Interesting article about debt collectors

Jstas

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/news/1007/gallery.debt_collectors/index.html

I found it very intriguing. After having dealt with collectors myself over financial situations my ex put me through, I have a special place in my black little heart for them.

I was threatened and called all kinds of names over stuff that legally was protected by court injunction. I had one guy calling me at 2am. He was threatening physical violence against me. Told me he was going to have my legs broken. I couldn't believe it.

I found out his name was Brian Morris and the debt collection company was local to me. I found Mr. Morris' info quite easily and saw on his Facebook account one day that he was going to be at a local watering hole celebrating his birthday. Well, I attended his shin dig, walked up to him, introduced myself and when the pall left his face I asked him if he was going to be the one to attempt to break my legs. If so, we could step outside. He stuttered a while and then I said, "That's ok, I'd be freaked out too. I'll give you a call on Monday and I trust your attitude will be different. You have yourself a happy birthday party! You need me to drive past your house, check on the place?" Then I just walked away. He wouldn't take my calls on Monday and had my account transferred to a different collector. That collector told me he was really freaked out and begging the supervisor to give someone else the account. I told him not to threaten people 'cause you never know who is on the other end of the phone.

I had another one pretend to be a lawyer. Told me he was suing me. So I talked to my lawyer. Who contacted his "offices". It was his home phone number and when his daughter answered, my lawyer threatened him with a lawsuit. He changed his tune too.

Well, nobody has to share their experiences. I just found the article very interesting. Especially since threats and abuse are illegal as well as impersonating a lawyer or government official and very few people know their rights.

madmax

I collect audio equipment, not debts.

You are such a wuss, you should have broken his legs on the way out.
madmax

cstmar01

not all are like this. If you were to threaten a customer in our department (My title is Asset Recovery Coordinator and I work in the default services department for a bank) then you would be fired on the spot. to clarify I do not speak to customer's but handle the legal process with it all, so my contacts are Realtors and attorney's.

Some debt collection companies where banks ect sell their loans for collection use tactics like the ones stated, however our collections is internal and we would rather help you keep the house than take it back, because we lose money and its not good.

so when articles and people blanket the term as debt collector =bad guys and always, its not true and rather annoying. We do our job to protect the bank's interest as we are not going to let you live in a house for free if we hold a loan on it.

Jstas

Ummm...get your panties out of a wad because if you actually read the article you would see that it wasn't about bad collectors necessarily. Secondly, the bank has every right to protect it's interests but it has no right to protect it's interests while infringing on others rights.

cstmar01

Jstas wrote: »

Ummm...get your panties out of a wad because if you actually read the article you would see that it wasn't about bad collectors necessarily. Secondly, the bank has every right to protect it's interests but it has no right to protect it's interests while infringing on others rights.

They never were, I'm giving my point of view on a line of work that I'm in. Yes some of them were positive but I was just giving my two cents on it.

Face

I read the title as "Interesting article about dust collectors".

Jstas

I have one of those too. Should I post it?

Face

Sure.

ohskigod

I've done more than my fair share of time in collections, there are some really bad apples. you will find 95% of them at actual collection agency's that contract for companies to do collections. i never worked at one of those, for good reason. I worked collections as an adjuster for Chrysler Financial and every one i talked to that did time in an agency said it sucked.

truth be told, we definitely laced into people that hid there cars and were 60+ dpd........hey, all they had to do was turn the car in and we wouldn't call them anymore. but i'm gonna drive to you house and kill you? oh god no. thats insane, but know damn well it happens.

I've had people threaten me though, especially after I had cars repoed. most just talked, some actually came to my office....oddly enough they wee much more reasonable after meeting me in person. I've ben told I sound smaller on the phone. My damn nasally voice I guess.

We did have a guy attack one of our female adjusters in the office........I guess he didn't realize 50 guys were in close earshot? That was a fun day. Financial issues always caused stress, so i always had a high threshold of people freaking out on me, I understood to a degree.

basically, the collection agencies that collect on unsecured debt (no collateral) will sometimes resort to those kinds of tactics as they have no other recourse. At least we could just take your car if need be.

cstmar01

ohskigod wrote: »

I've done more than my fair share of time in collections, there are some really bad apples. you will find 95% of them at actual collection agency's that contract for companies to do collections. i never worked at one of those, for good reason. I worked collections as an adjuster for Chrysler Financial and every one i talked to that did time in an agency said it sucked.

truth be told, we definitely laced into people that hid there cars and were 60+ dpd........hey, all they had to do was turn the car in and we wouldn't call them anymore. but i'm gonna drive to you house and kill you? oh god no. thats insane, but know damn well it happens.

I've had people threaten me though, especially after I had cars repoed. most just talked, some actually came to my office....oddly enough they wee much more reasonable after meeting me in person. I've ben told I sound smaller on the phone. My damn nasally voice I guess.

We did have a guy attack one of our female adjusters in the office........I guess he didn't realize 50 guys were in close earshot? That was a fun day. Financial issues always caused stress, so i always had a high threshold of people freaking out on me, I understood to a degree.

basically, the collection agencies that collect on unsecured debt (no collateral) will sometimes resort to those kinds of tactics as they have no other recourse. At least we could just take your car if need be.

we have a female that does all our car repo's. She's gotten death threats, told to get a different line of work ect ect all the time. Most never really do anything, sometimes we will get nasty letters but thats about it. Most of the time though I find they like to trash the car or house before we take it back so its worthless or of little value. Most people don't realize then we just file a higher judgment against them for the debt they owe but whatever.

The worse so far we have happened was when someone came into our building screaming and demanding to talk to another coordinator. She is a really small woman and they were not the smallest person in the world. She stood her ground though and it helped that 5 males went along with her to confront the person who on the phone told her that she would get a shovel to the back of the head. Its always funny what someone will say on the phone, yet confronted in person, its a different story. They calmed down and talked like a civil person, it just took some time but I think things can be resolved without the yelling in a fairly normal manor.

FTGV

Jstas wrote: »

Well, I attended his shin dig, walked up to him, introduced myself and when the pall left his face I asked him if he was going to be the one to attempt to break my legs. If so, we could step outside. He stuttered a while and then I said, "That's ok, I'd be freaked out too. I'll give you a call on Monday and I trust your attitude will be different. You have yourself a happy birthday party! You need me to drive past your house, check on the place?"

No really?Thats some crazy sheat but sounds like it would have been a lot fun.

Jstas wrote: »

I have one of those too.

I have a box of em.The printing on their side say's Mullard 12AX7 or something?:D

Demiurge

That collector told me he was really freaked out and begging the supervisor to give someone else the account. I told him not to threaten people 'cause you never know who is on the other end of the phone.

You aren't just a badass, you're Chuck Norris.

polkatese

Demiurge wrote: »

You aren't just a badass, you're Chuck Norris.

or Christopher Montesanto...:)

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9mjkZDnzoA&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9mjkZDnzoA&hl=en_US&fs=1&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

JimKellyfan

Jstas wrote: »

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/news/1007/gallery.debt_collectors/index.htmlI found out his name was Brian Morris and the debt collection company was local to me. I found Mr. Morris' info quite easily and saw on his Facebook account one day that he was going to be at a local watering hole celebrating his birthday. Well, I attended his shin dig, walked up to him, introduced myself and when the pall left his face I asked him if he was going to be the one to attempt to break my legs. If so, we could step outside. He stuttered a while and then I said, "That's ok, I'd be freaked out too. I'll give you a call on Monday and I trust your attitude will be different. You have yourself a happy birthday party! You need me to drive past your house, check on the place?" Then I just walked away. He wouldn't take my calls on Monday and had my account transferred to a different collector. That collector told me he was really freaked out and begging the supervisor to give someone else the account. I told him not to threaten people 'cause you never know who is on the other end of the phone.

That is a great comeback for not having broken his legs too.
Love it.
Vengeance is always fun during.

Any debt collectors legit or not, don't talk to them, don't own up to it, and walk away.
If you paid it, great.
If not, that's your karma.