.