Ask Me Help Desk - Collection agencies

I have noticed a run of collection agency posts lately. I don't know what it is about this time of year, it seems to happen around tax time. Anyway, how many times can a debtor be hit by collection agencies, I mean how many times can it be sold, passed on, whatever the terminology is.

I always enjoy the ones that say; 'I didn't think this was my debt, or I really, really didn't owe the money so don't know why they are after me. What should I do ?'

I have said this often, I think collection agencies are the scum of the earth, they will use any threat, say anything, the worst scare tactics anyone can use, to get their money (with interest attached). So your tiny indescretion has gone from $500 to $5000 over the years including interest !

Okay, just venting.

Easy, big guy. "Scum of the earth?" That's pretty harsh words. Now, I'm not here to defend or condone their exsistance, but, without a way to recoup outstanding debt, some business would have to fold. All because somebody decided to just not pay for their purchases. I would like to go to store, charge a bunch of clothes, then not pay the bill when it comes due. That's stealing. And it drives up the cost of doing business. We all pay more because the retailers realize there is risk here and will raise their prices. Now, having said that, you are right about tactics. They will stop at nothing. And "sell" your balance forever. But watch your own credit score or try to buy a car or house when these guys are after you. You really end up hurting yourself but blaming them. Hmm..

I have had a run in with a couple of them, really through no fault of my own. My husband filed bankruptcy but didn't skip out on his creditors, they got so much on the dollar, and he had to borrow to make things right, but that's the way he saw it; except one of them didn't accept the terms, so got nothing... that way. They wanted all or nothing and picked his spouse as a way of doing it. That was my run in with a collection agency who made my existence hell for a year, getting nothing from me, but threatening everything. My lawyer said hang up on them. I did. They eventually got tired and sold it to someone else, etc.

So I am not without knowledge of how the system works, CaptainRich. The harsh words are justified because they gave me many sleepless nights for a while until I found out that couldn't take my house, my car, etc.

I've had my share of fun with collections, too. Threats of law suit for owing little more than a hundred buck? They're dangerous and relentless. Frequent phone calls. Yea, I know. But it's powerful knowledge when you know that the only thing they can do is collect that debt. Of course, when unpaid debt gets sold around they add fees and interest and it can snowball quickly. That's when bad thing can happen to otherwise good people. I used to not care at all about my own credit score... even went so far a to make jokes about how nobody would steal my identity... Pretty dumb, now that I look back on it.

I worked in collections for a few years early in my career. I don't think it fair to condemn a whole industry for the excess of a some of them.

From the collector side, most people who don't pay their bills are very hostile towards collectors. The more work a collector has to do to contact a debtor, the worse the debtor is.

When I was doing it, the debtors that kept in contact, made an effort to pay and didn't try to duck out on their debts were treated courteously and respectfully. The ones that refused our calls, lied about payments or financial condition or otherwise attempted to skip out on their debts were treated more harshly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

I worked in collections for a few years early in my career. I don't think it fair to condemn a whole industry for the excess of a some of them.

From the collector side, most people who don't pay their bills are very hostile towards collectors. The more work a collector has to do to contact a debtor, the worse the debtor is.

When I was doing it, the debtors that kept in contact, made an effort to pay and didn't try to duck out on their debts were treated courteously and respectfully. The ones that refused our calls, lied about payments or financial condition or otherwise attempted to skip out on their debts were treated more harshly.

Well then a lot has changed since you worked for collection, because we didn't skip out and we didn't evade. They were just rude, uncouth, threatened and cajoled and I got tired of it so I fought back. This was all because of the one and only creditor who would not accept an offer and decided they wanted it all, and they didn't get it because we couldn't give anymore.

This is all in the past now, both my husband and I managed to put it all behind us, I have excellent credit, however my husband can only have a bank account and a car loan for the next three years, and oh yes, a debt of $30,000 which is payback, and he was being nice about it. So go figure.

You can't judge the barrel by one bad apple.