How To Protect Yourself - Scams and Cons Explained

Protecting Your Financial Health

A reasonable debt collector speaks out

On this date 10/15/07 A female using the name Vicky Williamson ext. 3874 called my office asking for several people by name. Each person was a prior employee. This female asked for personal information, home phone, cell phone etc. of not only those individuals, but for the company manager as well as my self. I asked her who she was and who was with. She said "United Recoveries, what is your name and home phone?"

I then stated to her, that she would have to state who she was "clearly" and who she represented as well as what her call was concerning. She then stated, "What is your name again, and what is your phone number? I then told her to not call here again, that she was clearly in violation of the law by not clearly identifying herself and the nature of her business. She said that I did not intimidate her, that she had authority to call whenever and whoever she desired at this work number. I told her, she was wrong and that I would take action against her if she persisted.

I then told her that since she was being very rude and not answering direct questions to identify the nature of the call, that I would now wish her a Merry Christmas and I then hung up the phone. If I knew of any business who hired this company "ever", then I would have to do business, and I had been a customer of theirs, then I would advise them of their tactics over the phone to other businesses and tell them that if they continued to do business with this supposed "Collection Company", that I would have to do business in the future with another company than one who would hire a company with such a bad business ethic and clearly a violation of the collection code.

I understand the need for collectors to collect "bad debt", however to use tactics such as these and trying to intimidate everyone you talk to on the phone - simply is bad business. It is people such as these which have made the ethics of collection to be made into law. Unfortunately, until the government slams some of these companies completely, then calls such as these will continue.

PS. I am a collector. I understand that everyone who isn't fortunate enough to have millions of dollars at their disposal. Most folks who make a debt, have every intention of paying the debt, but people such as the one mentioned above, make it difficult for those of us who try to treat people with dignity and respect (even if some may not deserve it). I treat everyone equally. I have found that when given the opportunity, that most respond positively if you don't treat them as though they were trying to get one over on you. Some do, that is the nature of the business. However, there would be far less if everyone in collections acted professional. Some don't, but that is what this letter was about.

I'll work with anyone who contacts me to work out their debt. If they don't care about it, then there is little I can do outside of going to court. But anyone who has been around more than a little while knows that a judgment is simply a piece of paper. Getting the debt paid is quite another. There are millions of dead beat parents who don't pay their child support, and threatened with jail, but still walk the streets while their children have little or nothing. It is not nice, and perhaps it is unfair. My question would be... To Whom?

The bad collector, will not survive.

The ethical collector may not get rich, but... I will survive and I can hold my head up.

PSS. I have had collectors in collections before. Isn't that ironic. We actually put our pants on the same as others. Each has found me to treat them with dignity. Each has paid their debt. Some very late, but paid. :)

I will survive.

2010/09/03 · by T. Blake