Does this really work on people?

[funcritter]

When I knew I was going to stop paying all my cards and car payment, I changed my cell phone number and went online to all the accounts and changed my work # to a fake one. That was back in September 08.

Only one company kept calling and that was at my job. My boss was real understanding as he knew I was going to file eventually. I finally filed back in March and my 341 was Tuesday. I think the calls stopped a few weeks ago at my job. I never had to deal with those at all. They called in the day time and I work nights.

A long time ago I had a debt collector calling my cell. I ended up forwarding the cell number back to the debt collector. I kept the # forwarding for several months so they were calling themselves every time they called me.

[funcritter]

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.

Bill Me Later has always been pretty decent. A few months after I quit paying that bill, a woman would email me saying they were interested in hearing why I could not pay and that they would work with me any way they could. I ignored the emails. They could only email me because I had changed my cell when I quit paying my bills.

Interestingly, I went to my 341 on Tuesday. Got home and in the mail was a bill from the CA the Bill Me Later has. I called them and informed them that I had filed BK and gave them my lawyers name and number though they were quit aware of that already. They were just hoping to maybe get some cash from me anyways in one last attempt.

[freeatlast98]

Just received a call from "Discover". They say they are trying to work with me however, the only way they'll do that is if i give them my account number so they can draw the payment every month. The first lady I spoke to was very nice then she put me on the phone with a real aggressive woman. She started out by saying she wants to help me. Then she started asking me what I was going to do to get caught up, I'm now 130 days late. After this she asked how I was going to pay, can I get help from family, friends etc. She also asked what I have to sell to pay them. She asked who lives with me and what they do. All sorts of stuff. Bottom line I plan to file in the next couple of months so I just spoke to her to see where her company was at. I didn't mention BK, should I have?
I think that the whole point of her speaking to me was to make me feel like a big loser and dead-beat. Trying to pick myself back up now after the conversation.

[ryan]

FReeAtLast98: Discover has been extremely aggressive like that when I was talking to them. The details they wanted to know were surprising....

Questions exactly like you got asked. Same 'double teaming' approach with one rept handing off to a more quote senior rep, who was only more aggressive than the first. Their main goal was to get a bank acct number. They would almost accept any partial payment just to get that number.

Btw, they are all ACTING, its a performance, to make you feel bad. Remember, they don't know you from Adam, and will never meet you. After awhile, I found it funny instead of intimidating.

[freeatlast98]

FReeAtLast98: Discover has been extremely aggressive like that when I was talking to them. The details they wanted to know were surprising....

Questions exactly like you got asked. Same 'double teaming' approach with one rept handing off to a more quote senior rep, who was only more aggressive than the first. Their main goal was to get a bank acct number. They would almost accept any partial payment just to get that number.

Btw, they are all ACTING, its a performance, to make you feel bad. Remember, they don't know you from Adam, and will never meet you. After awhile, I found it funny instead of intimidating.

Thanks Ryan, I'm hoping to get to the point where it's funny.
The more aggressive of the two reps, threatened collection and report being 150 days late on my credit report. At this point what's another 30 days when I'm already late? I am pretty collection proof because I'm self employed. I have to tell you it gets scary and my big fear is that I'll get a summons then a judgment. Will a judgment be discharged after I file BK and it's completed. Basically, what can they do to me before I file as far as collecting.

[ryan]

Will a judgment be discharged after I file BK and it's completed. Basically, what can they do to me before I file as far as collecting.

My disclaimer is that I'm not a lawyer or even an expert on this forum.

They can eventually sue, but probably not before 6 months or so. Mostly everything leading up that is to call you and sound real 'tough' or send you mail which reads real 'tough' or send you text messages that are real "tough"...thats it.

Now if they sue and get a judgment (i'm being sued right now) they can try and collect it. I'm self employed like you, so I'm mainly concerned with bank levies. If that time comes I'll have to close all bank accts. Outside of that, not much.

From what I understand you will probably have to separately file something in court, and pay a fee, to have judgment removed after BK (if it occurred before BK).. your lawyer would know for sure.

[Bell30656]

Sure debt collectors are pond scum, bottom feeders, etc. There is no doubt about it and I'm sure when you accuse one of them of being such they where it like a badge of honor. Are they going to try everything they can to get into your wallet? You bet they are. That is his/her job. It is how they earn the paycheck.

Could they be nicer and not try to scare the dollars out of you? Sure, but they have found these methods work. If you have found these forums and have read much in the collections threads you are their worst nightmare... an educated debtor. They are looking for the low hanging fruit.

This entire train wreck started because we the debtors welched on our word and did not honor our end of the contract. For whatever, reason we took the money, goods or services the lender gave us and then we did not or could not pay them back. They are now taking steps to try and CONVINCE us to pay up. When that doesn't work some will try and MAKE us pay up.

It's been a while since all my creditors got screwed out of their recompense by my chapter seven filing so I don't get the collection calls any more. Hell, I think I actually miss them. I had so much fun screwing with those people. It is easy to really give them a hard time to cause them to fear for their jobs by trapping them in a violation. I loved throwing them for a loop and out of their practiced script.

Nothing upsets a debt collector more than you taking control of the conversation. I wonder how many debt collectors have quit after a conversation with an ***hole like me. Probably none, but I'd like to think there was at least one.

DON'T LET THESE PEOPLE RATTLE YOU! You are in control, not them. Don't stick your head in the sand by not answering the calls unless you don't care if they call your work, neighbors or friends. Just answer, verify you are who they are looking for... then tell them that at this time you are not willing to discuss your financial situation with them. Then gently press the off button and get back to your regularly scheduled life. If you are feeling comical then have fun with it a little but don't give them any information and don't lie to them... Well that last part, I may have told a couple that were pretty obvious... taking my vows to become a priest, joining the peace corps, leaving the planet on the next shuttle, etc...

[Overmylimit]

I remember these people, I would be real serious on the phone just to get them riled up.

"How do you plan to take care of this debt"

I don't

"What do you mean? your not going to pay this bill?"

No I'm not

"Can you pay for a settlement today?"

No


Best thing is use one word answers... I learned this years ago when I was in management for a company. When you use one word answers all the conversation falls on the other person and its awkward. Just like when an employee calls in sick if you only use a few words they will do all the talking and give up more info than they want and they usually won't sound so sick after they do a bunch of talking. So when I would call in sick I would reverse it I would just say I'm sick and won't be in...repeat if necessary....makes the manager real mad

[plisar]

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.

Depending on how much you have already paid back, the CC companies have already made more than enough money on you. Since companies can write off BK's, in a lot of cases the debt collectors are instructed to be courteous and friendly.

In fact, at least one of my banks told me to declare when I was trying to buy some time...

[ellis2156]

After telling them numerous times I can't talk to them, they need to call my attorney, I got fed up and changed my phone contact number on their website to that of my attorney's.

[doni49]

A month or two before I stopped paying, I contacted all my creditors and gave them "my new phone number" -- a google voice number. I had the GV number set to forward calls during a 3 hour window every few days. As others have said, I didn't want to give them a reason to tell a judge that I was trying to dodge paying them. I wanted to be able to say (and prove) that I never stopped communicating with them.

The creditors were the ONLY people two whom I had given this GV number to. I set the GV number such that when it forwarded calls to my cell phone, the GV number showed on my cell phone's CID (as opposed to the default of showing the original caller's CID). So when I was receiving a collection call, I knew that before I even answered the phone.

Upon answering, I'd immediately press 4 (which tells GV to start recording the call). I'd let the collector say his/her bit about this being an attempt to collect a debt, blah blah blah. Then I'd interrupt before they could go any further and say "I need to let you know that I'm also recording this call".

One call in particular was kind of amusing to me. It went something like this.

ME: Hello
DC: Hello. Is this Don Smith?
ME: Yes.
DC: My name is John Doe. I'm calling from ABC Collection and this is an attempt to collect a debt. This call may be monitored and/or recorded.
ME: Ok. And I need to let you know that I am also recording this call.
DC: Well I can't give you permission to record the call. So you'll need to stop recording.
ME: Well I record ALL calls to this number and will not stop recording. If you are going to continue with this phone call, you'll have to do so with the understanding that I AM recording the call.
DC: It's against the law for you to record a phone call without my consent.
ME: Well then I guess you'll have to hang up the phone if you don't want to give consent. But if you do that, don't forget: YOU hung up on me -- not the other way around. As far as I'm concerned the only reason you'd have a problem with my recording the call is that you're afraid you'll say something you shouldn't say--and that makes me want to record it even more.
DC: <DEAD SILENCE for about 30 seconds>Well I guess it'll be ok if you record the call.
ME: Ok you can continue.

He asked me a bunch of questions to which I gave a bunch of minimalistic answers.

[159515951]

I guess I was lucky -- I had none of these experiences. Discover in particular apologized for my circumstances, and told me many of their customers were in the same boat. I was really surprised.

[LadyInTheRed]

I guess I was lucky -- I had none of these experiences. Discover in particular apologized for my circumstances, and told me many of their customers were in the same boat. I was really surprised.

I had the same experiences with my creditors. But, I filed within a month of defaulting, so I was getting calls from the original creditors. I think when you are dealing with the collection departments of the OCs, they tend to be nicer. They are still hoping to get you making payments again and keep you as a customer. It is the outside collection agencies or debt buyers that get abusive.

[GoingDown]

Allied <something, Interstate I think it was> Debt collections-- I think. The woman rattled the name like she had a mouthful of marbles

Oh, I have dealt with them before over a lousy book of the month club debt.

They were very unprofessional to me as well.

A simple cease and desist letter got them to stop calling me.

[GoingDown]

I had the same experiences with my creditors. But, I filed within a month of defaulting, so I was getting calls from the original creditors. I think when you are dealing with the collection departments of the OCs, they tend to be nicer. They are still hoping to get you making payments again and keep you as a customer. It is the outside collection agencies or debt buyers that get abusive.

That is generally correct, but not always. Wells Fargo, an original creditor, was very abusive over the phone to me. Same thing with Capital One.