Deadbeat-ery, Fun For The Whole Family!

[CancelMyService]

So a lady calls in today asking if the payment she made online is posted yet. I check the account and find that not only does she owe about $800, she's bounced several checks in a row. She did what most serial bouncers try to do, that being paying online with e-check payments which would restore her service until that payment as well would inevitably bounce.

Well collections is on to her scheme so they canceled her payment and noted she can only pay by cash.


Before hanging up, she asked me to check her daughter's account that was supposedly turned off when she moved. I check it, and guess what? Her account was disconnected due to non payment rather than voluntary due to moving. It was over 3 months behind to the tune of about $450.

So there you go, two generations of deadbeats, combined owe my company over $1200. Way to teach your kid the importance of paying debts, I can only imagine what their credit card balances must look like.

[thehippie777]

I have a friend who's Mom would put accounts in her daughter's name before she was even 12 because she would do the same thing. The daughter's (my friend) credit is screwed now because of her mom doing that crap.

[bainsidhe]

A little off-topic, but electronic checks bounce? I thought they were more secure because banks wouldn't send payment if there wasn't money already in the account. Or does it bounce because the money the e-check was based on bounced?

[friendofjimmyk]

WOW! I can't imagine the fines and service charges she has racked up at the bank for bouncing those checks!

[Luna Baby]

Yes, e-checks can bounce. The way it used to work, I could either log in online or call in to make a payment by 'check by phone' or 'e-check'. The CC company would basically print up a dummy check with the info I'd given and in the signature line it would say "Verbally authorized". Mine never bounced, I always had the money to clear the payment I was making, but that check would then run through my account and be returned to me just as if it was one that I physically wrote.

[tropicsgoddess]

Granted we all have made some financial mistakes. I once racked up close to $100 worth of overdraft fees (I thought I had more money than I did for food and bills) , but those were promptly paid off once I got my paycheck. That's the first time I've ever heard of somebody owing THAT much !!! Way to teach your kid about financial responsibility.

[Apathy]

WOW! I can't imagine the fines and service charges she has racked up at the bank for bouncing those checks!

Oh yeah. They don't look kindly on that. I'm sure she owed the bank a ton of cash too.

[PepperElf]

I have a friend who's Mom would put accounts in her daughter's name before she was even 12 because she would do the same thing. The daughter's (my friend) credit is screwed now because of her mom doing that crap.

i thought some of that stuff only stays on your credit rating for x amounts of years?

I'd suggest she get a copy of her rating and then go and challenge every single thing her mom put on it. Considering it was from before she was 12 years old she could have a good case... I could be wrong, but since children cannot enter into legally binding contracts - their parents have to be the authorizing authorities - it may be a selling point for her getting her credit cleared?

[greensinestro]

I have a friend who's Mom would put accounts in her daughter's name before she was even 12 because she would do the same thing. The daughter's (my friend) credit is screwed now because of her mom doing that crap.

Oh, I remember these people. I used to handle accounts who were receiving Lifeline benefits if someone was on SSI, Medicaid, whatever. Many times, it turned out the customer's underaged child was the one getting the benefits, and somehow, the parents had put their phone service in the child's name to get the benefits. Then, you would look at the address and see Mommy Dearest had service, but had it shut off due to stuff like this; not paying their bills, bouncing checks, etc.

And you all wonder why it is so difficult to obtain any kind of utility service these days.

[olstar18]

I'd say this is the true source of the credit crunch. People spendin money like they in congress and usin the same methods to pay it back.

[LifeCarnie]

i thought some of that stuff only stays on your credit rating for x amounts of years?

Seven years from the date you made a final payment against the debt. Even if some portion of the debt is still outstanding.

Former bad credit holder (due to falling way behind on all over my bills after 9/11).

[PepperElf]

that's what i was thinking... so i'm hoping the gal gets a clean slate eventually
or can legally prove that someone under 12 can't be legally be held accountable for the financial actions of the guardian.

(bankrupt is a permanent mark tho, no 7 year thingy)

[protege]

i thought some of that stuff only stays on your credit rating for x amounts of years?

It'll disappear after 7 years. However, short-term, the damage is already done. Take my ex-girlfriend. She defaulted on her college loans (graduated in 2000)...and because of that, totally wrecked her credit. During the past 8 years, she couldn't get a car loan, couldn't get an apartment, etc. all because she chose not to pay back her school loans.

As to the credit crunch, yes there are some unscrupulous lenders out there. But, I think the vast majority of people who get themselves into trouble, are simply spending more than they're making. It's not helped by society saying "don't have the cash? Charge it." When people think like that, it's no wonder

[BlaqueKatt]

bankrupt is a permanent mark tho, no 7 year thingy

no it isn't that's also 7 years-nothing can stay on for over 7 years.

[Brightglaive]

no it isn't that's also 7 years-nothing can stay on for over 7 years.

Q: How long will the accounts I included in my bankruptcy remain on my report?
A: Any account included in a bankruptcy remains on your personal credit report for a maximum of 7 years from the date the bankruptcy was filed. The bankruptcy itself, listed in the public record information section of a credit report, remains for either 7 years from the filing date if it was a Chapter 13, or 10 years from the filing date if it was a Chapter 7, 11 or 12.


Straight off the experian website FAQ at:

http://www.experian.com/disputes/bas...tml#bankruptcy