How long til the cards get serious?

[NewPage]

I didn't make a payment for the first time EVER on my American Express Blue acct last month. Well, this month, I guess. Yes it was the March payment. I got an email last week, and it seems they have called the house today. I have a Go Phone that is my contact number for my card accts, on some other advice I received here. I changed it weeks ago, but they are still calling here. Normal, I suppose.

Well, this is making me nervous. It's my husband's business line they are technically calling (yes he knows about the missed payment, etc). Is there anything to do other than say wrong number, etc?

And how long before Amex starts *really* freaking out? Should I contact them and say "Hey I asked for help and you didn't really offer a plan I could work with"?

[dakota112]

Change your phone number if you don't want to be bothered by these sycophants. Start preparing your bankruptcy as soon as it fits into your plans as sooner or later they will attempt to sue you,

[blockhead]

4 mths

In my case they sued me after 4 or 5 mths of not paying, but I owe them 30K.. Zwicker was the law firm

[eventsdj]

my cards got hot and heavy after the first week. Discover was the worst. I just stopped answering all together, but we were filing a month later, so there was nothing they could do.

Today we are DISCHARGED! It all gets better!

[NewPage]

I changed the phone number weeks ago to a Go Phone that we have for instances when our regular cell phones won't get reception, and for my teenager to carry on occasion. I owe them $13500.

Planning to file BK in June at earliest.

[Dst1]

Change your phone number if you don't want to be bothered by these sycophants. Start preparing your bankruptcy as soon as it fits into your plans as sooner or later they will attempt to sue you,

[LizardTail]

"And how long before Amex starts *really* freaking out? Should I contact them and say "Hey I asked for help and you didn't really offer a plan I could work with"?"

That's how I feel. I tried, but when they all unilaterally upped the rate and lowered the limit, I knew I was screwed. I didn't really want to screw them back, but my back was against the wall. I feel I have paid them well enough in interest anyway.

[NewPage]

"And how long before Amex starts *really* freaking out? Should I contact them and say "Hey I asked for help and you didn't really offer a plan I could work with"?"

That's how I feel. I tried, but when they all unilaterally upped the rate and lowered the limit, I knew I was screwed. I didn't really want to screw them back, but my back was against the wall. I feel I have paid them well enough in interest anyway.

Yeah, pretty much.

I did email customer service today. Before I sent the email, the "do one of these answer your question?" things popped up, and one of them had a link to an Amex site to get your payments fixed. That offered me $200/month and 0% for 6 months, then 9.99% for 6 months, then back to current rates. In January the phone rep offered me the same interest deal, but $281/month. Interesting.

I didn't sign up for it, I just wondered.

[researchmode]

Scary, right?

March was the first month I didn't pay Capital One, BOA, and Chase.

Chase was the first, and most persistent, in contacting me. Capital One was extremely polite. BOA took the longest.

I've put each number they've called from in my phone's "block" function, which sends those straight to voice mail and does not ring.

I don't know about how long it takes to get sued... just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in being a little freaked out.

Best of luck to you!

[NewPage]

Yep, definitely scary. Grateful for these forums and the people who have BTDT!

[liz417]

They will call and call everyday until you tell them you've retained an attorney. I made sure to pick up the phone at least once a month to let them know that I was still alive and make sure they wouldn't start calling family, friends and neighbors

Once the debt is transferred to a CA, they will be a little more aggressive and leave threating messages on your voicemail...

[Jackdog]

January was the last payment on my Discover. I owe a little over 2k on it. They called Feb 22 after the payment was four days late. They are now calling nonstop. I answered the phone a few times but now I just let it ring. March I didn't pay any most are only a few days late now couple are almost 2 weeks. GE has called I answered phone just to let them know I'm here but have no money. Beneficial Finance has called once and has sent me a letter telling me they are lowering my interest rate on my personal loan (something I begged them to do for years) I have to save money for attorney so I'm not looking at filing until July. I hope I can last that long. They can't garnish my pay I make nothing. My house I'm keeping so I'm a little worried about that but being in Florida it's exempt. I'm still not sure if they can place a lien against it. It's all unsecured debt.

I will say this though. Discover is determined. They are now calling right at 8am (at least they let me sleep in) and they call at least once every hour. I have a medical debt from last July. I paid the ER fee (600 dollars) I didnt realize that the Phys. Assistant was a separate bill 300 to have her walk in look at my hand for 2 seconds then walk off. That has been turned over to a CA and they have yet to call just letters.

I really hope I can make it to July.

[ryan]

yeh, there are some that are more persistent than others....Discover is #1, but I don't find them difficult, just extremely persistent. Chase is a close second. Then Amex and the rest are way less intense. With a cell phone and caller ID, I take a call when I feel like it.
I'm about 6 months without paying so its getting closer to potential lawsuit time. ...still its hard to predict. One is now at a lawyer/collection place, so it may be closer than the others.

[catleg]

My wife and I got sued a total of 10 times including 5 x Citi, 1 x Chase (multiple accounts combined), 1 x Discover, 1 x GEMB, 1 x JDB, and once by a casino. The first was Chase after 5 months past due, then others between 6-9 months. I live in a state that is very creditor friendly. The courts act as an extended collection agency for cases under 15k. But really their main hope is for wage garnishment, as real estate liens aren't worth squat in most cases.

In many cases, we got sued on some accounts with a given creditor and not sued on others. The logic is a mystery. My wife attracted more suits because the house is in her name.

Anything less than a lawsuit is almost, by definition, not serious.

[BananaCabana]

We stopped paying on anything we didn't want to keep in May of 2009. So we are going on 10 months now. A couple have been sent to collections but we are still waiting for someone to issue us a summons and sue us. As a previous poster said, it is getting closer and closer. I am waiting to see if it will be the mortgage company foreclosing or a credit card company who will be the first to sue. That will be when we have to lay the cards down and declare BK. Luckily we have had very few phone calls. Discover found us and the mortgage company. None of the other creditors knew my current number. Of course, that did send AMEX to my parents phone bugging them about my contact information. It got to the point that I told them to just give them the number so they would quit calling them. I don't answer any numbers that I don't recognize anyway so it wouldn't be any additional nuisance for me. AMEX has since sent me to collections so I assume they are not bothering my parents any longer. I need to ask them if they are still getting any calls about us. They want to protect us so they may not be telling me that they are being solicited for information.