Does this really work on people?

[BrokeIn2010]

I told one this morning (a particularly hateful, annoying, idiotic, in house collector for GE Money Bank), that if he didn't back up off me (soon as I picked up the line he tore into me without so much as verifying he was calling the right house, hell he couldn't even which account he was calling about straight-- he came up with 4 different people along with my account) I was going to the hospital for chest-pains (which I was having, due to me trying to keep my temper under control) and was forwarding the bill to GE Money Bank along with a suit.

He hung up real quick then.

[GoingDown]

It's certainly not worth having chest pains over talking to these debt collector idiots. Just hang up on them the next time they call, or check your caller I.D. and don't answer when they call again.



I've found that when you talk to them on the phone, you are only speaking to the lower rung employees of that collection agency. For some people they may be fun to play with on the phone, but the managers are the ones you really want to reach.

The only way to reach them, in my experience, is to wait until their collection agency is closed (Sunday mornings at say 4 a.m. is usually a good time to call) and then call them and get their voicemail and leave your message for them. The manager will often hear these messages. Be careful. You are being recorded. I often tell them about me being judgment proof and that they will never get a penny out of me and that they are wasting their time, effort and money on me. I personally think it has helped in some cases.

[flyinbroke]

I told one this morning (a particularly hateful, annoying, idiotic, in house collector for GE Money Bank), that if he didn't back up off me (soon as I picked up the line he tore into me without so much as verifying he was calling the right house, hell he couldn't even which account he was calling about straight-- he came up with 4 different people along with my account) I was going to the hospital for chest-pains (which I was having, due to me trying to keep my temper under control) and was forwarding the bill to GE Money Bank along with a suit.

He hung up real quick then.

I talked to that guy. As soon as you say you can't pay he tries to tear your head off. I told him yelling and screaming was not going to send me a winning lottery ticket, or a magical inheritance, or a raise at work.

[Jackdog]

Youtube has a couple of funny clips of people taking with DC's. One guy was getting calls for someone else so after months of telling them you have the wrong number he finally decided to play with them. He said he doesn't have a pen to sign check. He told them he'd like to settle but he just came back from Russia and if they'd accept Rubles. He asked if they would accept various other countries currency. They wouldn't of course. Then they asked if he had a credit card to which he said I do it's an American Express Titanium.

[BrokeIn2010]

I talked to that guy. As soon as you say you can't pay he tries to tear your head off. I told him yelling and screaming was not going to send me a winning lottery ticket, or a magical inheritance, or a raise at work.

I didn't even get that far: I answered and before I even finished "hello" I got "How does it feel to be a liar and a thief? You feel good about it? I'm not some push over buddy, your nuts are mine". Over the course of 5 minute convo he accused me of being 4 other people. I've already wrote out a letter to send to the state's AGO, and left a voice mail with my attorney.

[Jackdog]

I didn't even get that far: I answered and before I even finished "hello" I got "How does it feel to be a liar and a thief? You feel good about it? I'm not some push over buddy, your nuts are mine". Over the course of 5 minute convo he accused me of being 4 other people. I've already wrote out a letter to send to the state's AGO, and left a voice mail with my attorney.

You need to record those calls. First before he says anything he's supposed to get on the phone with the correct person, say who he is, what company he's with, and that he's calling in an attempt to collect such and such debt. Even after that to call someone a liar and a thief is harrassment. Not to mention what he said about "your nuts are mine"
It boggles my mind how they think by calling anyone a liar or thief is going to get them to fork over money. I could give a rat's ass what a bottom feeder thinks of me.

[WhatMoney]

You should never speak to a bill collector without recording the entire conversation. You need caller ID and an easy way to start the recording before you answer the phone. Anything short of this and you are open to abuse and there is nothing you can do about it.

With a recording and proper phone caller ID and telephone company records proving which agency called, you would have a sure win in federal court with an FDCPA violation. In fact the attorney would ask for $3000 out of court settlement, and they would probably pay it with abusive evidence like that.

Why people keep answering the phone and talking to these idiots without documentation is a mystery to me.

[jacko]

Why not turn off the ringer? You will be healthier that way. There is no reason to talk to them. You will end of giving them enough info about yourself and not know about it.

[BrokeIn2010]

Why not turn off the ringer? You will be healthier that way. There is no reason to talk to them. You will end of giving them enough info about yourself and not know about it.

Advice of our attorney. Until we're paying him for the actual BK, he wants us to look like we're at least attempting to stay in communications and work things out. He said otherwise if they do beat us to court before we file, that might make it look like we were trying to skip out on the debt.

[HOMEBODY]

I had lady from HSBC call me about my account and when I told her that I was filing for BK she said "I am so sorry to hear that, I know how hard that is as it was for me last year when I filed for BK myself" I couldnt believe how nice and understanding she was. She hung up by saying "good luck" .

I thought these calls were monitored and recorded, dont thing her supervisors would approve of such conversation.

[ish412]

I had lady from HSBC call me about my account and when I told her that I was filing for BK she said "I am so sorry to hear that, I know how hard that is as it was for me last year when I filed for BK myself" I couldnt believe how nice and understanding she was. She hung up by saying "good luck" .

I thought these calls were monitored and recorded, dont thing her supervisors would approve of such conversation.

They were exactly the same way with me. Very understanding and polite to a fault once I explained things to them.

[flyinbroke]

There was an article that said many collectors are in the very same boat...unable to pay bills and hounded by collectors. I suspect many are more understanding than are able to let on.

This does not apply to the crack addicts that man the phones at the fly-by-nights and even some of the big CAs...or that jerk at GE Money. They are just mad because they have to resort to street corner hook-ups to get their next fix instead of your big payday.

(For those who do not have recorders, but have smart phones, try them. My BlackBerry has a very nice recorder that worked well when some guy from a CA was screaming about me running up my BoA bill, when he could not even produce an account number.)

[BrokeIn2010]

Had a GOOD call with a collector yesterday: Bill Me Later.

I explained to the guy what as going on on, why we were behind, he was polite (gasp) and said they had some options but he'd need to verify some things (I'm thinking here we go) and all they're asking for is a verification from the doctor (a note) about the medical events that put us behind and our attorney's number to verify he's being retained. The man apologized for calling, said he put us on the 'no call' list, and he hoped things worked out for us.

I was actually shocked.

[ryan]

There was an article that said many collectors are in the very same boat...unable to pay bills and hounded by collectors. I suspect many are more understanding than are able to let on.

There was an article quoted on some other forum, I forget which, that was supposedly by a former collector. He said at his place at least a third of the employees were being chased by creditors.

It was so bad the receptionist couldn't get anything done as she was constantly answering the phone calls from other collectors!

Collectors chasing collectors,... what a picture.:-)

[flyinbroke]

Collectors chasing collectors,... what a picture.:-)

Would love to be a fly on the wall for THOSE conversations....