hate this guy as much as I hate him
There was a time we (my wife and I) had a debt that was a bit over our head. We got behind and the debt was turned over to a collection agency. We got a lawyer, who had full legal power of attorney, to take over negotiations. He negotiated to have it paid and settled at a slight discount below the full amount, which we did. Case closed, so we thought.
Some how the company didn’t see it that way ans turned it over to yet another collection agency that didn’t know anything about the power of attorney or the fact that it was already paid. We sent registered copies of the whole deal to that collection agency along with copies to the original load sharks.
Seems like that wasn’t good enough. The loan sharks turned it over to a third collection agency that had no knowledge of the settlement, power of attorney or the second collection agency fiasco. We sent copied of the documents to them as well.
Seems that wasn’t good enough for the loan sharks. The turned it over to yet another collection agency…see the pattern?
These was happening for about two years. The collection agencies were getting worse and worse with the phone calls. They started slow, a call every few weeks, and by the time the last collection agency had the account they were calling 3 and 4 times a day every day and any hour they well felt like it. They’d call at 7 AM or 11 PM and any time in between.
Only this last time they wouldn’t talk to the lawyers and would not recognize the power of attorney and would not even call the lawyers office, and when the lawyers called them they would hang up on the lawyers immediately.
Our lawyer told us were should not speak with them at all, period, and to hang up without saying a word when they called. That is incredibly hard to do I must say.
One guy told one of my kids to get mommy or daddy to call back “if they know what’s good for them.” That upset my 8 year old daughter quite a bit.
Harassment I say. We got the lawyer to send “intent to sue for harassment” papers to them, registered, with full documentation of how much and when they were calling (we had started keeping a log during the second collection fiasco), and the papers showing that the bill had been paid and the account closed for almost two years. The lawyers also sent copies to the home office of the loan sharks and the local office of the loan shark and the attorney general.
THAT did the trick. FINALLY AT LONG LAST!
Except that the account is showing on our credit report three separate times with slight variations in the real account number and one of them is still showing open, active with a large unpaid balance, and years very delinquent, the case is finally closed. We have to show documentation that this account is really closed whenever we do any kind of load stuff. The company refuses to fix it, saying there is no error.
OH WELL.
WHY DO I POST THIS NOW YOU SAY?
I found a message that was left on our answering machine.
Remember the post from Teej about calling a guy and yelling “jerk” and hanging up? I gots a number and a jerk. Of course, I’m not suggesting anyone call him.
This guy was the worst of the bunch, but not by much. There were a few of them that were inthe same ballpark. But this is the guy that talked to my daughter, and called early and late and on weekends and called me at work, and once when I answered the phone he wouldn’t talk to me except to leave his number for me to give to my wife. He wouldn’t tell me why he was calling or who he was, except to say “she needs to call within the hour or she’s going to be in very very serious trouble.” Sure sounded threating. Sort of funny in a bad way. He didn’t think I’d recognize his voice, especially after all the times he’d called? What an idiot.
LINK LINK LINK…finding this wave file set off the rage again…WHAT A JERK…WHAT A JERK OF A COMPANY…
http://odd.phootoons.com/mrhines.wma
BTW: The company lost a major class action suit a few months back because of these very tactics. We don’t know if we’re included in the settlement…sure would be nice though.
| Quote (phoo @ Sep. 24 2004,16:53) |
| Good. Go tell the lazy bum to get off is ass and work. |
--
Allied Interstate,perhaps?
Biggest jerks of them all from what I have heard…
Thanks for the intelligent compassion, BS. I know you can’t understand. I’m almost speechless that you would pull an admittedly snotty comment I made to you about your “wonderful empathy towards others that are less fortunate than you” and drag it into this thread. I’m not sure how to relate it to harassing phone calls, unless you are implying that I get off my ass and work. If that’s it I think it’s a truly low blow.
Clark, it was Beneficial.
Phoo,
Back in the days when money was very tight, I had my share of collection calls. They went from obnoxious to down right threatening. I was working 3 jobs at the time, but could barely afford to eat and pay my rent (the Reagan Years). I did finally pay off the bill (school loan), but the memory is still a thorn in my mind. It is funny how years later, I have banks hounding me to borrow money at silly low rates (my main credit card has a $23000 limit and is fixed rate at 5.9%). Hang in there. Someday you might be able to look back an laugh (probably nervously) at this. All I can say is that collection officers must be latent KKK right wingers. 
Mike
Phoo,
As far as I know the law, you are not legally liable to repay a debt exept to the original debtor. A letter to any second party attempting a collection indicating that you have no debt with them should stop any collection activities. And, if you were persued after a legal disporition of your debt, I would think you were entilted to damages. If the collection agency is located in another state, I would recommend sueing them in small claims court for an amount a bit less than it would cost them to defend it. 
Good Luck,
Jeff
All collection agencies were representing the original folks, so in that sense we were legally liable, of course that is under the assumption we hadn’t paid. After that it was an obvious mistake for them to continue collection. We seriously thought about suing, and I have no doubt we could have eventually won, but the way things can go doesn’t mean we would, regardless of what we thought going in. We definitely weren’t in any mood to keep it going. We just wanted it to stop.
I’m SO amazed at how finding this message brings out the anxiety and anger again. It’s not healthy, but it seems out of my control. I think that collection agencies play on that to th point that the get you into a position that you will do almost anything to get them to stop harassing you, and then you are so glad it’s ended that you won’t sue no matter what they did.
| Quote (phoo @ Sep. 25 2004,23:06) |
| All collection agencies were representing the original folks, so in that sense we were legally liable, |
Phoo,
As for as I know the law, if you are being hounded by the collection people at the company you were in debt to, then you are legally liable to pay them (minus any court findings, i.e. bankruptacy). If however, they transferred your debt to a second party, (collection agency) they are legally obliged to stop any collection activities upon written notification thet you are not in debt to them.
HTH,
Jeff
And thank God for those lawyers - they sure come in handy when you need them! Of course, if Congress gets it’s way, it would limit the amount you could sew the b*stards who threatened you kid.
What people don’t realize is that in the “liberatarian world”, we’d all be suing each other because there would be alot less laws & no state for fight for us. They don’t tell this bit when they say they want to reduce government but I assure you, this is what would happen. We’d all go broke from suing corporations & each other.
I once told the poor lady from discover card to kiss my a** and go to **** all in one breath. That just made them call 7 times a day instead of 2. As you probably know, you can't get blood from a turnip and you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s**t. I did find out how to get rid of the solicitors and telemarketers. Say to them that this is harassment and you will report them to the better business bureau if they continue to call this number. I maybe get 6 calls a month. Thanks Oprah! I know what you are saying about the lenders. Bought a house last year now my mailbox stays full with offers of a credit line of a 80,000.00. These people obviously don't know who I am. I wear the same pair of jeans for 3 weeks and drive an 82 GMC pickup 
When the credit card solicitors call now I tell them that I only deal in cash and that I don't believe in spending money I don't have. I think I'm starting to get angry again all over. Good luck!
Jeromee
Phoo, I’m disappointed in you.
I can very clearly hear the noise reduction artifacts. I expect better next time.
Willy.
Heh
The point is, Willy, phoo probably can’t hear them. His high end is history.