First debt collection call. What do I do/say?!

[HakunaMatata]

Stopped paying my mortgage in July. I've only received one call from HSBC (no message was left). Today I received a call from an odd number. Didn't answer. Received non-detailed urgent voicemail message ("Hi X, this is X. Please return my call at X"). Performed a reverse number search and it appears to be a "law office" (various names on different searches). Since I haven't missed any other payments, I imagine this is related to my mortgage.

Do I return the call? If so, what am I supposed to do/say?

I can handle abuse. I prefer to do so prepared!! Thanks!

[OhioFiler]

If it is an outside collector, which I doubt at this early stage, confirm your billing address and home phone number, nothing more. Don't be intimidated by their antics.

[justplaintired]

I returned calls. I don't know what other think, but I always did call them. I hated the idea of waiting for the phone to ring and wondering who it was calling drove me nuts, that and the fear of them calling my neighbors or family just wasn't going to happen. I told all of them exactly who was, gave them my attorney's name and number what chapter we were filing...., I was honest with them, they were nice to us, not one nasty collector. Seemed to have worked for us, bought us more time. Now we didn't have the mortgage company calling because we were never late on it, ours was all cc debt. So others who have mortgages might be better to answer this question. I can only assume you are filing on your house too and I have no idea if calling them can postpone the foreclosure or make it happen faster.


Good luck

[HakunaMatata]

Thanks everyone!

I suppose I should have been more specific. I haven't officially retained an attorney (although, I've selected one) as I've been vacillating foreclosure and bk. I'm edging up to the BK start line and I intend to contact the attorney tomorrow.

My keen investigation skills (aka: Google) indicate this call is affiliated with my mortgage company. Plaintired, like you, I intend to return the call. I simply don't know what I should say. I doubt informing the rep that my house is a money pit and I refuse to sink more money into it is a solid format. I'm not a big fan of fabrication. However, factual omission is acceptable in the situation.

Bigboy, if you happen to find that magic eightball, let me know. Sure, I'll pay you. Please give me the proper spelling of your name so I can include you in the creditor matrix.

[lifelesson]

when the cc companys were calling us before filing I would tell them I am working on how to handle the debt, but at this time I could not promise any payments. I used that line for about 2 weeks on 4 cc. Our mortage company wouldn't even allow us to re do our loan because (get this) We were not behind. No help for thiose trying to keep up. This Monday is the 341 hearing with no assests. we are trying to keep our home (property taxes are 6 months behind) and two cars both owed a bit more then they are worth. Our issue is the credit cards.

[BigJohn]

It really comes down to what NOT to say. When I talk with them I do explain my situation, I got hurt, I am not working, I have no money...PERIOD.... so those that accept that we have a nice call and maybe if they ask what I intend to do (I think that is reasonable to ask) I simply tell them, I have not decided and I am looking at my options and when I have considered all my options and have chosen what I am going to do I will let you know.

Now, I always get some azz that ask, so how are you paying your rent? I say I am not. Then they get pissy and ask well how are you paying your power? I say I don't feel the need to discuss this with you, are you done now? (Oh no, they get super pissy...LOL) They want to know who is "helping" me if I am not paying for this stuff. I simply say, as I told you I am not prepared to discuss this with you and it none of your business (talk about really pissing them off...LOL).

Point is this, I told them my situation, if you want more info to bad I am not obligated to tell you anything I don't want to tell you. In my case I could tell them everything and it wouldn't matter. But for most people the info you give away that you should not is; where you work if they don't know, how much you make, how much you spend, where you bank, your bank account info, etc. Those are the biggest, but to simply say, I am out of work I will let you know when I am working again is sufficient. They don't need to know how you pay your other bills, I am not not going to buy food to pay you so none of the other stuff matters. I have even gone as far as to tell collectors, that unless you want to sue me and conduct a debtors exam I don't need to tell you crap (I only talk like that to the real azz's, and there have been many).

It is their quarter so tell them what they already know and what will not hurt you.

I had one jack who called and I told him I was on Social Security Disability.

He said he wanted my check.

I told him he had to go down to the Social Security office with me and see what they say.

He hung up.




By the way, that collector turned the debt back to the original creditor and for some odd reason, the original creditor immediately sold the debt to a junk debt buyer (JDB).

[SandyShores]

It is their quarter so tell them what they already know and what will not hurt you.

I had one jack who called and I told him I was on Social Security Disability.

He said he wanted my check.

I told him he had to go down to the Social Security office with me and see what they say.

He hung up.




By the way, that collector turned the debt back to the original creditor and for some odd reason, the original creditor immediately sold the debt to a junk debt buyer (JDB).

LOL

SandyShores