Inhouse collections advice please

[wingnut]

Crazy Hold Music

Hey,

I usually just say, "Sure he is, hold on a second..." and then set the phone down by a speaker. The crazier the music, the longer they seem to listen. If there isn't a stereo around, I just set the phone down and laugh as they try to insult and intimidate me.

Eventually, they either stop calling, send the case to another internal department, or sell the debt (yet again). Some callers even scream "I AM A SUPERVISOR" or "Don't you dare...." Well, you're not MY supervisor!

I'm all for wasting their time, but you might not want to do it verbally. From what I hear collectors can be quite crafty in regard to causing people to lose their temper, so that they don't watch their info / etc.

Any communication you need to do can be done in writing. If you wait long enough, you'll get offers for lump sum settlements - sometimes as low as 30-40% of the outstanding balance - before the original creditor sells your bad debt for even less than that. So, either start squirreling money away for the lump sum payments, or think of bankruptcy options. Ultimately, it might be between you and a trustee regarding why you weren't paying.

Don't let them fool you into believing that they are more powerful than they actually are. I haven't paid on my cards since April of 2006. Only 1 of several 3rd party collectors has tried arbitration, and that went back and forth from February to October, only to be dismissed!

Finally, there are prepaid cellphone companies which let you change your # free of charge. I'd mention the company I use here, but that could be a violation.

BEST OF LUCK!

WINGNUT

[helen2008]

Thanks for giving advice about the inhouse collection. It is very useful and it is very interesting. I want more details regarding this information....


======
helen

Don't be a victim. Stop credit card debt now. We can help.

http://www.stop-credit-card-debt.com

[michele71]

Hmm..I have been getting calls from Macys 3 or more times a day and I finally called the bankruptcy department to tell them I am filing. Was that the wrong move??? they wre the only people calling and they were driving me crazy. It is the 7 nov and I plan on filing 3 Dec---do you think they will send it to collections quick fast??? My account is only like 15 days late.

[mellydan]

Discover calls me constantly too! I am 60 days past due (well, as of 2/3 anyway) and I answered a few weeks ago and told them I couldn't pay, so they asked if I could pay by the 23rd and I said not sure, but they delayed the calls. Then the 23rd came and went and the calls started again from a different number. I ignored for a few days then answered yesterday just to see who it was. It was Discover again, pushing hard for me to pay by the 3rd. I only answered so I could get some info. I know they haven't reported it to the credit bureaus yet, but will if I don't pay the minimum for at least one month by the 3rd, cause that's when my new billing cycle starts. I just thanked them for letting me know. I'm actually meeting with my attorney on the 3rd, so I'm not gonna pay them, but they are still really nice at this point. I'm guessing after next week they won't be, though. He did tell me that until I pay something I will stay in the system for the automatic calls to continue, and they only way they'd stop is if I paid my minimum.

[TooMuchCredit]

There is a certain very large credit union, that despite occasionally answering their calls and telling them I am filing Ch. 13 BK, keeps calling almost daily. I am planning on filing early March. They have my lawyers information. I just spoke to them Wed/Thurs of this past week. They sent me an email Friday in which I responded and again gave my lawyers information. Guess what, today they called all my relatives in various states looking for me! Saying they have not been able to reach me! I had hoped to keep this personal and not have my family know about it. Thanks to the jerks at the CU, no such luck!

[sofarsogood2]

At one point, after months of letting the machine pick up, I simply pulled the plug out of the wall. I heard nothing when they called- they got ringing for however long they waited for an answer. When I plugged the phone back in about 2 weeks later, the calls pretty much stopped. People who knew me just called my cell when I didn't answer the home phone, like they always have. It was really nice to have some peace and quiet.

[anykey]

often a computer dials these calls.

[minan]

For those living in California, I read that under the Rosenthal FDCP Act, once you have notified a creditor you have retained a lawyer (regardless of whether you have file the bk petition or not) and if you have provided your attorney's name and number, creditors have stop calling you directly.

This Act is for California only and supposedly added further rules for creditors/debt collectors to follow on top of the federal FDCPA rules.

California's Rosenthal Act also applies the federal FDCPA rules to the original creditor.

I'm sure someone on here will correct me if I misunderstood the Rosenthal Act.

[lrprn]

minan, it's against our forum rules to post to old, long-inactive threads like this one because they can contain information that was accurate at the time but may not be accurate now.

In the future, please start your own new thread instead - thanks!

[frogger]

These phone reps are crack addicts employed by corporate collector idiots to do so.

Crack addicts? Perhaps you need to back up and re-think that one. Collectors are collectors, doing the job they are hired to do.

Like them or not, they show up to work and do their jobs.

Crack addicts are out stealing your weed-eater and taking it to the pawn shop.