Lemondade from Lemons - Fun Way To END COLLECTION CALLS

[Vinnie From Indy]

A buddy of mine is delinquent on a Bank of America credit card due to suddenly being out of a job and living month to month. The B of A evidently hires a particularly tenacious collection agency to harass and hound non-paying clients. One of their tactics is to call his cell phone every 45 minutes for ten hours a day six days a week. My friend, against my advice, simply refused to answer the phone and discuss the matter. I guess he tried initially, but one of the collectors said some moronic shit and, in so many words, threatened all sorts of doom and gloom unless my friend magically had 15k fly out of his ass to satisy his debt.

After fretting for a few days of endless calling on the hour by the collection agency, my friend hit on a great idea. He began to make a point of hanging out at swanky restaurants and bars and the marina etc. He began answering the phone and having a one sided conversation with the collector on the other end. To any nearby listener eavesdropping on the part of the conversation they could hear made him seem to be a master of industry, Hugh Hefner's lost twin brother and quite the raconteur. Some of the calls went like this:

Ring

My friend: "Yes Jake, thanks for calling. I need you to get my plane fully serviced for the weekend because we are flying to Nortrh Carolina for some golfing.

The collector:"Is this Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith? Hello? I am calling about your outstanding balance...Mr. Smith?


or

RING

My friend: "Hey baby! I was hoping you'd call. What are you wearing? Damn! Behave naughty girl! Tonight? Sure, I'll be right over.

The collector: "Mr Smith? Is this you Mr. Smith? This isn't funny! You are in big trouble and you need to pay your bill today...Mr Smith?"

He made up the most magnificent, believable stories that any nearby listener could hardly resist listeninig in on. Sometimes, it would just be a hilarious conversation with his mother or his doctor or pretty much anyone he thought of. He did this for a week and I'll be damned if it didn't help get him a job.

And, they quit calling.

[DS1]

1. Sure they did

:)

[RebelOne]

2. They may quit calling, but that isn't the end of it.

I was dodging collection calls from Bank of America, but after a while they put a judgment on me, along with other collectors. I eventually had to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Believe me, they never go away. They will get their money one way or another.

[Warpy]

6. I think the point was ending all the trash calls on a cell phone

draining the battery and generally fouling up one's world.

No, they won't give up and court might be the next stop.

However, the guy has a job now and will likely be able to get them off his back completely. It would be in his best interest to pay that puppy off and throw it into a drawer---or just get rid of it, period.

[vindication]

10. If You Can Afford Bankruptcy....

They've made it so hard to go into bankruptcy!  My best friend
had two credit cards
maxed out by thieves whikle she was living overseas, and
though it got straightened out,
it caused a cascade of unpaid bills because her bank card was
locked.
That created a bad credit report for her, and though her
credit cards were
restored, it was at a higher rate of interest, because she
didn't get
'everything' paid on time -- because of THEM!  The 800 calls
did not work overseas,
and they had got into her online banking and changed the
password. By the time she
returned to the states, her credit was ruined even though the
bogus charges were removed. 
She then went to 'financial counseling' onlne, as the new law
insists, and they actually
decided she should file for bankruptcy, as a repayment plan
under Chapter 13 
was impossible (she was retired). But the fees for lawyers had
gone up so tremendously
(thanks to the Bush admin) that she was unable to afford to
file, and had to live with
phone harrassment. She solved that problem by purchasing a new
SIM card for her cell
phone and using pay-as-you go phone cards.

[Kajsa]

3. LOL!

"Is this you Mr. Smith? This isn't funny! "


- oh, Yes it is!

:D

[slackmaster]

4. I get collection letters for a guy who was murdered 10 years ago

The last time I got one, I called the collection agency and explained that their mark was deceased and had not lived at the address for more than 15 years.

The woman who answered asked me "What are you doing opening someone else's mail?"

I said "Would you rather have me forward it to his mother? I have her address."

She grunted something and hung up.

[KansDem]

5. Tell your pal he could influence the stock market!

Hang out in one of those swanky restaurants, preferably one frequented by financial types. Then, when the BoA calls him, have him say something like, "Hello, this is 'Mr. Smith.' What? WHAT??? ARE YOU SURE??? Well, then buy all you can of _____ stock! Did you hear me? BUY ALL YOU CAN!!!," then have him hang up with a big smile on his face. He then immediately calls his home number (or Time & Temp) and says, "Honey, we're going out celebrating tonight 'cuz tomorrow we're going to be millionaires! So PUT ON YOUR FACE AND LET'S JOIN THE RACE!!!" He then gets up and waltzes out of the restaurant humming something like, "We're in the money..."

[ORDagnabbit]

7. its an unsecured money out of thin air debt...send a simple validation letter

do a search on collections debt validation letter

[AnneD]

8. Not surprising but...

Take the Bull by the Horns...Calls of that frequency is harassment. If he answers explains his position and tried to work out something great. He can say I will talk to you 1 time a week (or when ever) to let you know what is happening. Should you call more than that-it constitutes harassment and is against the US Fair Credit Reporting act. Should the continue-you will contact an attorney and sue them. That usually works fairly well.

[Stevenmarc]

9. Someone might want to cut back on the "swanky restaurants" if collection calls are an issue