I've read people's posts (thanks to the former employees for your perspectives), and I have a bit over $2,000 I legitimately owe Citi that these creeps are collecting on.
I am not averse to paying the amount owed...after all, I DO owe this money, and realize it is my debt to pay. I have worked as a paralegal and have a good understanding of the legalities surrounding consumer debt, and what avenues are open to those wishing to pay off said debt. I am willing and able to pay the amount owed in a series of payments that works with my household budget and other financial obligations. I cannot, and will not, pay the $2K in a lump sum, regardless of who threatens me or how. I know for a fact that I CANNOT be forced, under any circumstances, to make a single payment of $2,000. Even if I am served process and a judgment is obtained against me, I STILL don't have to make a lump sum payment, they can garnish my wages to get it, and only to a specified percentage of my pay. So scare tactics are wasted on me, I know the ins and outs.
I have worked with a collection agency once in the past for a charged off card of about a thousand dollars. They were very nice about letting me handle it in three payments and I had no problems with them attempting to cash postdated checks early or anything. I did not realize that that experience was not the norm. I knew I was dealing shady collectors when they obtained my boyfriend's cell number from my former employer, who they obviously threatened, or she would not have given it out. This means they have discussed my personal information and debt with two parties who are not myself (or even a spouse), which isn't even legal. They have threatened my boyfriend, telling him that they will implicate HIM in MY debt (which was accrued years before I ever even met him) if he does not pay up. Ridiculous.
After reading this, I am SO NOT going to send these people ANYthing. I am categorically unwilling to give them ANYTHING resembling electronic access to any of my finances. The only thing I will concede to is paying off the debt in installments, and ONLY by money order. NO WAY are these crooks getting anything with a routing or account number on it from me.
It appears that neither of these things (the installment payments nor the money orders) will be accepted, if the above posts are accurate. I do know that that their collector "Ms. Levinson" (hey, at least these losers watch "The Office") has noted quite shrilly that no payment plans will be accepted.
My question is, is it even POSSIBLE to settle this with Citi? I know I should have done it about two months ago, before they sold it to these freaks. But I didn't. Now that it's sold off, do you suppose there is any way I can negotiate through them? I am incredibly uncomfortable doing anything resembling financial business with these crooks, who surely have more shadiness under their belts than my $2,000 worth of finance charges on a card with a $600 limit, eh?