Collection Co...driving me nuts!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Collection Co...driving me nuts!
8
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 12:05pm

I signed up for CCCS about a month ago. I have made a payment to them for all of my debts and am making another payment on the 17th of this month. I just received a call from an Attorney's office representing Chase (my mastercard). I told them I am working on making payments on the account. The person I was then speaking to told me I would need to speak to someone in their legal department. The man I spoke to was so rude. He said, you can make a settlement payment for $1500 right now. I told him I couldn't do that. He then said, "Well, then how much do you have, and don't tell me you have nothing, because I KNOW you have more than that" I said "I have $50" and he goes "when do you get paid". I said "In two weeks" and he goes "Well, then you must have been paid today, so how much do you have" I said "$50" and he goes "well, how much do you make" and I said "I don't think that's anything you need to know" and he goes "oh, it IS my business and If you don't tell me, I will contact your Human Resources Department and they'll tell me, so you better tell me" I said 'well, I'm working with CCCS' and he cut me off and goes 'honey, we don't work with them....don't waste your time even telling me that information, you haven't made a payment in x amount of months, so obviously you have no intentions of paying this debt, what you just don't want to give Chase your money? That mustbe it" I just said 'have a nice day' and hung up on him.
Why do people feel the need to be so ignorant? really? Do they think people will be more willing to pay them if they're rude?

Thanks for your help/support...i'm just a mess - I thought signing up with CCCS Would help this!

~Aly

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2004
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 12:11pm
What a jerk! So is he saying they won't accept any of your payments that arrive from CCCS?
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-18-2004
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 1:36pm

I would say he is trying to intimidate you. He was being rude to try and scare you into giving him information.

Tell him to stop contacting you immediately. Ask for the address of the collections agency and then send them a certified letter (return receipt requested) telling them to cease and desist. (You can get some ideas for those type of letters from any of Dave Ramsey's books--check them out at your local library. I know Finacial Peace has a sample in the back). You can basically ask that they contact you only to inform you of legal proceedings.

Good luck.

Kellie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 2:01pm
Thank you for the information! I will do just that- write a letter. I do know that he cannot contact the HR dept. to get the information because I am the Public Information Officer for our local municipality (so in essence, he would have to go through me (file a request for information) to get the information - which by state law we do not have to give out). Whew! Anyway, I willl contact them to get their address and then send them a certified letter telling them to stop contacting me.
It's just so frustrating - I thought I was doing good by going through CCCS to get my debts paid back (without filing bankruptcy) but it just seems like it never ends!
Thanks so much!
Aly
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2004
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 2:53pm
When you write letter instruct them not to contact you at home or at work. If they call, just hang up. You have no obligation to speak to them at all. Send them whatever payment when you can. Typically I've heard that Chase does not join CCCS so you may need to check whether they are being paid through CCCS or not.
Avatar for mymartes
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 3:36pm

He sounds like a @#$. He was trying to intimidate you to get your money. Good for you, for not giving in.

MYM

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2004
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 7:14pm

Actually, I am in the second month of my CCCS. DH and I have three Chase accounts between us and they have joined our debt management plan without any issue. 7% for them. It has taken some time for the phone calls to stop. Bank of America has been the most persistent of all.

Just patiently say you are working with a CCCS on debt management, and don't answer any questions. Just let them go on and if they get rude, tell them you won't be spoken to that way, and hang up. If a computer calls and asks you to hold, then hang up for sure! Don't send any money because that just rewards the jerk. Probably on commission. I usually try to say that I take my responsibity for the bill seriously, I just can't pay right now. Doesn't matter much what they say, they are trying to get you to pay something so they get "points"

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Fri, 07-08-2005 - 8:49pm

Also, something else that Dave Ramsey stresses is that the companies will do WHATEVER it takes to get their money. I know it was on one of the Financial Peace videos that we watched-they make notes in your file about what they did and if it works. If you were to send them money after getting treated like that, they'll most certainly say, "Well, gee. That approach worked really well with her. Let's try it again."

Don't get too rattled. Otherwise, they win. It's not about trying to get out of paying your debt-it's about trying to pay it while still being able to live!

Another good book is Jerrold Mundis' one: How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously. I used it when I was thisclose to the edge when working with all the 'nice' people who kept calling me and trying to get me to feel guilty about not sending them more money.

Hang in there-sounds like you're doing what you can to fix it all!

Lisa

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Sat, 07-09-2005 - 12:10pm
I'm sorry.

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