• debt collectors

    Even Debt Collectors Are Having Trouble Paying Their Bills

    You would think tough times would be boom times for debt collectors, but debt collection company First American Recovery Services is filing for bankruptcy. "The amount of debt out there is 10 times what it had been, but the ability to pay is less," Tim Smith, FirstSource Advantage collections vice president told The Buffalo News. Don't dance on their grave quite yet. The debts will just get sold to someone else, and usually each generation of debt owners has successively less scruples. But you have to wonder, how long before there is just too much debt that's just too hard to collect in time before the statute of limitations expires?

    Now who’s drowning in debt? Bill collectors [The Buffalo News] (Thanks to Eric!) (Photo: Sharon Cantillon)

    11:15 AM on Mon Nov 24 2008
    By Ben Popken
    5,336 views, 64 comments

    Most discussed FDCPAGuy: Plus paying collections won't help your credit score. I usually only tell people to pay collections if 1) the collector more »

  • scams

    US National Bank Scammers Still Extorting Hapless Consumers

    "US National Bank" is still at it, calling up people and threatening them with jail time unless they pay up for debts they never took out and USNB doesn't own. Here's K's story of how "Harry Wilson" called him up screaming and yelling. But after speaking to a consumer lawyer, K learned what he needed to say to get the extortionist to stop phone-harassing him. You'll learn too after you read the story inside... More »

    6:10 PM on Thu Nov 13 2008
    By Ben Popken
    11,156 views, 50 comments

    Most discussed dumblonde: Under US law, can you be jailed for a debt? Where I live (in Puerto Rico), prison because of debt more »

  • debt collectors

    Debt Collector Bullying Me To Sign Affidavit Saying I Can Pay More Than I Can

    Sarah has $40k+ in student debt that went into default after she got sick and had to spend a lot of money on medical care. She's been paying it off, but one of the companies that owns one of her loans, NCO Financial, has told her that unless she signs a legal document that says she can pay $260 a month, they're going to place her account back in collections and start harassing her even more than they are now (they're already calling her daily at home and work)... More »

    8:46 AM on Tue Nov 4 2008
    By Ben Popken
    15,265 views, 127 comments

    Most discussed rshettle: If I were in your shoes I would probably tell them to go pound sand. Aside from what Ben suggested, more »

  • debt collectors

    Credit Blemished Over Imaginary Credit Card

    The NES collection agency is coming after Nancy for a debt on an account number she's never owned. She's trying to beseech BoA billing for a resolution and to fix her credit history. That may be completely the wrong way to go about it. Here's her story: More »

    3:20 PM on Thu Oct 30 2008
    By Ben Popken
    10,066 views, 23 comments

    Most discussed twophrasebark: This story sounds flaky to me. more »

  • debt collectors

    Collector Threatens Jailtime Over Dead Debt

    Reader R. kinda messed up his credit years ago. He's a good boy now and his credit score is 700+, but now RSI Claims Process Services is hassling him about a 12-year-old credit card debt. They scared him into thinking they're going to send him to jail and managed to squeeze a $100 "good-faith" payment out of him, but now he's got second thoughts. And with good reason: the statute of limitations on the debt has well passed and threatening to send a debtor to jail is a violation of Federal law. Here's his story and our advice... More »

    5:04 PM on Fri Oct 24 2008
    By Ben Popken
    18,423 views, 112 comments

    Most discussed timmus: Next time they call, tell them you will only communicate with them via mail from now on Ben took the words more »

  • us national bank

    Interview: I Fought Off The US National Bank Scammers

    Almost immediately after Laurie Lucas picked up the phone, the many from "Legal Affidavit Office" began reading off a litany of charges he said "US National Bank" had filed against her. Theft of property. Fraud. Money laundering. "Eric Matthews" said that he, "felt sorry for the tragedy that was getting ready to befall" her for her failure to pay back a $5,000 payday loan. They would be coming to arrest her tomorrow morning at 11am, he said in an identifiably Indian accent. When Laurie protested that she had never taken out such a loan, or even a payday loan in her life, and had never heard of US National Bank, Eric said she should have kept better records...

    I interviewed Laurie about her experience successfully fending off the US National Bank scammers. Read the transcript and learn how you too can protect yourself, inside... More »

    1:08 PM on Sun Oct 19 2008
    By Ben Popken
    26,048 views, 92 comments

    Most discussed GearheadGeek: I wonder if this is the sort of call I'm not answering when I ignore calls from unexpected, unrecognized inbound more »

  • debt collectors

    I Told Off The Debt Collector

    Some punkass debt collector called trying to get a hold of some lady he thinks my girlfriend knows. Here's roughly how the conversation went. Keep in mind I had just put a bunch of peanuts in my mouth... More »

    5:52 PM on Wed Oct 8 2008
    By Ben Popken
    28,097 views, 102 comments

  • Zombie Debt Collectors Find You At Grandma's

    Palisades Collection is offering Jeremy a great deal: he can pay half off his debt of $237.64 and get the account settled! Small snag, though, Jeremy never ordered the Verizon service they're trying to collect on, the debt has passed the statute of limitations, and he got it expunged from his credit report years ago. Still, Palisades persists in sending collection notices for him to his grandma's house. What's a boy to do? Read on and find out. More »

    12:05 PM on Wed Sep 10 2008
    By Ben Popken
    12,584 views, 30 comments

    Most discussed esd2020: First you have to send them a letter (certified, ideally) stating that they are not to contact you regarding this more »

  • followups

    Update: Orbitz Sent Reader To Collections For Ticket They Never Sold Him

    Here's some updates on the post about reader Josh, whom Orbitz wanted to make pay for a ticket they never sold him and he never used. Turns out that between when he sent his original letter to us in February and when we posted it, Orbitz sent him to collections. But now that his story got on here and Digg, Orbitz's ass-covering machine has been activated... More »

    12:19 PM on Wed Sep 3 2008
    By Ben Popken
    13,144 views, 17 comments

    Most discussed EyeHeartPie: Hmmm...the reply button has seemed to have disappeared. The gray bar with the reply button is no longer there. Also, Orbitz is more »

  • success stories

    Customer Battles Lowe's Online Over $3500 Fence, Wins

    Last year, Lowe's horribly botched Allen's $3500 fence installation (see picture, left). When he complained, the installer and Lowes dodged responsibility, but still demanded $3500. Allen refused to pay and they sent his bill to collections. So Allen put up Lowes-sucks.com with pictures, correspondence and phone recordings of his customer service debacle. Instead of fixing Allen's problem, Lowe's sent him a cease-and-desist to get him to take down the website, claiming "trademark infringement." That's when our site picked it up, along with Ars Technica, Digg, and others, driving lots of traffic to Lowes-sucks.com That was a year ago. Now it seems Allen has won his fight. More »

    9:05 AM on Tue Sep 2 2008
    By Ben Popken
    16,414 views, 30 comments

    Most discussed aerick79: Kinda creepy that he tape his phone recordings. more »