Car Payment, or Drugs?

[Ducky]

Yes, you read the title right, I got this call about a year ago. This poor lady is in absolute tears, sobbing on the phone.

Me - well, of course, me
SC - sobbing/stupid customer


Me: Thank you for calling XXXX, this is Ducky, how can I help you?
SC: I did something stupid, and I may have to turn my car in and just let you guys take it back.
Me: Okay, so are you wanting to voluntarily surrender the vehicle?
SC: Yeah, I don't have the money for it anymore, and I don't know if I'll be able to afford it anymore.
Me: Well, a voluntary surrender is called a voluntary repossession, and it goes on your credit report as the same thing as a repossession, so it's generally not advisable. Plus, you will owe XXXX any money that the auction on the vehicle does not cover.
SC: Well, I had the payment, but you see, I used the money I was going to use to buy drugs, and I'm such a stupid person *starts sobbing harder*
Me: *chokes on mountain dew* I'm sorry, what was that?
SC: I used the money I was going to use to pay your guys' car payment and I bought drugs with it.
Me: You bought drugs with your car payment?
SC: Yes, I'm so horrible.
Me: Could I get your account number so I can see what the status of your account is?
SC: Yes, it's xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Me: Ok, thank you. Could I verify your name, address, and phone number please?
SC: *gives information in between sobs*
Me: Alright, one moment please while I check your account *looks over account and sees serious collection activity going on. We're talking near reposession* One moment please while I transfer you over.
SC: Thank you so much, I'm so horrible.

So I put her on hold and transferred her to collections. After the call ended, I was just sitting there shocked. I could not believe that her car payment was so far behind, and she pretty much threw her car away just to buy herself drugs...

[Think Blue]

Wow stupid does not even begin to describe this lady. She was probably trying to drum up sympathy. Wow what an idiot.

[phillippbo]

That should probably be a lesson to all of us about what drugs can do to you. At least she could admit she had a problem, and may mean she's on the way to actually getting help. Most addicts who have trouble like that don't even see that they have a problem. It's sad, really....

[Ringtail Z28]

Yep, basically that's how it is with druggies. They throw away everything for their drug of choice. I realize I'm cold-blooded when it comes to this subject, but have lived and worked just about all my life in a rotten area has made me completely unsympathetic to them.

[Crosshair]

Serious Question

Are we talking about illegal drugs or legal prescriptions that cost an arm and a leg? Had a co-worker (From my 3 months at Sears) whose parents had to start selling stuff to get the OxyContin that the mother needed for her cancer. (OxyContin is a powerfull time release opiate that provides relief from debilitating pain.) Some people abuse it and the government has made it difficult for people the get it in the quantities they need by prosecuting doctors who give patients "Too much", even though what the government declares "Too much" is actulay what the patient needs. (Just Google it.)

They not only had to search for doctors willing to perscribe it, they had to go to multiple doctors because none of them would perscribe the ammount she needed because "The Fed" might come after them. Of cource insurance covered none of this and it got quite expencive. I'm sure she is long dead by now (Left that job before she died, but she was going to die, everyone knew that.) and it is heartbreaking that people in that condition are considered "drug abusers" by the government.

[Ducky]

Are we talking about illegal drugs or legal prescriptions that cost an arm and a leg? Had a co-worker (From my 3 months at Sears) whose parents had to start selling stuff to get the OxyContin that the mother needed for her cancer. (OxyContin is a powerfull time release opiate that provides relief from debilitating pain.) Some people abuse it and the government has made it difficult for people the get it in the quantities they need by prosecuting doctors who give patients "Too much", even though what the government declares "Too much" is actulay what the patient needs. (Just Google it.)

They not only had to search for doctors willing to perscribe it, they had to go to multiple doctors because none of them would perscribe the ammount she needed because "The Fed" might come after them. Of cource insurance covered none of this and it got quite expencive. I'm sure she is long dead by now (Left that job before she died, but she was going to die, everyone knew that.) and it is heartbreaking that people in that condition are considered "drug abusers" by the government.

I'm not sure if it was illegal, or prescription... I didn't really want to touch the subject, so I just let the collector handle that one. Made for a nice comment on her account, though

[XCashier]

Are we talking about illegal drugs or legal prescriptions that cost an arm and a leg?

I would think if it were legal prescriptions, she would have said so and not referred to herself as "stupid". Being sick and needing expensive medicine is not being stupid, it's just bad luck. Deliberately spending the car payment on illegal drugs is stupid.

But at least she had the sense to admit she was being stupid, and as phillippbo said, hopefully she will get herself some help.