Self-Suck: Not my debt, don't call me about it.

[Mystic]

I'm still a little pissed about this. I don't like people I don't know having my number to begin with because of A: My line of work, and B: Because I don't like people I don't know calling me. I'm more than a little pissed that my friend gave out my mobile number to anyone, but on the same note, he's not all that much of a thinker. :|

I pride myself on having the same mobile number for several years where others have switched out after 2 years or so. I would hate to have to get a new one and have everyone update.

[Mystic]

Mystic, does the name of this company start with an A? I think I may have dealt with them, and they do indeed engage in some scummy practices.

This one was a P, but I think I know who you're talking about.

[blas]

Unfortunately, I'm still in the bizz with the clinic, because of how difficult it is to get a GP in the "network". You would think having the largest insurance provider in the country, it'd be open and wide. Not at all. And for me avoiding going to the doctor, until they hold my BC hostage, it's kind of inconvenient to go through the whole process of switching.

They still threaten me with collections every time I don't pay them as much as they *want* me to pay. I agreed to a certain amount, under duress, because they threatened collections if I didn't agree to a certain amount. So, if I only pay them once a month or not as much as they want, they call bullying me with collections.

I'm so used to it, I pretty much just sit there barely saying a word as they banter on and on about their stupid policy and rambling about "collections rabmamamarabababrat"

[Sapphire Silk]

One of my coworkers got one of those awhile back. How they got his work number, I have no idea.
I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on two cubibles away from me, until I heard him yelling, "I am NOT giving you my SS number!"

That might have been a scam. They shouldn't be asking for the SSN.

DOB is what I'm usually asked for, though IMHO that's just as bad. I don't give out any identifying information over the phone.

Reminds me a little of a situation which my mom and I are dealing with - the short version is that my sister's husband listed us as references when he'd applied for some student loan thing a few years back, and I'm not sure what the exact deal is, but we've been getting automated phone calls and letters in the mail asking for "Rick's" current contact info. And I just find it really strange that this company is able to locate/keep up with our contact info, but can't seem to figure out how to get in contact with "Rick".

Standard skip trace practice. Rick must have really gone under the radar, and defaulted on his student loan to boot.

Although . . . I'm pretty easy to find. I don't hide my movements (get unlisted phone numbers etc) and I've got a pretty unique name. Yet some of these companies can't seem to find me and manage to find my parents and harass them.

[Geekus Rex]

I'm in the middle of dealing with a collector and they called my mother and told her the amount that I owed. I seem to recall, from my days working as a collector a decade ago, that doing so is highly illegal. It is my intent to research that and see what I can do about it because that has caused hell for me having her know what I owe.

Being as how I am currently a bill collector (please don't light me up for that) you are correct in that that action is illegal as all hell... we are NOT allowed to give ANY information on the debt (or even that there IS a debt) to ANYONE except the person who owes it (or their spouse in some states). It's collectors like that that make collectors like me (who works for a bank that tries to be decent to people who owe money) look bad... nail them to the wall!

[KellyHabersham]

Reminds me a little of a situation which my mom and I are dealing with - the short version is that my sister's husband listed us as references when he'd applied for some student loan thing a few years back, and I'm not sure what the exact deal is, but we've been getting automated phone calls and letters in the mail asking for "Rick's" current contact info. And I just find it really strange that this company is able to locate/keep up with our contact info, but can't seem to figure out how to get in contact with "Rick".

[MadMike]

That's interesting, because a new trick collections agencies are using is to refuse to talk to the person unless their confirm their personal details. I've had a couple of collectors do this.

One of my coworkers got one of those awhile back. How they got his work number, I have no idea.

From what I pieced together from what I overheard on his end of the conversation, and from what he was telling one of my other coworkers, they called him trying to reach a guy who has the same first and last name as him (his name is fairly common.) When he told them he wasn't who they were looking for, they wanted his information so they could verify that. I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on two cubibles away from me, until I heard him yelling, "I am NOT giving you my SS number!"

I've ranted once or twice about this guy doing stupid things in the past, but I'm glad he wasn't stupid enough to give out his SS number. What kind of legitimate company would even ask for that???

[Sapphire Silk]

A few years ago, I came home from work one day and found a message from a collections agency on my answering machine. It was for my neighbor across the street. These people knew my name and address and said that I should go tell my neighbor to contact them about paying her overdue bill. I hit the delete button. I didn't figure it was any of my business and the neighbor and I weren't on speaking terms/

That's interesting, because a new trick collections agencies are using is to refuse to talk to the person unless their confirm their personal details. I've had a couple of collectors do this.

But then again, it was medical debt (insurance companies are often so slow to pay that the patient often gets sent to collections before insurance pays up--this happens to me frequently), so maybe it was a HIPAA thing.

All I know is it's extremely aggravating to have some guy on the phone play 20 questions with me when HE interrupted MY day by calling ME.

It doesn't help that I LOATHE talking on the telephone.

If some guy called asking me to pass on a message to a neighbor over a debt, I'd tell the guy, "I'm not your errand girl, and I mind my own business thank you very much, so I deeply resent being pulled into my neighbor's money issues. Therefore I'll just be calling the FTC now to file a complaint about you."

Hmm. I might make an exception for my asshole neighbor with the vicious pit bull. Nah, even he gets a pass on that kind of asshattery.

There are collection agencies that specialize in getting the relatives of dead people to pay their bills. They use really manipulative psychological methods to get these poor people to pay bills they don't owe. Disgusting.

QFT. I've heard horror stories about this. I have a friend whose parents recently passed away, and I had to remind her that she doesn't owe her parents creditors a red cent of her own money (the estate is a different matter).

When I was sent to collections, the billing part of the clinic I go to told me it was a "line of credit". I was young and dumb at the time.

I got my first statement from the place, went online, and found out it's a collection agency.

I hope you're not going to that clinic anymore!

Speaking of strange numbers, there's a landline number that repeatedly keeps trying to call me, once or twice a month. It's from the city my parents live in. I have no clue who they are, but they won't leave a message so it must not be that big of a deal. Though, some people are really dense even if they hear my name on the voicemail, they'll keep calling anyway hoping next time, it's someone else.

Probably a collections agent. A lot of people screen their calls and won't pick up if they think it's a collections agent.

I guess some people must actually answer messages left on machines, since I've had quite a few leave them on mine. But my rule of thumb is, if it isn't important enough to leave me a message about why you called, then it isn't important for me to call you back.

I used to screen my calls, but I quit doing that a few years ago. It doesn't stop the volume of calls. What DOES stop them is picking up and telling the agent, "From now on all communications are to be in writing, and you are never to call me on the phone again per FTC rules." You have to be firm and talk fast before they can get a word in edgewise, but it works.

I'm in the middle of dealing with a collector and they called my mother and told her the amount that I owed. I seem to recall, from my days working as a collector a decade ago, that doing so is highly illegal. It is my intent to research that and see what I can do about it because that has caused hell for me having her know what I owe.

Hmm. I've never heard it was illegal to do that.

Wonder if I broke the law when I acted as my own collections agent on a deadbeat roommate years ago?

Guy had rented a room from me for a semester (we were both college students) and had graduated. I was glad to get rid of him, he was a creep. Right before he left, the SOB ran up a $600 bill on a 1-900 sex line. Part of our rent arrangement was, utilities were part of the rent ($119/mo fixed, if utilities cost most I paid the overage) with the exception of long distance phone service (you paid for your own calls).

I wrote and sent him a copy of the bill. No answer. I called and he promised to pay but didn't. I called again and he hung up on me.

So I called his parents . . . and got his grandmother. When she told me the parents were not in, and asked if she could take a message (and she was a lovely lady, I still feel a bit bad for her over what I did next), I replied,

"Yes, ma'am. JP rented a room in my house this past semester. He owes me $400 (I had taken the rest out of his deposit) for his 1 900 sex line phone calls he made during the month of April. Would you tell him that I expect to be paid for this immediately?"

Poor dear's response was a loud gasp. She was shocked.

An hour later I got a very angry call from JP. "Don't you ever talk to my grandmother again!"

Me: Pay up and I won't have a reason to.

He paid all about about $60. I let it go at that point.

[Heksubah]

I'm in the middle of dealing with a collector and they called my mother and told her the amount that I owed. I seem to recall, from my days working as a collector a decade ago, that doing so is highly illegal. It is my intent to research that and see what I can do about it because that has caused hell for me having her know what I owe.

[blas]

When I was sent to collections, the billing part of the clinic I go to told me it was a "line of credit". I was young and dumb at the time.

I got my first statement from the place, went online, and found out it's a collection agency.

Some places are so damn sketchy.

Speaking of strange numbers, there's a landline number that repeatedly keeps trying to call me, once or twice a month. It's from the city my parents live in. I have no clue who they are, but they won't leave a message so it must not be that big of a deal. Though, some people are really dense even if they hear my name on the voicemail, they'll keep calling anyway hoping next time, it's someone else.

[music chick]

My first collections call

I remember my first collections call. I had just moved into a new apartment and the previous tenant had been evicted for non payment of rent. I didn't get a new phone number for the apartment some how so when the bill collectors started calling they called me and wouldn't believe me when I told them that the guy wasn't there. I told them over and over again. One of them tried to corner me on the issue by saying how did I know that we wanted the previous tenant if I never met him? -Um because you just asked for him by name and I know the previous tenant moved out after an eviction so I assume he had other debts. They gave up eventually.

[wagegoth]

There are collection agencies that specialize in getting the relatives of dead people to pay their bills. They use really manipulative psychological methods to get these poor people to pay bills they don't owe. Disgusting.

[Dreamstalker]

Mystic, does the name of this company start with an A? I think I may have dealt with them, and they do indeed engage in some scummy practices.

[crazyofficeclerk]

A few years ago, I came home from work one day and found a message from a collections agency on my answering machine. It was for my neighbor across the street. These people knew my name and address and said that I should go tell my neighbor to contact them about paying her overdue bill. I hit the delete button. I didn't figure it was any of my business and the neighbor and I weren't on speaking terms/

[ExArtShopSlave]

A couple years ago, I worked in a generic 3rd party collections office. I wasn't the actual collection agent, but more like a secretary. Basically, I was the person that got the client on the phone then patched them through to the collection agent. Of course, they'd just hang up, so pointless. It was so bad there. All I heard for 8 hours a day were collectors yelling and belittling the people on the phone. I remember one man I passed through to the collector. This man was really nice. However the next thing I heard when I put him through to the collector was "You're in collections because you never paid your toll bill. Ya? Well then, you better sell your d@mn car and get used to riding a f@#$ing bike!"

I was outta there a month later.

ExArtShopSlave