Confused but interested

I am very interested in all of the posted questions and the "advice" as well. One thing that comes to mind when reading most these posts, in my opinion, is quite simple. Why spend time and effort trying to "get" the collection agencies or orgional lenders; why spend time giving advice on how to get the agencies off of a DEBTOR'S back; why spend time and effort trying to figure out how to get out of paying.

WHY NOT JUST PAY YOUR BILLS???

Would that not be easier? It appears to me that most debtors know they owe the money - most have acknowledged that in their posts. Very few of these posts say you don't. Why waste time and money getting validation? PAY YOUR BILLS and you will get no more calls or letters.

It's very simple, debtors. Pay what you owe, just like the rest of us in the world.

Instead of spending time and effort searching for ways to get out of paying - own your poor decisions. You are hurting your creidt, your hurting the US economy - it cost money to collect what is rightfully the Lender's money.

Grow up and be the adults you are!!! Quit spending money you DO NOT earn! The collectors calling you are earning a pay check by calling you.

Think about this.

People are not trying to get out of what they owe.. JUST pay what they owe and not the EXTRAS that are added.. trust me most everyone on this board would like nothing more then to never of had to find this place. things happen in life a death a loss of employment.. illness and the CA dont care let them work with people that want to pay not treaten or berate them..
It can work for everyone both the CA and the consumer..

Asking for validation is a stall. Sending a cease letter is asking to CEASE. Asking to make small payments each month is a stall. Not taking the calls is avoidance. Waiting for the SOL is a stall and avoidance.

The extras are added because that is the COST of what the company (whether it be the collection agency or the debt owner) has spend on attempting to collect what is rightfully theirs. Adding the EXTRAS is within the boundary of the law.

Why is it fair to the company to spend money just to recover their money? Why should they eat the cost of recovery?

If you borrow someone money, do you expect the amount given to be returned? Sure you do. Let's say you spend years looking for this person (at your expense) you send mail (at your expense) you send mail (at your expense) etc.... getting the picture? Nope...we sue here in America. BUT, if you were to sue a friend, you would certainly ask for your initial investment back and any money you spent trying to recover.
Why is it so wrong for a company to do the same thing?

I will not argue with you.. dont care enough.. what I will say is Reasonable amount.. and dont Make threats to come take me to jail or have me arrested…
I have dealt with CA that were resonable and we worked it out.. but yell at me and I will hang up and you can take me to court but trust me I will come ready for a fight..

one more thing.. Does your boss at the CA know you are crusing the internet???? When you should be working...

I don't think that all people are trying to get out of paying their bills. I think people are tired of being taken advatage of and being treated like dirt. Life happens which can cause a person not to be able to pay something. If you read a little more you would see where comments are made in reference to trying to work payment arrangements out with creditors so the bills can be paid. But sometimes people loose a job, there is a death, there are injurys, there are illnesses, etc. Yes there are people out there that try to not pay things, but the majority of people are good people that bad things happen to. I sincerely hope that something does not happen to you to put you in a situation where you cannot pay and have to find out what it's like to have people treat you like you are the scum of the earth because something happened to prevent you from paying bills. I hope you never have to become desparate to where you take out a payday loan to pay for groceries or to keep the utilites on and have these people take advantage of you. As far as collectors go, yes they may have a job to do, but they have no right to threaten people, scare people, or verbally abuse people. I don't care what the circumstances are, NO ONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT!!! It seems to me that you just have not read enough of the posts here to really see what is going on or how people are encouraged to get help.

It seems to me you are the one that needs to grow up and grow a heart and get off your high horse. Until you have walked in someone elses shoes, you have no right to judge others and their mistakes. I don't know who you are, who you work for (although I feel it is a collection agency) or what and I don't care. You are entitled to your opinion as well as any one else, but I think it is very small of you to come on someplace where there are people trying to help other and more or less put them down. Sir/Madame, you are no better than the people you are putting down.

Maybe you need to think about this!!!

And just so you know, Yes I have some debt. Yes I am trying to get out of debt. Yes, things happened to put us in this situation. Yes we took out some payday loans to help us out. Yes we are fighting preditory lenders and NO we are not trying to get out of what we owe, but right now we can only do so much. Since you don't know my whole situation, you are in no place to judge me for my circumstances, which I feel that you have done and I take it very personally!!

All fine and I see your point, Normal. However, there is one simple thing, and it's spelled out via the law of the land. Let me post it for you:
I think one of the issues many of us have are that these extra fees are an absolute joke. They are not "reasonable", which the law allows. They are inflated and unfair.

Next, the poor treatment on the phone. Threats of jail, legal issues, being called names, being harassed. You consider that okay? You think that is a good way to conduct business? I don't. I have had calls from some collection companies that were a dream to speak with. I have talked to others that are totally rude and offensive. Guess what - I paid money to each kind. I didn't avoid my debt. I paid it. That is what we all want to do - make right on what we have done.

Also, and I can attest to this personally, I have been contacted, threatened and treated rudely for debts that through my OWN research, with no help from the caller, I determined to be either paid off or not mine. Forgive me if I just don't throw away my money a pay for thing 6 times over or pay for debts I never incurred. I guess I'm not a very good person for not allowing myself to be ripped off.

If you want to debate this fairly, fine. You want to just come in and tell us to "just pay our bills", be prepared for some discussions.

NormalCitizen

Everything you say is fair enough. I believe you also support legitimate collection practices and this is what your post means.

We condemn and stand with our legal rights when someone does unfair and illegal collections. We ask them to validate the debt to make sure that they have our file from the original creditor. It is not for you because I believe that you have no problems when someone asks you to prove whether you are authorized on their account. Rules are for those who do not abide by it. You for one sound to be following the laws. And if you are in debt, you will also do like anyone else who wants to see their money going to the right place.

Talking about fees, every state has fixed collection fee. It's also mentioned in the contract signed with the original creditor. I know you charge exactly what is mentioned in the contract. We condemn and ask questions to those collectors who want to pocket money by illegal ways. You are not one of them, are you?

And I might add, that most of the people I have encountered here are more than willing to pay what they owe, but just can't do it all at once. I, for one, use to be able to pay everything and still have a little extra left over, but then things took a turn for the worse for me and I just didn't have funds coming in like I use to and then had to make choices, do I eat, do I pay the utilities, do I pay the rent or do I pay the other bills? Hmmmm I have 2 kids that go to school...do I buy them school supplies and some clothes to go to school in (and yes, I have shopped many times at good will and places like that)? Do I get them glasses because they have a hard time seeing the board or cannot learn to drive without them? Do I have their teeth fixed when they have cavities? We were back on track and were able to get a house and then guess what, I got sick and had to have surgery. There goes that paycheck for a while.

Yes, everyone should be responsible for what they owe and should pay back what they are suppose to and most people want to and try. Give people credit for wanting their life back and are doing the best they can.

Here they get encouragement for every step they make toward that goal, no matter how small. They get support and they get help. The wonderful hearted people that started the board have even give people a chance to make a little extra money just by posting. What a concept, people helping people! Be surprised at how much better this world would be if more people were that way.

I think I am going to get off for a while because I am truly angry and upset with this person coming on here and be littling people. Sounds like some of the people I have talked to over the past few weeks and it just ticks me off.

To everyone else in the community, I apologize.

For the record - since everyone thinks I am a collector - I am NOT.

I am a manager for a consulting firm. I am in the industry, but we do NO Collecting.

I also agree, yelling and and threating does not work as a tactic.

I am trying to see the light from the other side of the tunnel.

Normal Citizen- You need to know all the fact before you start casting "why dont you just pay your bills" some people dont have the money to just pay everything off at once. I wish I did.....personally I find it real offensive TO ME that you come on here and think all we are trying to do is STALL. That is BS and you really ought to not judge people like that...like we are thugs living off the goverment. Some people just blow my mind at times.

What irked me most about NormalCitizen's post was the phrase "WHY NOT JUST PAY YOUR BILLS???" This implied that he/she believes that the members of this forum have the funds required to pay their bills and simply do not want to. If only we all could live a life of selective debt.

The most common situation I've read about on this board -- and I've read hundreds of posts already -- is the one of sudden tragedy striking and an inability to continue paying out what was once comfortably afforded. If someone were to suffer an injury that prevented him from earning his normal weekly paycheck, the balance on the mortgage taken out six years ago will not simply vanish, the electricity will not stop costing so much, his children won't cease to require food.

Not all who take out PayDay Loans and max out credit cards are thieves hoping to acquire nice things and skip out on the bill. And those who owe money are not always guilty of living beyond their means. NormalCitizen's opinion does not seem to take any of these things into account. I have known those who have taken money from lenders with no intention of paying it back, but not everyone here or throughout the world can be lumped together in that category. Many were once "normal citizens" with plenty of money to afford their standards of living.

Circumstances deteriorate and understanding is needed. Many here would gladly pay back extra on their debts -- be they mortgages, credit cards, or past due utility bills -- if those companies would show compassion and give them breathing room until their situations evened out again. That rarely, if ever, happens. If it did, it would take people a lot less time to get back on their feet and start paying their bills again. But every company demands its money; people turn desperate and are forced to seek help wherever they can. Not all of us have relatives that can comfortably afford to add another household's expenses to their budgets.

Well said Allura- He/She done offended me and I think its total BULL $hit!!

MU-DAK!

NormalCitizen:

Many here are suffering from the iPLD syndrome. My wife got caught up in this without my even knowing it until it was too late. I AM paying her bills but I will not be billied into paying 1400 on an original 200-300 dollar loan when my state credit laws provide otherwise. I dont mind paying faif charges and I am prepared to do so immediately; however, I am reporting to my state CPD ALL of these loan sharks who violate licensing and interest rate cap laws.

I do understand "Circumstances deteriorate" "things change" "jobs are lost" "people are injured"....I get that. I am human also.

I am not questioning that. I am wondering why do the validation of debt. When you lost your job - you knew you owed the debt. Why then pretend years later that you don't. Why request the validation?

Posted by another ... "those companies would show compassion and give them breathing room until their situations evened out again." Why do you feel these companies "owe" you this? Did they injure you? Did they cause you to loose your job? I do not understand why you think companies who lend in good faith (expecting to be paid back) should wait until you "get back on your feet".

This is the mentality that confuses me.