I don't have much sympathy for those people getting debt collection calls. They should pay their damn bills and stop leeching off society. If they can run their credit card up, they can certain run it back down.

Well Eric...with your generous, warm heart, you sound just like a debt collector! Or maybe a banker

What a silly comment - over 70% of bankruptcies are due to a medical procedure, death, or other such emergency. How much debt is due to crises like these? Maybe you shouldn't be so judgmental. (I have 0 debt, and I can understand)

Sometimes, people can't pay their "damn bills" because serious life circumstances prevent them from doing so. It must be so hard to be as perfect as you are.

As for the debt collectors, it must be difficult for them to look in the mirror every morning and realize, 1) how stupid and meaningless their "life's calling" truly is, and 2) how much they suck in general. I've encountered some nasty ones who are obviously miserable with themselves...and they've found the perfect venue to take it out on others (and get paid for it, too). Just remember...money can't buy happiness.

Because the prevailing administration mindset is that if you're in debt and collections it's your fault and you deserve whatever you get, the collectors literally do whatever they want, knowing that there's no downside. About 7 years ago, I had an employee who was in collection due to student load default. It apparently goes to a new collection company every year or so, and they start by harrassing me. This USED to be his work number -- 7 years ago! I've had some of them threaten me -- apparently thinking that I am him. I finally added recording to the telephone and, whenever one calls, I advise them that I am recording the call. That has helped, but still has not eliminated the problem.

I agree with the commenters who comment that there are those of us who cannot pay our debts as we would like due to unavoidable circumstances like losing a job because they were out too sick from work because they had food poisoning and had to have emergency surgery several months after to 'save their damn life'. And, not being able to find another PERMANENT job, but only temporary ones or going for weeks with no job, no pay and getting behind in all their bills. Someone who is middle aged with NO parents or other relatives to come to their rescue, but friends who help them out whenever they can. THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU PERFECT NEVER HAD A CRISIS IN YOUR LIFE PEOPLE - I guess the rest of us need to just DIE!

When the issue in America is how can I collect more money from neighbor, then we are on the path
to self destruction. If we can compare ourselves to any other industrialized nation we would no longer be proud to be Americans...
In categories once embellished by our country as being the greatest we can no longer attest to that.
ARe we sure we're not on the path to becoming a third world nation.

Eric,

It'll be interesting when you discover you're a victim of identity theft; the likelyhood of which grows every day. Or, when cancer strikes you at 45 and inhilates your sense of securtity as the costs swallow your lifelong savings in mere months.

Then, after shaking off the shock, grief, weariness and realization of the damage you've been dealt, the vultures descend. They will descend to eat you alive. Those medical debts that you can't make will soar to interest rates upwards of 30%, calls come everyday, all day. The vulures on the other end will take delight in humiliating you. They will expect you to pay those hospital bills before you feed your family. They will call all your neighbors inquiring about you. They will exhude the same kind of arrogance you do in your post.

...and that's the tip of the iceberg as far as your life's disintegration process goes. I would hope that you try and muster a little empathy. We all may be seeking a little understanding ourselves someday.

--Robert

let me tell you -- after working hard for 20 years and being underpaid and struggling at times to save, then running up some debt, I got injured on the job. Then I lost my job and 4 years later, my back, hips, tailbone are always in pain and working fulltime is difficult. Now, I pay for health insurance myself and self-employment taxes because partially-disabled beggers can't be choosers and I have gotten behind. Though healthcare costs are at least double if not triple the costs of my friends' health insurance costs, who have employee-paid benefits, my "benefits" are lousy. I am getting medical bills in left and right from 2 doctor visits last year and my monthly prescription costs are almost $400. You can see how easy it is to get behind, especially if you have stumbled in the past, before you became unemployed. And as soon as credit card companies even smell that you can not pay, that is when the phone calls come -- about 8-9 times a day - from 8:00 am -9:00pm, weekends included. And, interests rate go up to the 30% Default Rate. Late fees are $39 now. It's not just for losers and deadbeats. I'm there now too. It's not unfathonable. Kudos for excellent financial planning. And, I mean, you have to plan meticulously -- just in case.

Oh, and by the way -- when an apt. corporation, didn't rent the apt to the person that you showed the apartment to as you were packing, but instead held it for 1-1/2 months and then sends you the bill upon move-out. Is that fair? Is that within my control? Then, this corporation based in TX, which has VERY lax consumer lawsand turns it over to a Collection Agency within 10 days of mailing the bill and the Collection Agency reports to the credit agencies that you did not pay the debt + their fees + "interest", but in fact, the apartment corporation was paid, and I have proof, BEFORE it was reported -- is that fair? It all adds to the mess and bullying prompts collection calls, fair or not. So have a little more heart Eric. Where is the example when the gov't doesn't pay its bills, yet I pay my taxes -- ALL of them, and get few deductions because I don't qualify to own a home?

Excuse this generous Democrat (by the way) for suggesting personal fiscal responsibility! I didn't realize everyone out there had shoddy medical insurance that refuses to pay for 'life threatening illness'. That is more reason to elect a Democrat to office in '08, I guess.

I will retract my comments as they relate to those who suffer a catastrophic illness. It seems I have created a fire storm that I did not intend to create. I apologize.

I'll only say one thing....you're not in debt and being hounded by collectors, call me when you are, for the odds are something will happen to you too, sooner or later, and then tell us "in debtors" what deadbeats we are. Enjoy your "normal" life while you can, and appreciate it, for there will come a day when "normal" will change for you, and my bet is you won't have the stomach for enduring it.

Thank you Eric for your maturity. Over 50% of personal bankruptcies are due to the consequences of unexpected medical expenses. If your job provides your insurance and you get hurt and can't work...

The federal government needs to provide medical insurance for all, that is the least they can do for us with the taxes we pay.

Congress has great health insurance on our tax money. What about us?

I have personal experience with two family members, and two friends, who all managed to get themselves into debt when it was totally avoidable. I ended up suffering as a result trying to help them out of it as best I could. So that is why my original comments were so pointed. I didn't realize there could be valid medical reasons for someone falling deep into debt. I just assumed that would be the exception, rather than the rule. I am really surprised standard medical coverage doesn't cover life threatening illness.

While I can empathize for those in debt due to unforseen medical bills, I urge you to reconsider the position that government needs to provide healthcare. Rather, a repeal of the post WWII era tax break for major corporations needs to be revisited. If we are truly a free-market, then we need to act like one. When costs are regulated by insurance companies, the sky is the limit. When cost is dictated by the "people", pricing will come down so fast, heads will spin. Do you really the same people in charge of Walter Reed running your healthcare?

All debts sent to collection are NOT legitimate.

I had to do battle with a doctor's office for over a year because of an incorrect billing code reported by the doctor that caused my insurance to reject a claim.

Brandi!
A valid reason for falling into debt, try being the victim in a car accident and being badly injured. Sure their insurance will pay, after you have finished all of your medical treatment, paid all of your co-pays out of pocket, missed over three months worth of work, lost a 20, 000 re-enlistment bonus because your injuries kept your from re-upping your contract in the reserves, lost all of your college benefits because now your out of the reserves, still had to pay for daycare because your husband still has to work and you can't even take care of your kids, oh yeah and doctors want payment in fullif they are to continue treating you. Let's see did I forget prescriptions, and the fact that since my car which was paid in full was totaled, I have a higher car note. I guess I do deserve to have debt collecters call and threaten me, tell me they hear my children in the background and that someone as irresponsible as me should not have reproduced or my favorite, that I can't manage money and that they will hound me day and night until I pay them.
Gee, just a few more operations, a few more months of physical therapy and then I can settle and pay my debt that my sorry self caused by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Of course people have valid reasons for being in debt. How could you have been so blind and oblivious? You actually sounded smarter than that.

This is for the "Pay your damn bills" people. I've had two run ins with debt collection agencies. One was approx six months ago. I had received a letter in the mail and don't recall the exact wording, but do remember it was a threat and included an 800 number to call immediately. A young man answered the phone and I asked what the nasty letter was for. It seems as though someone (with same name as mine) had skipped out on a health club in St Louis and owed them money. I explained that I was 58, and lived 65 miles south of St Louis, and that I don't believe I'd drive 65 miles, at my age, just to frequent a health club and participate in the activities. I also asked if there was a SSN with the collection paperwork. There was not. For you collection guru's, I want to know how they decided to send this to me? Did they just cover their eyes and point their finger to my name and address from a list? My button had been pushed, but the young man was easy to work with. He agreed there wasn't enough information to work with and let me go.

My other bad experience came 19 years ago when I bought a waterbed set. The store advertised six months same as cash. I had plenty of cash setting in the bank, but opted to take advantage of the offer and let my money draw a little interest. The offer was financed by ITT Financial (remember this). As time for repayment of the money drew near, I paid off the waterbed set at the waterbed store. A few months later, I received a call and the caller immediately started with threats of ruining my credit and demanded payment. I was hot!! I replied by telling the guy that the set was paid for and if he jacked with my credit, I'd have him standing in a soup line....and hung up. Then, drove to the waterbed store, who knew I had paid for the goods. A few days later, the waterbed store called and advised me that the money I had paid, had been deposited in an account of someone with the same last name as mine, in Muscatine, IA....and the problem was taken care of. A few more months roll along and I get a letter from ITT Financial....wanting me to borrow money. I used that opportunity to write them a letter (pre-internet)and explain what had happened, the guy's name that called, and that I would never borrow a nickel from them. I hope the caller making the threats to me is still standing in a soup line somewhere.....where it's cold.

You know what gets me? You sign a credit card agreement with a company at a specific interest rate. They raise your limit, treat you like a great customer, and then one day they send you a nice letter saying, "Hey, you know what? You are up to all your limits so you're now over-extended. Because of that, we're raising your interest rate from the 6.9% to 28%. And, the interest now charged to your account put you $100 over your limit, so we're going to tack on another $39.00 over the limit fee! Thanks for being our customer!"

And don't think for a second that the credit card companies weren't behind the change in the bankruptcy laws too! And I loved the response from Jacqueline and ditto it. "THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU PERFECT NEVER HAD A CRISIS IN YOUR LIFE PEOPLE - I guess the rest of us need to just DIE!" Having gone from a disabling auto accident to a rehabilated, thriving, tax paying citizen again, I can really empathize with people who have life events that prevent them from paying their bills. No one deserves to be treated like the collector's treat consumers.

Thanks to most of you, I feel a little better, at least I am not alone. My story is herniated disks in neck, lower back, and inbetween. I had three surgeries on other parts of my body 3 years ago. I have COPD, chronic asthma, and bronchitis, osteoarthritis is another, GURD, depression, and ADD . I'm a single parent without child support, raising 2 teenagers by myself, with no family help or support. I worked for years, and tried to pay my debt off but, I didn't have enough money and was supporting 4 children then. Went through consumer credit counselling. I was layed off from a job as an independent contractor (because there was no work) I was back on the job market on and off for a couple years only getting short term unsteady temp jobs that were really bad. The job market where I live is tight, unless you know someone. My age, has become a factor, job after job, younger, as well educated, but with little experience got hired. I found that my BA degree means very little now a days...Can't afford to go back to college...Some potential employers, actually check your credit rating, if it's bad they won't hire you. Which makes no sense what-so-ever. Now I am on disability, and hopefully when I can get prosthetic joints in my neck (waiting for FDA approval)I am having the surgery. I can't lift anymore and any type of physical stuff is out. Long term typing, sitting standing and laying down are limited, it's fun fun...I still have hope, but really don't even have enough money to file bankruptsy, and my debt was no more than 7,000. Have a huge old gas guzzler, that is needs work but I know it isn't going to run much longer it's an old car. I have recently been visited by a new collector, who I think fancies himself to be just like his buddy, O'Reilly from Fox News.....He did threaten me with jail, and the law and all kind of stuff. I laughed at him, it made him mad, and finally I said a not-so-nice word to him and hung up. But he did upset me for most of the day, couldn't shake his nasty ways off. He had very verbaly abusive to me,and he seemed to have a sociopathic personality, no empathy at all. Probably a disliked sad man, who hates his life and job so takes it out on debtors, think someone already said that!wNow when I get a call from Nevada, where O'Rielly Jr called from, I tell them that I do not accept any collection calls, and that they will have to contact me through mail only. Thus far it has worked, but maybe just because they call when I'm not at home. I should get an air horn, for special occasions when I get a real nasty person.I have told a million, it seems bill collectors my story, I don't have to, won't do it anymore. This debt is over 10 years now, maybe 9, but close to 10, and the original company creditor has sold my debt over and over to banks, or some kind of over night firm that buys these old debts and probably get tons for it if they get paid. It's really disturbing to not have my independence, and having very little money to live on. Lucky for me I have have medicare, and state medical,my meds are expensive. My family and I have to find a new place to live soon, we have lived here for over 10 years. When I rented this house, I had a job and good credit. Because housing is so costly, we won't be able to rent a house, it will be an apartment, company who will overlook my bad credit? The people who own the house I am in, are selling it, so I have no choice, get rid of half of my furniture, the garage, freezer and so on. You can't see my disability, and some people are very cruel, stereotyping low income people as low life scum bags. I knew people who collected on bad loans and was told it's the rich guys, who don't want to pay, and get away with loops in bankruptsy laws. The poor people, who didn't want to have health problems, can't afford to file for bankruptsy, and is barely able to pay for basic utilities get really abused by these bill collectors, I am glad that the news brought this into the light.....

Well, I understand both sides, and have experienced both in my own life.

I used to be a real estate agent; once, while doing so, I ordered upgrades to a client's house on said client's behalf to facilitate a sale. The sale fell through, and the collection agency that company hired started going after me, not my clients.

I tried three times to explain to them that, as a real estate agent, I was authorized to make that order on the client's behalf, but it was the client's debt. The agent in no uncertain terms told me it was my debt, and if I refused to pay, they would report me. I laughed at them and told them that considering real estate law, I'd get it expunged off my records without difficulty, and that they should have been willing to work with me as I would have helped them concerning the people who really owned them their debt.

I haven't needed my credit recently, but I imagine it's there now; I'll get it removed as needed.

However, that was wrong; the guy on the other line wasn't willing to listen to reason. It was quite infuriating.

Now, on the other hand, one of my sisters and her husband decided to buy a ton of stuff... and then declare bankruptcy, under the old rules. They did it on purpose, so they were paying cents on the dollar for all this stuff. It made me ashamed to call her a sister, to have her blatantly do this, and brag about it!

So yeah, people who get in trouble for situations beyond their control deserve some compassion, but from my own family there are serious abuses too, and those need to be curtailed.

wow, seriously? im a bill collector, and aside from the crap pay, i love my job. i get to talk to all kinds of people and it never ceases to amaze me. there are those, who like the majority of the posters here seem to think think that everyone who is in debt is there due to circumstances beyond their control. i would say, based on the calls i make, and the people i talk to, that only about five percent fall into this catagory. that is why many lending companies have hardship departments. lost your job? thats what payment protection insurance is for. in either case, you have to call in and let your creditors know so they can do something about it. take responsibility for resolving your debts(even if that means going through hardship depts, or filing bankrupcy) and things will be much easier on you.

"Hardship Department" ??? What planet are you from ? You contact a credit card company that is charging you 32 % interest and a $ 49 late fee for a $ 15 payment that is 2 hours late and you are trying to convince us that they actually care ??? Credit issuers get away with murder and they deserve to be stuck with bad debts regardless of whether it is the consumer's fault or not. Prior to 1980 it was a felony to charge these rates in nearly every state. Those who play with fire ought to get burned at some point

Jesus I thought most of the world knew that it used to be against the law to charge excessive interest on loans, they sometimes called it loan sharking. But Congress made everything nice and legal for banks to chatge 24% and lots of charges in excessive late fees. And to top that off Congress even enacted new bankruptcy laws making it even harder to file bankruptcy. This way the loan companies can keep you on their books because the interest just keeps on compounding, City, state and Federal offices also compound interest. Even if you can only pay the interests on the debt thats all they care about, so you can keep paying the minimum amount and it takes you twenty years to pay off a $10,000.00 loan.

We became aware Mercantile Adjustment Bureau through a number of inconvient/hours automated calls to my residence - leaving nothing but a callback # They were looking for someone whom did not live at my residence. Actually, I didn't even know the person they were seeking. They had the wrong number. When my wife called to report this, they were rude to her - offering nothing but sarcasm and an unverified promise to rectify the situation. When I called, the individual on the other end excoriated me for following-through with the ill treatment of my spouse - slamming the phone on me.

How do you get rid of Debt Recovery Solutions when you are not the people they are after? We have a common name, and for 5 years, YES five years they have harrassed us for a sprint bill that we didnt even live in that state, not even have a sprint phone? This is so amazing, I can't believe they stoop so low to even harrass innocent people.

I know people lie, so I understand their cases. But I even found the seven people for them in their city with our name and they wouldn't change the debt. Tacked it on to an innocent families credit report and havn't stopped harrassing us, no matter what we do. I am so fed up. Three times today they harrassed us. This is against the law. How can I get them to understand how they have wasted 5 years of man hours after the wrong people? We have excellent credit btw, and I am at my wits end and ready to see a lawyer!

All I owe is 800.00 to one such collection agency for medical expenses. In the month of May I received two calls in the same day, that is a violation under the fair debt collections Act Titile 15 article 804 1692b. #3 which states, not communicate with any such person more than once unless requested to do so by such person or unless the debt collector reasonably believes that the earlier reesponse of such person is erroneous or incomplete and that such person now has correct or complete location information. And of course all the above blogged mentioned would my (dead) parents help??? Very depressed by these calls I called the first lady back and asked why they called twice? Asked her if she had noted our call and she said yes she had noted our call and did't know why they called again probably a problem with computers.. she was really nice asked if I would be able to work out arrangements to talk with her...I'm trying to work with them and pay. Her boss said yes??? Month later I pay on the day she tells me to pay and give ...when i called i was asked my name and they went into their spill about "This is an attempt to collect a debt" I asked the lady three times to stop that I called them and I needed to to talk to Mrs Smith , we will call her. The girl would not shut up and I repeatedly talked over her telling her I was trying to pay on a debt and I needed to talk to Mrs. Smith --she kept on --i kept wondering if I hsd reached wrong agency...I finally told her she was annoying and harrassing and told her to shut the f up. Well that did stop her -that was uncalled for to use such language--I said you are rude and you wouldn't stop talking ( I'm on a cell with minutes burning ) I told her she was in a code violation, which was, Title 15 USC1692d. # 5 causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the called number....i didn't tell her how by this time i was taking more pain pills and Klonopin and getting my oxygen ---and trying to get her name that she wouldn't give...then she hung up on me.......dang what do i do, or we do what can be done...I pay my bills , have used same medical facility for over 30 years,,yes medical stuff throws me behind but yet when i do get extra i do pay them. Any suggestions folks ? Can you turn them in and have their collection liscense taken???? Oh I also at one time said please to her and she said Oh so you do have some manners and i said yep and the love of God and then she said something about that. It is no wonder to me that people are going off the deep end.. I just keep trying to swim quicker but can this be stopped ?
God Bless all Good Luck too!

I understand these people buy accounts to make money off the credit that someone could not pay.But I think this is an inside situation with the Municipal or County Courts.
I know courts who wouldn't even taken these type of cases in a Court Room.Unless the Lawyers,Judges and people who work in these towns have there pockets lined with some of the money they get.There are more serious things for a Court to take issues with.Not Petty little amounts of colllections.These Courts pay no Taxs .
I thnk it's Corruption all around.

Instead of Girls Gone Wild.It's Bill Collecters Gone Wild.Someone should make a U-tube Video for them.There Crazy.