Will taking a collection call stop the phone calls?

[Quagmire]

BIG TIME. I don't think I could handle it if they start calling any of my otyher family and friends next . . . especially since I am now in the 90+ day past due category.

I had read in this forum and in another BK forum, that I should at least answer all of my creditor calls and inform them that they have reached/found me at the correct telephone number. Then inform them that I am no longer employed, tell them I want to pay credit card bill but I am unable to pay my bill at this time. The advice was to be calm, polite, and just hang-up on them (if necessary) after telling this basic information. Will this stop or cut down on the calls? Will this at least stop them from trying to contact my family and friends since I am telling them they have found me at the correct telephone number?

I really have given that CAD letter a lot of thought, but I have read that often that only angers creditors and causes them to sometimes expedite the suing process. I do not mind about the collection letters, but I just would like to inform them to stop calling me. So I am not sure what is the best thing to do as I want to stall for more time until I have enough money to retain a BK lawyer.

What should I do?

Quagmire

[jacko]

Turn the ringer off. As for family, big deal. Let them deal with the calls. Instruct each of your family not give out personal info on you and that they should tell the creditors not to call them since you do not live at their addresses.

[Mi Bankruptcy]

Do you know the attorney you want? If you can come up with a retainer you can wait for awhile to save up the money to file and pay the attorney off in full. 3-5 months easily if you have to. Once you retain them you answer all the calls, tell them you are filing bankruptcy and give them your bankruptcy attorneys phone number.

Don't answer any questions about it. If they ask questions you tell them your attorney can answer that question and they will stop calling you. They will want to know when you are filing and what chapter you are filing.

You just reply: my attorney can answer that question would like his\her phone number

They will keep calling other people if you dont answer the phone or retain a attorney.

[keepinitreal]

You could send them a cease & desist letter to stop phoning your brother.

[frogger]

As for family, big deal.

On that, I would disagree with you.

The OP does not want for his family to suffer along with him, just as most of us don't.

As to the collection companies, they will call your family, your neighbors, and anyone that can lead you to them.

My advice to you would be to answer the call, id yourself, let them know the correct phone number and mailing address, and then turn on the answering machine or voice mail.

Once they have a good number and a good address, there is no reason for them to contact anyone else again. You might answer the phone ever couple of weeks or so and tell them that you still do not have a job and no money.

Others will tell you to ignore them totally, so the choice is yours.

Good luck.

[jacko]

Each to their own. I chose my right to remain silent. Any information they glean from you even with a short phone conversation can be used against you. As for the family, you need to fess up. Believe it or not, you may not be the only one. Coming clean is the best form of therapy. Have family tell the pesky creditors to buzz off and not call again, unless they want a lawsuit for harassment.

On that, I would disagree with you.

The OP does not want for his family to suffer along with him, just as most of us don't.

As to the collection companies, they will call your family, your neighbors, and anyone that can lead you to them.

My advice to you would be to answer the call, id yourself, let them know the correct phone number and mailing address, and then turn on the answering machine or voice mail.

Once they have a good number and a good address, there is no reason for them to contact anyone else again. You might answer the phone ever couple of weeks or so and tell them that you still do not have a job and no money.

Others will tell you to ignore them totally, so the choice is yours.

Good luck.

[Mi Bankruptcy]

Each to their own. I chose my right to remain silent. Any information they glean from you even with a short phone conversation can be used against you. As for the family, you need to fess up. Believe it or not, you may not be the only one. Coming clean is the best form of therapy. Have family tell the pesky creditors to buzz off and not call again, unless they want a lawsuit for harassment.

If they dont get in touch with you and you continue to ignore them they will also start contacting you at work.

[jacko]

I am unemployed.

If they dont get in touch with you and you continue to ignore them they will also start contacting you at work.

[Mi Bankruptcy]

I am unemployed.

The OP may not be unemployed or another person reading the post

[TwentyTwelve]

Creditors calling my brother is really stressing me out BIG TIME. I don't think I could handle it if they start calling any of my otyher family and friends next . . . especially since I am now in the 90+ day past due category.

They can and will call your family, friends, AND neighbors. They go to any lengths to shame and humiliate you. They told me it was called skip tracing. If I could go back, I would take Frogger's advice. Answer every couple of weeks to let them know it's you and they should have no reason to call anyone. If they continue, write a certified letter to cease and desist.

[Exployer1234]

I agree that answer the calls every so often so they have a valid number. It does not mean that they will not still call your friends and family though. Personally I would call every creditor and tell them your number. If you are planning on filing BK in the next month you can tell the creditors you are planning on filing BK. Once I had hired my attorney I answered my phone and told each creditor my attorney's name and that I was filing BK and they should receive notice in such amount of time.

My creditors never stopped contacting my family, and my family actually continued to deny knowing me and asked the creditors to take their number off their list.

I can also tell you that I have received calls from other people's creditors that I do not know. I simply tell them to take me off their contact list because I have no idea who that person is. One creditor even tried to get me to give them all my information, including my social security number and checking account information. I asked them to tell me who they were calling from and I would report them to the poilice. They simply just hung up and never called back.

[catleg]

Just because you talk to some creditor, does not mean they won't throw an "office party" (call your work/boss) or a "block party" (call your neighbors) in order to put pressure on you to pay.

Ultimately it's about putting pressure on you to make you pay, never forget that.

[Bell30656]

Sending a cease and desist letter will not stop an OC from making calls to locate you. This means that they will continue to call your brother, cousin, sister, mother, employer, etc. You can stop the employer calls by telling them that those type of calls are not allowed by policy at your work.

Answer the phone, confirm who you are... then tell them to piss off. In answer to your original question, Answering the telephone and talking to them will slow the calls down. The calls to your neighbors, friends and etc. are what are known as "Attempts to locate."

[treehugger1]

I always answered the phone. I always requested a fromal letter from whoever was calling (CA/JDB.) If they did not send a dunning letter, I would look up their address.

I have never had a CA/JDB/etc violate my C&D demand. I make it clear that they are not to contact me or any other third party related to the alleged debt.

Avoiding your debt problem by not opening letters, or not exercising your rights under the FDCPA (or your state laws) will not make things better for you.

Just my opinions.

[GoingDown]

Each to their own. I chose my right to remain silent. Any information they glean from you even with a short phone conversation can be used against you. As for the family, you need to fess up. Believe it or not, you may not be the only one. Coming clean is the best form of therapy. Have family tell the pesky creditors to buzz off and not call again, unless they want a lawsuit for harassment.

I agree. Tell your family about your credit problems. They need to know that debt collectors will call them to find out useful information about you... your cell phone number, where you live, where you work, how much money you get paid, if you own real estate, if you own a car, etc. Believe me, debt collectors get most of their information from telephone calls and from your credit report. At least if your relatives know about this, they will be less likely to give away your personal information.

Then follow up with a cease and desist letter to the creditors and debt collectors to get them to stop calling.

What makes them sue you is if they figure out you are employed, have assets, etc.

If they sue, then file BK as soon as possible.