Survivalist Mag - Dealing with Debt Collectors

Discussion in 'Financial Cents' started by Legion489, Oct 7, 2015.


  1. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    If you have been dealing with bill collectors or just want to know what to do if you are harassed by them, Survivalist Mag has been running a series of articles on dealing with debt collectors and other assorted scum. So far it has been really excellent and I haven't seen anything that I would disagree with, other than the editing seems to be not as good as it was a few issues ago, but that might be me. Yes, I used to write book reviews and fact checked/edited books for various people so I have some idea what I am talking about. Of course I rarely got any credit for it correcting all the stupidities and rewriting the books for them either.
     
  2. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Thanks for the information from Survivalist Mag which has been running a series of articles on dealing with debt collectors.

    The other side of that coin is that I have not only lost income from scumbags who failed to stand by their commitment but I had to hire Attorneys and go to court to retrieve my property only to see said scumbags pay 10 cents on the dollar of the debt they, by law, owed me.

    So basically when those scumbags walked away then I was left, very often, with a 90% loss.

    Yes there are many type of scumbags in the world, I for one think they may well get what they deserve when they are hounded for debts they honestly owe.

    Example in point was a co worker that spent way more than he made and ended up in bankruptcy. I received a few of the calls at work considering his debt and I was treated very well when I simply pointed out the fact that they need call no more for they were breaking the law by calling at his work place.

    The scumbag co worker? He had no doubt what I thought of him ending up with some mighty fine 4 wheelers at .25 on the dollar.

    Yet another reason inflation continues to increase and honest small business folks go out of business.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2015
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  3. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    Caution: Rant in Progress!

    Many business that provide a "service" have learned that selling debt is much more profitable than selling their service. So they acquire contracts they don't intend to fulfill, and try to collect payment after their breaches result in the cancellation of the contracts.

    Plus interest and collection fees, of course.

    Thus they may run an $80.00 "debt" up to a $3,000.00 "debt".

    If they can bully, harass, and/or intimidate/extort you into paying it, they win.

    If not, they sell it for maybe 75 cents on the dollar to a lower level of scumbag that repeats the process. And they win again.

    Meanwhile, the next set of scumbags adds more charges, and tries the same tactics.

    If they can't make a score, they sell the debt down another level.

    Eventually you have some slob that paid ten cents on the dollar for a false debt that wants his money, plus costs, right now.

    And he'll call you five times a day, EVERY day, for years, demanding it.

    Here's what I say: Screw 'em all. Never pay one red cent you don't think you owe.

    Ignore every written demand. Answer NOTHING--and pray that someday they get stupid enough to sue you.

    If they ever do, you counter-sue them simultaneously--with the same jury hearing both sides of the case. Then you'll get THEIR money.

    And the best way I've ever found to handle the harassing phone calls is to answer each one the exact same way: "Let me save you a little time: We never buy anything over the phone."

    That drives them nuts.

    (You know, if every red-blooded American would just hammer one nail into the forehead of one scumbag debt collector I'd cheerfully go broke giving away nails.)
     
  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    If one manages their Funds, and Expenses, one will not go into Debt, in the first place..... Then One needn't worry about Debt Collection Calls..... Just an Observation....
     
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  5. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    And if debtors would pay debts they legally entered into in good faith, on time and in full, debt collectors would not exist. You reap what you sow.
     
  6. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    Debt is the epitome of an anti-prep. What good is having food, water, firearms etc. preparing for SHTF only to loose your home or transportation to the bank because you got hurt/laid-off/etc. and couldnt make the payments?

    If you are actually serious about prepping, then get out of debt and stay the hell out of debt!

    (and oh by the way, once out of debt and you have 6 months of financial reserves stashed away, you will experience a peace and contentment knowing you no longer have to worry. The job will get better because you are no longer desperate to keep it and know you could tell the boss to stick it and have time to find another.)

    AT
     
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  7. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Having worked hard to start a business and having survived two down turns in the economy by working a second job at night to be able to pay my employees meant I took scoff laws with disdain.

    In this vein and thanks to the laws in my state I had several ways to work out what in some cases amounted to outright theft by the debtor.

    One way to work this was to appear at the debtors location, be it home or business. In some cases I made sure the prime suspect/debtor had left for lunch or some other place.

    I would present myself as being sent by my Boss to provide PMs on the equipment in question. Now most scumbags do not want others to know that they are actually crooks in their public life. Even if they happen to return then they'll ignore you're there.
    If I gained access and could ID the equipment I then had at least two options.

    A. Suggest that the equipment needed major service and ask if I could take it in for shop work. Usually this worked like a charm and all it took was the nerve to carry out the recovery. I would even give them a receipt and have them sign my "Pick Up Ticket".

    B. ID the equipment and leave, call the cops and report the location of my stolen equipment. Only had to do this once but the debtor came back and I knew if he had a chance he'd remove and destroy .my property.

    The preferred way was to have the debtor return the property, sign the date and time thus proving the time line and how much they owed. Then file a lien on any real property they owned. This was less stressful and bullet proof in getting my property returned and in all cases the debtor paid up. Usually the lien was on a home and I only had to wait till the debtor sold their home or needed to borrow money. Max time I had to wait was three years. One debtor called all upset and wanting to come pay me "right now". I explained they had to go through the courts so the Court Cost, interest fees plus my Attorney's Fees could be defined and then she would have to pay the court in a Certified Check. Of course it took about three days for all this to happen and it had her so upset that she threatened to sue. Not than any attorney would take her case.

    Never sold a debt and only called in an attempt to get my equipment returned. After it was filed I just waited.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2015
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  8. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    been there @HK_User and feel your pain.
     
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  9. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    I've had to file a mechanic's lien once, to get paid for a finished job that cost me a good tool. Guy who hired me to do the job, did a poor job elsewhere, and the owner refused to pay him, so he stiffed me. I had to sue the home owner for "unjust enrichment".
    Took about two years to get paid, but the homeowner was barred from selling or even renting until he cleared my bill.
     
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  10. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    While I have no doubt there are people who deal dishonestly and then stiff the rightful owner of the bill/debt, there are FAR more low level bottom feeding debt collectors who feel the law is for someone else and they do not need to obey the debt, and sue everyone, even if the poor sap they are suing had nothing to do with it. Call your state attorney's office and ask about illegal actions by debt collectors in YOUR state. Better be prepared to get an ear full! A friend works in the State Attorney's office and regularly investigates these scum and ALL of them violate the law EVERY SINGLE TIME they threaten to sue someone. He has yet to find one that actually obeys the state and federal laws and the minor fines don't slow them down at all and he just froths at the mouth when talking about all the illegal acts they pull, AND get away with. As one sheriff said "So what if we are breaking the law? We're making too much money to quit!" Same with the other scum, they are making too much money to obey the law, and really, who cares?

    My brother had a printer put a lien on his house, just as he was remodeling it, because someone else in another town stiffed the printer and had the same name. Rather than sue the dolt who stiffed him, the printer simply put a lien on everything and everyone with the same first and last name for half the state. My brother had to go to court and spend quite a bit of money to get his name cleared, even though he had nothing to do with it. HE managed his Funds, and Expenses, AND did not go into Debt, in the first place..... but STILL had to worry about Debt Collection Calls.

    How about the guy (CO?) who paid off his house and the bank came in and foreclosed on him! He finally got it cleared up but it cost him much money! So he sued, the bank laughed at him, he had a sheriff's sale and had everything in the bank hauled out! The manager finally cut him a check for the full amount he was owed and then the guy just had everything dumped in the street!

    I know of several other cases where the person sued wasn't the right person, or didn't even have the same name, they just moved into the house/apartment/land/whatever and then had to spend hundreds, if not thousands to get their name cleared when they were sued because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    How about the guy who had the same name as an army deserter? The MPs show up at his house, arrest him, drag him to the base and the poor sap id going "I'm NOT the guy you are looking for!" It took a week before they finally ran his finger prints and sure enough, it was the wrong guy! Same name, wrong person! But hey, who cares? He MIGHT have been the right guy, except he was too old, too fat, no one in his unit knew him, no officers knew who he was, but so what? Better a hundred innocent people are hanged AND let every guilty man go free! Thomas Jefferson actually said "it is better that 100 guilty men go free than one innocent man be hanged", but if you look at the courts now you will see I was right the first time.

    Just look at the FBI lab where they found the lab was faking evidence to frame whoever the cops wanted, usually so the cops could steal money/property from an innocent person. Remember the 60 Minutes report where the cops murdered some guy for his land because the state park had grown around his ranch and he refused to sell. Bundy in UT who had his cattle run to death in the desert, no PETA or Soc for protection of animals idiots showing up to protest that! And what about the armed thugs who were threatening to murder unarmed, lawfully assembled US citizens until one guy said "Look over there. See that guy? Over there, see that guy? You start shooting THEY start shooting. You really want to push this?" How about all the lies that were told about Ruby Ridge and Waco? Just read the Congressional hearing and reports

    Several people I know have been harassed by a local bill collecting ring who regularly pulls illegal stuff. One guy had his Soc Sec check stolen out of the bank by these scum and called them up and told them to put it back as BY LAW they there not allowed to touch the SS. They said "Yeah? SUE US!" So he did. It was amazing how fast the money was returned when THEY got papers served on them! They regularly pull stuff like that because they know that 99.9% of the poor saps don't know the law and the courts won't slap them down hard, if at all.

    Just because you are in the right and honest, bad things still happen.

    Well I could go on but I was told the computer is shutting down no matter what I want!
     
  11. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Uncle Morgan:

    Caution: Rant in Progress!

    Many business that provide a "service" have learned that selling debt is much more profitable than selling their service. So they acquire contracts they don't intend to fulfill, and try to collect payment after their breaches result in the cancellation of the contracts.
    -----Yes, the tax relief scum are famous (or infamous) for this. Pay up front, they do nothing, want more money, do nothing, want more money, get fired, send bills for "services" for years. A friend tried them, ALL were scum, did nothing, sent bills for years "for services".
    Plus interest and collection fees, of course.
    ------Credit cards do this,
    Thus they may run an $80.00 "debt" up to a $3,000.00 "debt".
    ------Exactly.
    If they can bully, harass, and/or intimidate/extort you into paying it, they win.
    -----Absolutely. Half the people they go after had nothing to do with it.
    If not, they sell it for maybe 75 cents on the dollar to a lower level of scumbag that repeats the process. And they win again.
    ---------more like ten cents to three cents on the dollar. Really. Not kidding.
    Meanwhile, the next set of scumbags adds more charges, and tries the same tactics.
    ----------Oh my yes!
    If they can't make a score, they sell the debt down another level.
    --------Again, absolutely!
    Eventually you have some slob that paid ten cents on the dollar for a false debt that wants his money, plus costs, right now.
    -------More like penny on the dollar after being sold a few times

    And he'll call you five times a day, EVERY day, for years, demanding it.
    ---------Yes he will.
    Here's what I say: Screw 'em all. Never pay one red cent you don't think you owe.
    --------ABSOLUTELY!
    Ignore every written demand. Answer NOTHING--and pray that someday they get stupid enough to sue you.
    -------Disagree. ALWAYS answer, THEY are ignoring the law, YOU can't! Demand everything the law allows! They don't have it and now you have PROOF they don't! Legally if you DO NOT respond, you admit the debt is valid.
    If they ever do, you counter-sue them simultaneously--with the same jury hearing both sides of the case. Then you'll get THEIR money.
    ----------HAHAHAHAHA! So true!
    And the best way I've ever found to handle the harassing phone calls is to answer each one the exact same way: "Let me save you a little time: We never buy anything over the phone."

    That drives them nuts.

    (You know, if every red-blooded American would just hammer one nail into the forehead of one scumbag debt collector I'd cheerfully go broke giving away nails.)
    -------Every RED-BLOODED American? You would only need a small bag of nails.
     
  12. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Sounds as if somebody was not checking the paper work at City Hall.

    You better move to a better state or county.
     
  13. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Sorry HK, that is true of every state and every county in the US. Corruption is not limited to any one state, county or city (although I WILL admit is is far worse in commie-lib controlled cities/states). If there is a fast buck to be made the govt officials are all in on it from the judges (just google it), sheriffs (they all send you a notice that you owe ANOTHER $100 because even though you have the final payment stamped "PAID IN FULL", you didn't pay enough. All states, all counties), cops (just google Murder Inc being run out of police stations or the NYC cops caught every few months hiring out to the mob or simply shaking people down), to the post office. Why would the City Hall check papers? They simply file it for their buddies for a cut.
     
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  14. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Business as usual.

    If you really feel that way then why not challenge the system and get it changed in your part of the world?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 15, 2015
  15. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Who said I'm not?
     
  16. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Prove you are.
     
  17. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    OK, and that is why I don't deal with....well, people like HK. Why don't you prove I'm not?
     
  18. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Sorry fella but alI I have seen from you so far is a rant. So how is a rant doing any good in changing the system that you are ranting about.

    I do not see where you have provided any sources or paths to change the problem.

    So we are done.
     
  19. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    We certainly hope so.
     
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  20. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    I agree, sorry fella but all I have seen from you so far is contentiousness, whining, and in general, being a jerk to be a jerk, for no other reason than to be troublesome. If you had posted anything worth while or useful, I would have been happy to help, but so far you have refused to, nor seem able to. Since I see no reason to help fools, idiots or jerks which seem to infest too many sites and do nothing but ruin it for everyone else, I feel no need to continue this thread by continuing to post here and be subjected to people who simply wish to harass their betters for their own shallow little pleasure, minor as it is. That's too bad because the spread of knowledge was what the internet was supposed to do, not propagate stupidities by the stupid for their own ignorant little ways or to make themselves seem less small.

    So, again I agree, we are done.
     
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