I was an SC and I’m proud of it.

[Sliceanddice]

This is a common misconception. It is illegal for the GOVERNMENT of the United States to refuse it's own legal tender, however the collection company had every right to refuse your pennies. Even the government has the right to refuse large amounts of uncounted and unrolled change.

not to be a negative nelly, but if i remember currectly for services they dont have to take cash as a payment if they choice not to. But all debts if they offer cash YOU have to except it...
i would have to do lots of research before i argued that

[Andara Bledin]

Ok, a few fun facts about debt collectors and phone calls.

First off, a debt collector is prohibited from even hinting that you owe them to anyone but you. Violation of this one single rule equals immediate absolution of the debt. This came about because unscrupulous debt collectors would call people's places of business in an attempt to shame them into paying. So, yeah, if they tell your mom that you're a "deadbeat," you no longer owe them anything.

Second, nobody is allowed to call you once you have told them they are not to call. This goes for absolutely everybody, whether they have business with you or not. If they call even a single time, you are free to file a harrassment charge against them. Do it. Not only do they get hit with a fine, but often, that fine goes to the person being harrassed. I threatened AT&T with a harrassment charge to get them to stop calling me. And when they became my primary phone company and called me again, I repeated my threat. I never heard a peep out of them for the next two years I still had their service. And the one bill collector that was rude and vile over the phone to me? I threatened to prosecute his company as well, and he tried to bluster about me not having that power, but curiously enough, he also never called me back.

^-.-^

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yeah, you were sucky, but I out loud!

If I got that payment, I'd find out who was in charge of the account and make them deal with the pennies! No doubt they dragged them the bank and had them counted by machine, but still, what a pain in the butt....

Don't most bathroom scales only go up to 300?

[bob the goat]

Andara Bledin is correct that those things are against the law, but the debt being forgiven part is off. If you press charges against them then the judge can forgive your debt. I chose to sick the FTC on them, who also have the power to forgive my debt, but chose not to. That is not what I was after. I agreed to borrow money, and I agreed to pay it back. I was not trying to get out of paying off my debt, I just wanted to be treated like a human.

My bathroom scale only goes up to 300, but as I mentioned, there were 18 boxes…and I can add.

[zzapp the witch]

And here I am still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with a debt to a notorious car manufacturing company's credit people. They've been after me for the five years since my husband's death for a debt my husband incurred.

They want me to pay them $14,000.00 on a $4000.00 truck my husband had repoed.

The only reason I signed that damned contract was so he'd stop beating me that night. No, I don't know why he needed or wanted me to sign it, I just know my ribs were black and blue and I was half bald when I signed it.

No, he wasn't a nice person, may he rot in Hell for eternity.

When I told them the circumstances of my signing all I got was, "Would you like me to set up a payment plan for you?" Not without a fucking car in my driveway you twit.

[Imogene]

I'm suddenly very curious... I got two calls today from Sallie Mae (what can I say? I just finished school... this time last year)... my student loans are coming payable (actually, they've been active for about half the year, if I'm not mistaken) First call I got? I told them I'd asked for info on deferment/forebearance, due to not having a job. She says "Okay," and that's the end of the call.
Two hours later? An automated call, telling me I'm past due. (No shit? I haven't paid in two hours?) I wait for an employee, explain the prior call, and I was waiting for that info to be sent, so I can discuss issues with my dad.
"What's there to discuss?"
Excuse you? "I'm not good financially, I want to talk out my options with him."
"Well, you're going to keep getting calls until we get the forebearance paperwork started, and that requires a $50 payment. Credit, Debit, or Check?"
F*ck! "Debit."
*blah, blah blah*
"How long do you need the forebearance?"
"Do what now? See, this is the kind of thing I needed to TALK WITH MY DAD ABOUT! He'd be able to advise me how to continue."

And this isn't the first time they've called me in so short a time period. One weekend, while the parents were in Alaska, I got 5 calls from Sallie Mae in the space of four days.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

[Sliceanddice]

most scales have reads that show how much over 300 you are... (has knowledge....)
oh and juwl.... see what Andara said?
Do what Andara said.
and MEAN it.
start recording, and documenting, and start getting ready to make a case if need be. but remember number 1 tell them they aren't to contact you.

[MiloMorai]

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

Next time they call just say: "Your company is not to call me again. All contact is to be through the mails."

That should do it (depending on your state laws). Whenever I had a collector being a jerk I'd just tell that that they are not to contact me in ANY way. That stopped them cold and they would have to wait until they could sell the contract to someone else.

[Gravekeeper]

I'm of mixed minds about this. Yes, they were treating you like shiat and there's absolutely no excuse for it and their suck far outweighs your mischievous vengeance. But at the same time, lets not descend into bashing collections agencies. If there's any call center job that sucks more then telemarketing, its collections.

THe penny vengeance, while funny, ....I would have told you to get bent the second you walked in with them. ^^ The only person that inflicted torment on there is the bank teller that gets that sack dumped in front of her to process. >.>

I have to bluntly disagree with collection companies having to "woo" you as you put it. Its true that a lot of them are harassing assholes. I'm not saying they aren't. But they don't have to coddle you and be understanding either. They aren't the ones that incurred your debt and I can't imagine how many bullshit tears, whine sessions and tantrums they hear on a daily basis.

There's a collection's company a floor down from us here at my office and I have a few friends there. 95% of the people they're chasing after ARE complete worthless douchebags/deadbeats that will do ANYTHING to evade them. If you can even get them on the phone its a miracle. They actually have to rely on calling at odd hours just to surprise the person otherwise they don't answer the phone during the hours they expect them to call. Or they get someone else to answer and claim he's not home/he moved/he's dead/whatever.

They often have to resort to contacting known family members/employers to try and find them/verify their location/ask if they're dead/etc.

On top of that they're required to meet a weekly quota of successfully contacting x number of these jackasses.

To be honest the fact its gone to collections to begin with already removes it from the "sympathy and understanding" realm. When you're dealing with the sludge of humanity day in and day out trying to play detective just to even speak with the losers you can't blame them for not knowing or believing you're part of the 5% that isn't some deadbeat swamp beast. ;p

[Rapscallion]

The only reason I signed that damned contract was so he'd stop beating me that night. No, I don't know why he needed or wanted me to sign it, I just know my ribs were black and blue and I was half bald when I signed it.

Bloody hell!

A thought occurs - a decent lawyer may be able to get you out of the contract if you have proof. A contract signed under duress is not valid in any court I have ever heard of.

I assume you've tried something along those lines, but it's the one that springs to my mind.

Rapscallion

[princess4life]

95% of the people they're chasing after ARE complete worthless douchebags/deadbeats that will do ANYTHING to evade them.

I have to disagree with this comment. I think that there are more people out there that have things in collections that aren't deadbeats. That have run into bad luck. I am not a deadbeat but more likely then not if you are a bill collector that is calling me for the 3rd time in the same day I am not going to answer the phone. I got into debt due to medical bills that my insurance company choose not to pay claiming pre-exsisting cause and then I started getting bills for $11,000 each all wanting to be paid now.

I want to applaude the paying in pennies yeah it sucked for the people that had to carry to boxes to the banks, but the thing is there are a few bill collecting companies that actuallly train there employees to belittle, insult and threaten people into paying. This also gives the other collection companies that aren't threatening but maybe a little pushy a bad name.

[Andara Bledin]

The only reason I signed that damned contract was so he'd stop beating me that night. No, I don't know why he needed or wanted me to sign it, I just know my ribs were black and blue and I was half bald when I signed it.

A thought occurs - a decent lawyer may be able to get you out of the contract if you have proof. A contract signed under duress is not valid in any court I have ever heard of.

That is precisely what I thought. If you only signed to get the beating to stop, then the signature is worthless.

...

As for the collections agencies, my best advice is to find what information you can on the Internet, and it the harassment is particularly unacceptable, consider speaking with an attorney and going after them where it really counts.

^-.-^

[ditchdj]

I dont understand why you guys put up with abusive third-party bill collectors when you dont even have to. Federal law states that if you send them a certified letter demanding that they stop attempting to collect on the debt then they MUST stop calling you and they can either have to sue you or forget about the debt entirely. Plus, if the debt has its statute of limitations run out on it, they have absolutely no way to sue you for it in the first place.

[Boozy]

There's a collection's company a floor down from us here at my office and I have a few friends there. 95% of the people they're chasing after ARE complete worthless douchebags/deadbeats that will do ANYTHING to evade them.

I have to disagree with this comment. I think that there are more people out there that have things in collections that aren't deadbeats.

I think the difference in opinion here may just be a difference between countries. The collections agents Gravekeeper knows are likely placing calls within Canada.

The US has a much greater problem with predatory lenders, interest rates that approach usury, and more importantly, higher tuition costs and scarce availability of low-cost student loans.

Canada has stricter lending laws and more financial aid for students. And currently, a better economy. Its easier here to avoid the kind of crippling debt that would place you in collections. So perhaps a greater percentage of GK's friends' "clients" are indeed deadbeats.

But some very decent, honest, and hard-working Americans may find themselves struggling to meet their financial obligations, especially if they're facing large college loans.

[Seshat]

a decent lawyer may be able to get you out of the contract if you have proof. A contract signed under duress is not valid in any court I have ever heard of.

zzap, talk to a women's shelter, women's advocacy service, or legal aid. I am, unfortunately, certain that they'll have counselled many women (and some men) who signed contracts under similar states of duress, and they'll know what to do.

You may have to contact a few such places until you find a social worker/case worker who sees and treats you as an equal rather than someone to be pitied and cared for, but keep trying until you find one of the good ones. She (or he) is going to know who the good legal-aid people are, and will be able to refer you to them to get the debt out of your name.

Once you've found one of the good ones, keep their contact details. Call them any time you have one of the aftermath problems caused by your abuse, and ask them who you should speak to. And make sure to send a box of chocolates or a hand-made thank-you card every so often - social workers and case workers like that are amazing and wonderful people.

They often have to resort to contacting known family members/employers to try and find them/verify their location/ask if they're dead/etc.

My maiden name is a rather unique one. Okay, it's very unique. My father's initial is the same as one of his brothers'.

That brother is a deadbeat.

That brother went through our town once, when I was a kid. And gave our address as a forwarding address for his mail. And then left, with no word as to where he was going, what he was going to do, or anything.

My family went through months of collections-agency hell.

I'm sorry, but I don't think we deserved that just because my uncle's a pile of steaming dog poop.