The Seedy Underbelly of Debt Collection

Fantastic story about life as a debt collector. Quick, clean read. The black and white photos are lush and gorgeous if not over the top in the way the players are positioned in each scene.

This has real potential for the big screen. The bolded line is sexy and made me think of Mr. White, but in this case looks like King Kong Bundy's smaller cousin from Southie.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/15/magazine/bad-paper-debt-collector.html?ref=magazine&_r=0

 

Fascinating, informative piece. As pure storytelling, I thought it built to a climax and then COMPLETELY fizzled, but that's the reality of nonfiction sometimes. Still very interesting. Glad I read it. Thanks.

 

Started it but haven't finished it.

On a personal note, about once every six months I'll get a call from a debt collector.

They'll name some amount, couple hundred bucks, and offer a payment plan.

I'll ask them what the bill was for and they'll say a Sears Card. I'll reply back with, I've never had a Sears card.

And ask for when and where the card was used. They'll tell me they'll send me more information or some such but I never hear back from them.

Six months later, the paper will have been sold to someone else and another collector will call.

This article, so far, explains why.

 

I once worked in b2b marketing for a debt collection agency. Shady as hell.

 

That was a really good read.

 

Good read. Jake and I worked at the same publication about 15 years ago when he was right out of college. He was very talented. A bit full of himself, but overall a pretty good guy and I'm not at all surprised by his success.

 

Quite interesting read, and just reinforces what I have thought as I battle student loan "debt" collectors 25 years on. I would applaud a law that forbids the selling of a loan.

 

Just pay your bills, deadbeat.

 

Selling debt is not the issue.

 

A law forbidding selling debt would have some interest effects on interest rates.

 

What would the rationale be for a law forbidding the sale of debt?

 

1) It would be stupid ...

2) It would hurt the very people it would, ostensibly, be oriented toward helping, and ...

3) It would be stupid