CCCS And threatening Creditors

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
CCCS And threatening Creditors
8
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 5:33pm

I am usually just a lurker here, and have received a lot of helpful information- however now I need some specific help.
I finally decided to sign up for CCCS through CCCAmerica. I have around $10,000 worth of CC debt. I was unable to even make minimum payments on most of the cards (6). I have one account that went to an Attorney's office instead of a collection agency. They called last week and wanted to know when I would be paying them (I owe $668 to that specific company). I told them I was working with this CCCAmerica and the lady on the phone told me quite harshly that 'they DO NOT work with Credit Counselors, they are not a collection agency" I told her I was not aware of this and that I would see what I could do. She then told me that since I was telling her that I couldn't make half of the total amount due, she would notify the attorney and tell them that I am refusing to pay and they would take legal action from there. (this has already happened to me with another card, so I am trying not to let this happen - that's why I signed up for CCCS) She said in order to avoid a lawsuit she would need half of the total amount due before June 10th and she needed my debit card number. Flustered and quite scared, I gave her the card number and told her I would be contacting CCCAmerica about this. She was quite rude and said 'good luck'. I then contacted the Credit Counseling Company and told them the situation. They told me that the original creditor 'usually' will buy the debt back from the Attorney's office, but it's too soon to tell if they will with my account. So my question is.....how do I go about cancelling the scheduled payment to this attorney's office? Quite honeslty, I'm scared to call because of how rude and degrading they were the last time I talked to them (BTW: I cannot afford the $334 payment they are requesting on Friday).

Sorry this has been so long - Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

thanks
~Aly

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2004
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 8:41pm
Glad you are working with a credit counseling agency! As far as the payment they plan to debit on the 10th, the only thing you can do is cancel your debit card and quick. You may also need to close out your bank account and open a new one. Call your bank tomorrow and ask what you need to do. In the future, you have no obligation to even talk to those folks. You can give them your client number at CCCAmerica and their #800, and let the credit agency take it from there.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2005
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 9:57pm

Gosh, Aly, I am sorry you find yourself in this position.

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Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 9:14am

You have received good advice re canceling your debit card and probably closing your current checking account.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 9:36am

I just called them to cancel my automatic debit on Friday. I spoke with 2 of the most ignorant people I've ever talked to in my life! I told them I didn't have the $350 they had requested but I will send what I can. They told me that they won't take anything less than that - that this is what the original creditor requested and that's all they are going to take. I told them that that's fine then, I still want my automatic debit cancelled on Friday and he said he couldn't do that. So I said, we'll there will be nothing there for you to take on Friday because I can't afford that payment and then he totally twisted my words and said 'so, you're telling me you have the money, but you just don't want to pay this creditor with the money you do have' and I said, 'no, I do want to pay, I am offering to pay what I can afford' and he said 'well if they paid what people could afford, they'd go bankrupt' I said I understand, I am trying to work with you to make payments and he then said 'so, you're going to make sure there's no money in your account on friday then, that's what you're telling me?" And I said, absolutely not! I am trying to make a payment to you, just in a smaller amount. and he said 'well, we won't take anything less - so I'll cancel your debit on friday and you can face the consequences"

I'm just sitting here shaking - I don't understand I guess. I have hit some hard times here in the last year (which I'm sure we've all been there) and am trying to make up for some of the mistakes/hardships from the last year. These creditors are just so rude. Have they never been in a place like this before? I guess I am just a very understanding person, so I don't understand why they need to be the way they are. I understand they have a job to do, but they don't have to be so mean and rude!

Thank you for all of your help and advice. It has been great to know that I am not in this alone!

~Aly

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 9:44am
Aly - I would call your bank and ask them what to do.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 10:18am

Can they still take the money if they have me on tape telling them not to take the money as well. Also, don't they have to tell you they are taping you?

I guess I just thought that signing up for CCCS was going to help ease my worries/frustrations with all of my debt, it seems to have just gotten worse. The company I am using though has been a big help, I am just to the point of extreme frustration!

Thank you for all of your help! I am sure now that I have come out of lurkdom, I will be posting more often!

Thanks again!
~Aly

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2005
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 11:18am

Hi again, Aly.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2004
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 2:57pm
The rule of thumb I use is that I never speak directly with a collection agency. I make up my mind whether I can pay them or not, and if not, I let the answering machine take all the calls and I don't return any. It just isn't worth it. Down the road, I'll send them a payment, but not right now. The question is, how can you know for sure the debit is cancelled? I would not be surprised if he told you it would be cancelled and then there is no record of the conversation. You may want to check with your bank if you can put a "Stop" on a pending debit.