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The Seedy Underbelly of Debt Collection

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Songbird, Aug 16, 2014.

  1. cranberry

    cranberry Well-Known Member

    That's what I thought.
     
  2. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    One interesting piece of advice that I've seen several times in debt collection stories is for the debtor to make the collector show documentation that they actually own the debt, such as the bill of sale. This story (I agree, a really good read), illustrates that with cash sales for lists, phone numbers and personal IDs.

    There's no real proof that the collector actually owns the debt, which is why stealing happens and debtors are paying the wrong person.
     
  3. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    That is a very funny story that explains the cast of characters I've been talking to over the years about what Sprint says is an unpaid bill (it's bullshit).

    At one point a woman said they had documentation of what I owed and that "they can prove it." I asked, prove it to whom? Who is asking? She couldn't answer that.

    Meanwhile, since they started calling, we've refinanced the house to a better rate twice (once with cash added for a remodel) and opened a home-equity line of credit. The bank actually told us not to worry about that BS.
     
  4. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    Secret to avoiding bill collecting calls; go to a legal aid clinic and ask if someone will represent you pro bono with respect to the debt; then said attorney writes letter telling the collection agency to only contact them; presto! no more annoying calls! Agency will avoid calling attorney's office, they know that's a non-starter. If they call the consumer, that's a violation of federal law.

    I did that for some pro bono work over the years and clients were very grateful (of course I'd think, how'd you run up $100k in credit card debt without thinking about paying it back?).
     
  5. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    You're so smart!

    You're the smartest one here!
     
  6. We should all applaud stupid proposals. Need help finding grade-school reports to back up your arguments?
     
  7. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    You're so smart!

    You're the smartest one here!
     
  8. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    Of course he is. The troll is a legend in his own mind.
     
  9. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

    Easy for you to say if you've never been totally fucked-over by assholes who sell a "debt" on. I'm talking about a "debt" that has been paid but is continually sold onward to the next asshole who proceeds to make your life a miserable pool of shit as you try and prove something that cannot be proved.

    Of course, your life is perfect, so never mind.
     
  10. Selling "paper" and trying to fraudulently collect a debt are two separate issues.
     
  11. ColdCat

    ColdCat Well-Known Member

    Debt collections and the resale of debt mentioned on This American Life this week. Evidently, the way to get out of it is to get a court date and when you get in front of the judge, simply say "prove it" to the debt collector.
    http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/532/magic-words
     
  12. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    What you describe is already illegal.
     
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