GE Money now threatening...

[tigergem]

Reference what Flamingo said...

I read this thing the other day about how people are getting around the companies that are doing that...(protecting themselves by closing unused credit lines).

These folks go out and take cash advances against those open credit lines and then go open secured cards with the cash advance.

I guess the credit line accounts could still be closed, but the consumer/debtors protected their available credit limits. lol. I guess that is ok if credit cards are your friend, but I would have taken a pass on that practice, thanks just the same.

[flyinbroke]

I understand the shutting down of credit lines, but as a PS to Flamingo...I was paying everything on time and on schedule when GE was slamming doors left and right. Of course they know when they "reduce risk" with CLDs and closure of accounts they know they are increasing your risk because they now know that you will never be able to negotiate better rates or other means of payment. How could I when my credit score nosedived about 90 points.

Tiger, I don't think I could cash advance on most of my GE accounts; even the furniture store one was for one specific store that I don't even live near anymore. Running the card up would be impossible. THe only one I could draw money out on was the flex loan; this was denied which is where I stopped paying so I would have cash to cover the emergencies that I needed cash for.

[jlybean]

I just got a call from a collection agency Encore representing GE yesterday (I get them everyday but I actually answered this time just to stop the annoying calls) My account is 3 months overdue and she said we need $50 and will not bother you for 6 months if you pay today. I gave her my lawyers name and number and then she said ok will put this on hold for 21 days to confirm the bankruptcy and if we don't we will start calling again so I wonder how many rounds of this happen before it goes further. We won't be filing for at least 3 months so we will just wait and see.

[flyinbroke]

I have not had any calls from GEMB since the call Friday. In hindsight, I remained unflappable on the phone and the caller was the one getting agitated. I snicker about that...guess he did not scare me and was about to blow his stack. Hey, would love to pay ya back, but no dinero dude.

I have been getting a ton of "no number" calls. I wish I could block them but it is a cell and they don't have anonymous call blocking. I have also been bombarded with 1-000-000-0000. Since changing my voicemail to a personalized msg, they think it is a real person and leave messages...or half a message. It always reads "press 1 and you will get one of our representatives." Don't even know if it is me they want as I had collection calls for the prior owner of the number as well. I have been getting both of these at the same time as GE and suspect BoA. They are the only two I am behind on at this time. At least the 000 number was moved to "screened calls" which means my phone won't ring.

And I was reading an article on MSN about settling with collections, and Liz Pulliam Weston said the same thing: get it in writing. Funny how they won't do that.

[nickifan]

First GE Money phone call today -- will be my last

Standard conversation and ignore anything that they say. You are not obligated to give them any reason or excuse. Confirm your identity then tell them; "At the present time I will not discuss my financial situation with you over the telephone. Please have a nice day." This should be followed by a click.

So at 8:35 a.m. today the phone rang -- caller ID said "GE Money." I have not spoken to them yet, so I decided to pick up.

A young American woman told me she was calling about my JC Penney Master Card, confirmed my name and that she was calling to "arrange a phone payment" today of the overdue account. I said I could not do that yaddayadda as I am not working ... she asked if I'm getting any income, I said "my financial details are irrelevant; the bottom line is that I cannot pay you at this time." She quickly fired back "it's NOT irrelevant because we have programs to help you", yadda yadda. She was talking "over" me at times.

She asked to confirm my address, which I did; then asked for a "business phone" (yeah right...even if I had one I would not share it!) and an email. I gave her one of my several emails, and she noted that that "gives us permission to contact you by email." I said certainly, and that would be preferable to phone calls.
Should I have made more of a point about wanting "no calls" , but email instead? This is the OC, remember....

Anyway...I am getting better at saying less. She wanted to transfer me to some "care" rep (CareCredit, I guess?) and I quickly said "I have no more to say to anyone" and hung up. Yay me.

I do HATE these calls though! Next time GEMoney pops up on Caller ID, I think I'll let it pass. My new mantra is to speak to each creditor ONCE, let them know I'm "me" and the correct account-holder, and that's it!!
Unfortunately, I have about five or six of those "first" calls yet to come.

[sofarsogood2]

I keep getting calls for someone else. Even though I returned the call, told them it was not me and informed them they should not be leaving messages "this is an attempt to collect a debt" on my machine identifting who they are trying to reach (third party), they still call almost daily, but don't use the word "attempt to collect a debt" anymore. UGH! When they leave a message, it's always the same guy (voice is distinct and recognizable), but apparently he has 4 different names. Jerks, I'm sure they are perfectly aware they are calling the wrong person, but think I know this person. I don't, but perhaps they skipped traced from one of my kids friends or something. Really starting to tick me off cuz they call at 8:01 am almost every morning. Thinking of just pulling the plugs on my phones.

[flyinbroke]

CareCredit is not a program; it is a health credit product GE Money offers.

They have started the calls again in earnest yesterday. As though my ability or incentives to pay have changed in a week. They never sent me anything in writing either, shocker! I have not answered.

[helpmeout]

I keep getting calls for someone else. Even though I returned the call, told them it was not me and informed them they should not be leaving messages "this is an attempt to collect a debt" on my machine identifting who they are trying to reach (third party), they still call almost daily, but don't use the word "attempt to collect a debt" anymore. UGH! When they leave a message, it's always the same guy (voice is distinct and recognizable), but apparently he has 4 different names. Jerks, I'm sure they are perfectly aware they are calling the wrong person, but think I know this person. I don't, but perhaps they skipped traced from one of my kids friends or something. Really starting to tick me off cuz they call at 8:01 am almost every morning. Thinking of just pulling the plugs on my phones.

About this time last year, I kept getting calls for somebody else. I kept telling them that I am not the person they are trying to reach nor do I know this person at all. One of them didn't sound like he believed me, he thought I was the person trying to duck out on them. The calls finally stopped.

And now that the ones for me have finally stopped (told them to contact my attorney), I got one for the other person again. From the same number as before.

When I move, I am changing my phone number.

[Bell30656]

Helpmeout, I had a small collection agency in a nearby town that was continually calling me for someone else. They called at all hours of the day from morning to night (They did stop at 9 PM.). Some days they would call three or four times.

Even though the state of Georgia doesn't require me to tell them I am recording the calls, I did numerous times. Once the collector was so cocky that he said, "If you are claiming not to be the debtor we are seeking then you have no right under FDCPA as you are not the party that can sue us." He was a real piece of work.

I spent $80 to file a small claims lawsuit against them and $35 to have the Sheriff's Department serve them. The calls ceased the day that they were served. They didn't show up for court but rather than issue a default judgment the magistrate called them and gave them until 5 PM to show up which they did. The lady that showed up lied through her teeth. Her collectors wouldn't do that etc., I was hiding the person they were seeking, etc. I had asked for $1000 plus costs. I showed the phone bill that was in my name and held up a CD that I told the court had recordings spanning over a month. The magistrate who obviously knew the lady gave me $100 plus costs. Even though the judge gave her seven days to pay or appeal, she paid me in cash and laughed at me saying that she hoped my wasted day had cost me more. However, I've never received another call from them.