XPRESSCION

Since we're in another depression and some of us are unemployed. Trying to balance those bills and getting those harrassing phone calls.

I decided we should have thread made to bash out those collectors to let out some steam!
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About three years ago, I was very stupid and opened too many credit card accounts. I was playing minimal required amount each month. Yeah...

Then 2007 came along, I agreed to move out on my own. Here's the kicker, I was trying to balance car payment, one of my student loans, and rent in one check. Without realizing, Toyota Financial allows a grace period while I'm delaying these credit card bills to have some "running money." You pretty much guess it, "Here come the late charge fees."

Last May, my older sister offered to help me out. So I let her. She helped out so much, I was able to pay all the credit cards off by December. But, I forgot about this one that was in two different collection agencies. I haven't received anything updated since last year.

This morning, I'm having wonderful Friday. Had rough day at work last night. A fellow Scion owner helped me with a project this week and she finished it today. I'm waiting for UPS/Fedex for my Agency Power exhaust from California.

Then it came.....A collection agency calls me asking for this money. And I explain "I haven't received anything lately so I forgot about it. I thought I took care of it back in December." This b!ttch kept "harrassing" me asking me too much personal questions. I explain, "Lady, I'm planning on moving out next month." Then she asked me "How is your car payment? How much is your car insurance? Why haven't you not paid this yet; so how are you going to pay for rent?" This lady wouldn't shut up! Then, I kept being sarcastic. She said "Why are you being sarcastic?" I reply back, "Look two years STRAIGHT I've had collectors harassing me non-stop while I work nights and can't sleep because people like you kept calling me! Almost to a point, I almost got my butt fired from my job because I was too tired from not sleeping!" Then she said, "We're not harrassing?" She made deals that I couldn't do until next month and she disagrees. Then, we both agreed on a payment option. She asks me for my banking information...I said "I'm not going to give you my information. Mail out a bill for the full amount today and I'll see what I can do!" I clicked.

She was threathing me to tell the credit card company and tell them I was being "unprofessional." File a small claims case. If it goes through court by then it will been delt with

That b!!tch

Thanks for ruining a hard working warehouse worker's weekend! I'll like to see your lazy azz in foreign container....

ack154

iTrader: (7)

Some are better than others to work with. I have one bill in collection still from a couple years ago (will be paid off next year!). Almost had a second one go, but worked out a deal with the actual credit company.

But I have a friend of mine who also had a few things lapse into collection and there was one company he kept trying to offer money to but they wouldn't take it. Something about how they had to have a huge percentage up front and then could do payments - but he couldn't come up with the big chunk all at once and kept offering like $100/month right off the bat. They wouldn't take it b/c they kept saying they needed a lump sum first. He must have went through 4 or 5 months of this back and forth with them - the whole time they never accepted any of his money.

I think he eventually was able to either offer a little more or they caved or something. It was ridiculous.

Best thing you can do though in these situations is don't let them get to the collections people. Call and setup a payment thing with the actual credit card people first. You'll work out way better that way. I did that with the one of mine that almost went to collection and now the card is totally reinstated and it is the lowest rate for any of the cards I have (9.24%).

CL65Pilot

Check to make sure the statue of limitations have not expired on this debt. You can check your state's time frame here: http://www.bcsalliance.com/y_debt_sol.html

You should never talk on the phone with a collection agency outside of getting an address to send certified mail to. All correspondence should be written/certified mail.

You also have a RIGHT to have your debt validated. Many collection agencies purchase bad debt from other agencies and cannot validate that the debt is real. They will still go after these people hoping that some will just pay it. This happened to me recently with $22 off of a closed cell phone account from two years ago that I was sure didn't ever exist. I sent a certified letter stating that I felt the debt was false and requested validation. They never wrote back (they have 30 days under law to respond). More about that subject here: http://www.creditinfocenter.com/rebu...lidation.shtml

Many of these companies are shady, some are good. The law clearly defines what they can and cannot do. If you request in writing they do not contact you by phone or at your place of work, the cannot do so any longer under law. Take steps to protect yourself, and if the debt is real, be responsible and pay it, but only after they prove that it is valid.

nodsetse

^ Excellent post!

XPRESSCION

My sister was saying something about contacting the credit card company. Work through them but the credit card company's collection department is just as bad about harassing as actual collection companies.

Since I'm moving out next month and have to pack things. I'm going to track down some of those bills and photo copy them. Each month send them a basic payment. Keep doing that until its paid off. Keep all the records.

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From personal experience-

Good-
Capital One
Wells Fargo, I actually had collection head from HQs called me one time. And I clicked the phone on her. She called again within a minute. We talked through things calmly. She recommended a good debt considation company that Wells Fargo loves working with and even told me to give them her actual name and extention number.

Bad-
HSBC, You're better off dealing with the Devil.
Kohl's


Never delt with Toyota Financial. I have received a recorded message saying "Hello, this is a friendly reminder about your account. Please call us at..." I was late one day and they called once. I've e-mailed them once upon a time asking for a extention since I agreed to pay off Kohl's with the TFS payment around Christmas '07. The guy e-mailed back stating I have grace period so they couldn't grant it. The guy wrote the e-mail very professional-friendly. Apprently, Scion Solutions has their own collection people cause he stated he was from Scion Solutions.

CK028

ugh i hate collectors. i've got a few on my back too. but see, at least yours will hopefully be taken care of. i wish you the best of luck.

flyerI

It is simple to stop the phone callsfrom the collectors. Stop paying the phone bill. Problem solved.

XPRESSCION

I did do that with US Cellular. I have over 10 collector numbers saved in my old Razr so everytime they called me. I turned off the phone. They cut my service and I've been owing them LOL