Stopped paying bills. What to say to the vulures when they call?

[tigergem]

LOL! I am reading the OP's initial posting title..."Stopped paying bills. What to say to the vulures when they call?" While we all hate the dreaded phone calls that start when we stop paying bills to creditors from which we borrowed money to use, realize that creditors (vultures only gather when there is a feast to devour) are only trying to get back money owed to them and if someoneone borrowed several thousand dollars from you and did not pay it back, you would also be on the phone or otherwise trying to get paid back. Once you realize with that statement what the process is all about, you can handle it differently and understand why it is taking place and what is going on.

lol... I think everybody on this forum "gets" that they owe somebody something.

[OhioFiler]

Can I go into my cc and put the attorneys number???

Might as well put Pizza Hut's number in there. It won't make any difference.

[callies]

Can I go into my cc and put the attorneys number???

[flyinbroke]

Some of mine are vultures...I have not used said accounts in years (opted out of rate hikes eons ago) so all I owe them at this stage, based on past payments, is interest. I figure I am skimming their profits, not stealing money I borrowed (paid that back with interest...yes, I did the math.)

I just don't bother answering the phone. My VM tells them they have the right number IF a person makes the call. I often get cut-off half messages from the robo telling me to press 1, or something like that. Makes no sense in a VM message so I guess my message sounds like a real person answering.

[Flamingo]

LOL! I am reading the OP's initial posting title..."Stopped paying bills. What to say to the vulures when they call?" While we all hate the dreaded phone calls that start when we stop paying bills to creditors from which we borrowed money to use, realize that creditors (vultures only gather when there is a feast to devour) are only trying to get back money owed to them and if someoneone borrowed several thousand dollars from you and did not pay it back, you would also be on the phone or otherwise trying to get paid back. Once you realize with that statement what the process is all about, you can handle it differently and understand why it is taking place and what is going on.

[JackBondLove]

I don't think that most debt collectors are intelligent enough to understand so many syllables strung together that closely. Do you speak very slowly or find yourself having to repeat yourself often?

Typically I will demean the representative by asking, "you do know what ... means, don't you?" I even had one representative who did not know about the BK counseling requirement. I lit into him like he was a dunce and asked to speak to HIS manager about why a peon like him has not been properly trained, and that I was wasting my time talking to someone who did not the rudiments of the bankruptcy process (he politely ended the call at that time.)

In some ways, I am actually looking forward to abusing the zombie debt collectors.

[JackBondLove]

I have yet to speak to any of them, what do they expect me to say? My ringer volume is down and I get 50+ messages a day and now they are blowing up my cell phone. Very aggrivating but just counting the days until the Atty. is paid in full and we can get this over with.

I made sure to have everyone call only my regular phone number, threatening legal action if I would get a call anywhere else; my cell phone has been quiet once I tell them this. My relatives have gotten some calls, and I tore into each creditor after each incident (it was the same creditor, or its assigned collection agency.)

I do answer the phone every once in a while, and lately have been asking for my current balance and payment (that I need for the counseling and filing), and for a settlement offers (which I carefully keep track of in a spreadsheet), and ask for extensions when the previous offer goes out of scope. After I officially file next week, I will just wait for these idiots to call me at which time I will tell them that I have decided to file Chapter 7, and give my attorney's name.

Interesting, I have ceased getting calls from the gov about my SBA disaster loan, and have actually had to get my Congressmen to help me get some info about my case!

[tigergem]

I just tell them that my cash flow has deteriorated to the point that I came to the conclusion that I no longer have the cash flow to continue to meet *all* of my debt obligations, and that after an initial consultation with a bankruptcy lawyer, that I have been advised to not selectively pay one creditor over another (so as to avoid the problem of preferred creditor payments), but only to pay all creditors or none at all. And when asked for a plan, I say that I considering raising cash via leveraging and/or converting some assets that would be exempt in a Chapter 7 filing, and that it will take me some time to contemplate this (both from the standpoint of the possibility of such leverage or conversion, as well as the determination of whether such leveraging or conversion would be in my best interest), but that I am open to any offers for a settlement, such that if the settlement offers are good enough, it may be possible and desirable for me to avoid Chapter 7 - with the default (no pun intended) scenario being Chapter 7. [This wording allows you to Nixonesquely plausibly claim that you were not fully intending to file BK until you would actually file.]

If asked about my income or asset situation, I respond that I will only divulge such information in a Chapter 7 filing. If I am asked for a lawyer, I say that since I have not paid a lawyer for any representation, it would be inappropriate for me to divulge his information.

Now once I will have filed Chapter 7, I will give out his information as well as a stern warning to not call me ever again, with the consequences of such a call to be a complaint to my lawyer and any governmental entity that I think would be interested in hearing my complaint ... and perhaps even a trial lawyer for possible damages for abuse.

After I will have discharged, If I ever would start getting calls from any zombie debt collectors, I plan on putting on my best Gunnery Sgt. Hartman impersonation.

I don't think that most debt collectors are intelligent enough to understand so many syllables strung together that closely. Do you speak very slowly or find yourself having to repeat yourself often?

[JackBondLove]

I just tell them that my cash flow has deteriorated to the point that I came to the conclusion that I no longer have the cash flow to continue to meet *all* of my debt obligations, and that after an initial consultation with a bankruptcy lawyer, that I have been advised to not selectively pay one creditor over another (so as to avoid the problem of preferred creditor payments), but only to pay all creditors or none at all. And when asked for a plan, I say that I considering raising cash via leveraging and/or converting some assets that would be exempt in a Chapter 7 filing, and that it will take me some time to contemplate this (both from the standpoint of the possibility of such leverage or conversion, as well as the determination of whether such leveraging or conversion would be in my best interest), but that I am open to any offers for a settlement, such that if the settlement offers are good enough, it may be possible and desirable for me to avoid Chapter 7 - with the default (no pun intended) scenario being Chapter 7. [This wording allows you to Nixonesquely plausibly claim that you were not fully intending to file BK until you would actually file.]

If asked about my income or asset situation, I respond that I will only divulge such information in a Chapter 7 filing. If I am asked for a lawyer, I say that since I have not paid a lawyer for any representation, it would be inappropriate for me to divulge his information.

Now once I will have filed Chapter 7, I will give out his information as well as a stern warning to not call me ever again, with the consequences of such a call to be a complaint to my lawyer and any governmental entity that I think would be interested in hearing my complaint ... and perhaps even a trial lawyer for possible damages for abuse.

After I will have discharged, If I ever would start getting calls from any zombie debt collectors, I plan on putting on my best Gunnery Sgt. Hartman impersonation.

[tigergem]

youmail is fun, and free voicemail. You can pick and choose from different greetings for different callers.

Sadly, I am not getting any debt collectors calls to toy with at all. None. But I probably wouldn't be allowed to toy with them if they did call because I filed pro se.

But ever since I switched my cell service from Verizon to PagePlus, I get daily calls from Verizon Wireless. They aren't a creditor, my contract expired and I paid my cell bill in full before I dumped them. They are just "concerned" that I may be paying too much for my cellular service. Yes I was actually, until I switched. So kind of them to be concerned. So now I have their greeting set to the Verizon Wireless number disconnected greeting.

I also get nearly daily calls from a health insurance plan that I am about to drop also. For them it's "Answers to a Survey" which states, "At the tone, please take down my answers to your questions. Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes and No." And it disconnects without taking a message.

I particularly like the DitchMail feature that refuses to take messages from blocked or unknown callers. I figure that even as a pro se filer, I am entitled to know who is calling me. I had to publish my telephone number for their convenience, so they can provide me with theirs if they need to call me.

[CCsAreEvil]

Or you can tell them that you'll make the payment right now via data over voice. Then start saying "1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1" And keep going until they hang up.

[Meatstick]

I get the same amount of calls that goneunder does and I take the same route and just don't answer. Very few if any even bother to leave a message. I stopped paying CC's in late October and as of this date only 3 collection letters and they all are GE Money accounts.

I can hold my own when on the phone so whatever bs they would try to pass would go in one ear and out the other.

If you want to get their blood boiling tell them " I put all my bills in a box and once a month randomly pull one bill out and pay it. If you don't stop calling me I won't put your bill in the box ! "

Along with a DV you can also send a C & D. But be careful, based on what they think they may get from you they may decide to sue when faced with the C & D.

[goneunder]

I have yet to speak to any of them, what do they expect me to say? My ringer volume is down and I get 50+ messages a day and now they are blowing up my cell phone. Very aggrivating but just counting the days until the Atty. is paid in full and we can get this over with.

[rcoveles]

An answering machine or voice mail with your correct name and phone number is your best friend.

Just curious - is it better to have your name and number on the message than to have a generic robo message? Mine is the stock one that comes with the phone - it just says "Hello, please leave your message after the beep" or something to that effect..I've never ever had any type of identifying message on there. I heard it wasn't good to do, because someone could get your name, and possibly cross reference it with the phone book, then come and rob you.

I'm now late on 3 accounts, and I've simply shut off my ringers, and turned the answering machine all the way down. At least I can sleep past 8:15 a.m. now!

[uncrunner]

Danka shane everyone!