My way to handle annoying creditor calls

[southernbelle]

I am sick and tired of creditors calling me. With 2 months left before filing, I figure its only gonna get worse. Since my cell phone is the only number anyone has, I just let the voice mailbox stay full and screen all of my calls.

This is probably old school for many of you guys, but it has lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders. I don't have to worry about being harassed and caller id works wonders. The smartest thing I've ever done was to not give my work phone number to ANYONE!!!

[leftyf]

Thanks to this forum, I have never even talked to a collector. People in my office do wonder why I have my phone forwarded to voicemail, but I just try to pass it off that I'm really busy. My wife appreciates the fact that I gave her number to all creditors...HA HA! Her voicemail is always full, but fortunately (or unfortunately) we rarely get an important phone call. I have retained an attorney, but I'm trying to put off filing until December thanks to a once in a lifetime bonus received in May...timing has never been my strong suit. I haven't paid a cc bill since May and some of my creditors are angry and threatening to get lawyers involved...others just keep sending cash advance checks. I guess I'll never understand it.
And yes, your trick is one of the oldest in the book...LOL!
Leftyf

[BassBoy]

Until you actually file, the calls and letters will continue, so it's gonna be irritating until you do file.

[jennordhavn]

I do the same thing

Since I've moved a few times in the last year and a half, most of my creditors don't have my current information. I NEVER give out my cel phone number (one creditor has it, probably from the initial application). Since we just moved, we don't have a home phone yet (and I ALWAYS get it unlisted) and no one has my new work number. Thank goodness. But when I was receiving a lot of calls, I just never answered the phone unless I knew for sure who it was. I never answer "Unknown", "Private" or 800 and long distance calls I don't recognize on my home or cel phone. I delete the voicemails. On the rare occasion someone does get in contact with me, I just tell them I can't pay right now and when they tell me they will sue I say "I understand your position, do what you need to do." No one has sued me yet.

[newlife2007]

I haven't paid a cc bill since May and some of my creditors are angry and threatening to get lawyers involved...others just keep sending cash advance checks. I guess I'll never understand it.

Which cards are the most persistent at this point.
We stopped paying most of them in July and AMEX and Discover are calling about 8 times a day each. BofA will eb next !!

[leftyf]

Yes, Amex and Discover are extremely annoying. Target also...BOA keeps sending checks. Are they crazy? They're systems/processes must be totally hosed up. Citi calls sometimes.
Amex likes to bring up the suit as a threat, but they haven't sent me anything yet.

[newlife2007]

Amex likes to bring up the suit as a threat, but they haven't sent me anything yet.

How long before that starts ... I last paid AMEX in May and they have since sold to a collection agency who calls 3 times a day.

At first they sent nasty letters and left Urgent voicemails ... Now they have been told by AMEX that we need to negotiate the debt ... Ya, Right !!

[GoingDown]

Until you actually file, the calls and letters will continue, so it's gonna be irritating until you do file.

They could stop most of the calls by sending the creditors a Cease and Desist Letter.

It has worked on every one of my third party debt collectors and even on all of my original creditors except one.

Original creditors, for the most part, are now voluntarily abiding by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and will stop calling if you tell them IN WRITING to stop calling you. That's all you have to do, just send them a letter telling them to stop calling you on the telephone. In most cases you don't even have to send it by certified mail. Just use a 41 cent stamp and send it on its way to the creditor. Most of them will abide by it.

[GoingDown]

Since I've moved a few times in the last year and a half, most of my creditors don't have my current information. I NEVER give out my cel phone number (one creditor has it, probably from the initial application). Since we just moved, we don't have a home phone yet (and I ALWAYS get it unlisted) and no one has my new work number. Thank goodness. But when I was receiving a lot of calls, I just never answered the phone unless I knew for sure who it was. I never answer "Unknown", "Private" or 800 and long distance calls I don't recognize on my home or cel phone. I delete the voicemails. On the rare occasion someone does get in contact with me, I just tell them I can't pay right now and when they tell me they will sue I say "I understand your position, do what you need to do." No one has sued me yet.

Lawsuits are the last thing they want to do. In most cases, you can go for years without paying before they will file a lawsuit, especially if they can't find out where you are working or they don't see a home loan on your credit report. They figure the lawsuit is a waste of money and time, if they can't find your employer (for wage garnishment) and they can't see that you own real estate on your credit report (for a judgment lien).

[desperate&broke]

Lawsuits are the last thing they want to do. In most cases, you can go for years without paying before they will file a lawsuit, especially if they can't find out where you are working or they don't see a home loan on your credit report. They figure the lawsuit is a waste of money and time, if they can't find your employer (for wage garnishment) and they can't see that you own real estate on your credit report (for a judgment lien).

What if they do know where you live and work? Will this be a disadvantage in terms of a judgement/garnishment of wages? In other words, will they go after my salary alot quicker?

[MajorMike]

My friend moved out of an apartment and his buddy stayed. He never ever gave out their home number and only his cell but he said because his address is tied to his buddy's phone, the collectors are all calling him. When my friend called the cc companies, NONE of them had that number on their records. How can THAT happen???

[EveryDayAdam]

those collectors are pretty crafty.

They found my work number of new jobs I had within about 2 months of me getting the new job. Yikes!

[dscurlock]

Lawsuits are the last thing they want to do. In most cases, you can go for years without paying before they will file a lawsuit, especially if they can't find out where you are working or they don't see a home loan on your credit report. They figure the lawsuit is a waste of money and time, if they can't find your employer (for wage garnishment) and they can't see that you own real estate on your credit report (for a judgment lien).

if you can manage years without a lawsuit, its more to your favor and you will more then likely not get a lawsuit, and do not think for second creditors do not know where you work, if they have access to your SS/dob, then they know where you are at all times. sometimes you wonder why they are calling your great, great cousin in pakistan (joke) rather then calling you, well they know a great deal about you then you do, as to why a lot of collections do not file lawsuits, i have no idea...

I had a car repo back in 2001, they could have sued me
at anytime, anyday, whatever, this time next year, ill have
those monkeys off my back as it will be 7 years, and i
suppose ill be getting collection letters after that
trying to collect from me...as i just got a collection letter
on a debt that is over 7 years...

[dscurlock]

those collectors are pretty crafty.

They found my work number of new jobs I had within about 2 months of me getting the new job. Yikes!

Collection companies also have some direct access with phone reocords, when i was in texas, we never gave out our new home phone number, within 30 days, creditors were calling...
but ive had my cell for years, no collection calls, they can access home phone records, but not cell phone records.

you can always evade, or you think you can hide, but they do know where you are at all times, even if you move, sometimes i think they are able to access just a bit to much information.

[GoingDown]

Collection companies also have some direct access with phone reocords, when i was in texas, we never gave out our new home phone number, within 30 days, creditors were calling...
but ive had my cell for years, no collection calls, they can access home phone records, but not cell phone records.

you can always evade, or you think you can hide, but they do know where you are at all times, even if you move, sometimes i think they are able to access just a bit to much information.

I think it depends upon what kind of job you have. Some employers report everything about you to the credit reporting agencies making it very easy for creditors to find out where you are working. When I worked at Home Depot I was found by creditors almost immediately. Home Depot checked my credit report before they hired me, and it appeared as a "hard pull" on my credit report.

I quit that job and since then I simply refuse to apply for a job where the employer demands to do a credit check on me. Because then you might as well ring the dinner bell for the creditors.

In addition to being self-employed, I have two other employers that I work part-time for, but so far the creditors don't know about them.

On the rare occasions when I talk to creditors on the phone, they always ask me where I am working because they can't figure it out.